The halls and cubicles of a paper-pushing, electricity-draining office may seem an unlikely place for eco-ideals, but it's becoming easier to green your work space as office-supply makers and furniture manufacturers trade lightbulbs and plastic for LEDs and Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood.
West Elm Pratt desk
[1]
Designed by recent Pratt Institute grads, this desk, made of FSC-certified wood and steel, adds a minimalist feel to any office. ($225, West Elm)
Thinksound ts02 headphones
[2]
With a clear, warm sound, these wooden earbuds are good for the environment and the ears. ($80, Think Sound)
Equo LED desk lamp
[3]
The 28 energy-efficient LEDs in this lamp will give light for 40,000 hours. ($225, Emmo Home)
Recompute PC
[4]
Cardboard seems a curious material to wrap around the hot guts of a computer. However, those guts get only "as hot as a cup of coffee," says Brenden Macaluso, designer of the system, which comes complete with Windows 7. ($800, Recompute)
Pottok Lines Forest recyclable wallpaper
[5]
($165 for 5 yards, Pottok Prints)
Lexon Safe radio
[6]
Wind it up for just two minutes, and this bamboo- and-corn-based plastic radio will play portable green jams for half an hour. ($65, Lexon USA)
Rhinoceros eraser
[7]
It's a mini rhino, but a big (PVC-free) eraser. Two percent of sales is donated to the Center for Biological Diversity. ($10, See Jane Work)
Hulger Pappa phone
[8]
Handmade from a single piece of American walnut, this phone makes VOIP calls when plugged into a computer. ($200, Hulger)
Vapur water bottle
[9]
Freeze, roll up, and write on these BPA-free bottles. ($16 for two, Vapur)
Ecosystem notebooks
[10]
($17, ecosystem)
Lexon Safe solar-powered calculator
[11]
($35, Lexon USA)
DBA 98 Pens
[12]
Made of potato-based plastic, these pens will decompose within 180 days if composted. ($9 for three, DBA)
Areaware beech-wood ruler
[13]
($95 for a four-piece set, Areaware)
A version of this article appeared in the June 2011 issue of Fast Company magazine.
