Pittsburgh's Best of Green
Here are more than 50 of the best eco-friendly finds in our region.
We are all aware of the dramatic enviromental transformation Pittsburgh has undergone in the decades since its smoky Steel City days to its present international leadership in laying the groundwork for green technology and architecture. As the city and region continue to lead the country with home-grown innovations in design and technology, how best can we Pittsburghers live the green life? We did our digging; in some cases it was very easy to find and hard to pick the best. In the process, we became green-obsessed and just could not get enough! We also learned that despite tough economic times, people would be willing to pay a bit more for green services such as car washes and dry cleaning. Here are just some of the "bests" that will make others go green with envy!
Best Way to Leave It Green: Who knew a “slimy pebble” that named a town and a university ages ago would exemplify student leadership in support of its environment? This past fall, Slippery Rock University (SRU) implemented its Leave It Green Fund. With more than $70,000 available each year, Slippery Rock University students, faculty and staff will be able to recommend and fund green projects on the campus of the Butler County school. SRU’s Leave It Green campaign was first created by SRU environmental-studies majors. With funding in place, SRU students, faculty and staff are now being encouraged by the Leave It Green group to start the process of completely greening the university.
Best Sustainable Web-Hosting Company: Are you an eco-conscious blogger in search of a green Web host? Look no farther than the South Side. Pair Networks Inc. is all green. It is a global Web-hosting and domain-name registering company that appeals to eco-sites such as Treehugger and GreenMap among others. Pair Networks recycles everything in-house and balances all carbon emissions from its operations. The employees also do their part by using public transportation, riding bikes and taking hybrid cars to work. Pair contributes money to TerraPass for all employees who drive to work to offset the carbon their vehicles produce each year. With such great environmental policies, Pair could make some other Web hosts (and their employees) green with envy. Info: pair.com
Best Green Operations: Eat’n Park Hospitality Group has taken eco-steps toward making its divisions sustainable. In its restaurants across the region, the group is reducing waste by eliminating paper placemats and paper towels and through recycling efforts in select restaurants. With Eat’n Park Hospitality Group’s food services at Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University, and through Parkhurst dining services at major cultural institutions and businesses in the region, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group is greening through committees comprising students and staff. Current green initiatives meet the specific needs and interests of each site and client. Overall recycling goals for the corporation in 2009 include more composting and waste recycling with local agricultural-recycling companies. That’s certain to keep Smiley smiling with green pride. Info: Eatnpark.com
Best Recycling Program That Saves Lives: Global Links provides an environmental and morally responsible approach to medical aid. It redirects still-useful, unused and surplused medical supplies, equipment and furnishings from U.S. hospitals and prevents them from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Since 1989, it has recovered more than 3,000 tons of surplus medical supplies and delivered more than $140 million worth of supplies to needy hospitals and clinics in more than 70 countries. Info: globallinks.org
Best Reason Not to Toss the French-Fries Oil: It can be converted and put into your gas tank! Going biodiesel is easy. Theoretically, the fuel can be produced from nearly any carbon source. The most common sources are photosynthetic plants, used for vegetable oil. Fossil Free Fuel (FFF), created by Steel City Biofuel in Braddock, is a local biofuel created from used vegetable oil. FFF collects the oil from area restaurants. The company then filters it to remove water and food particles to create biodiesel fuel. So, as tempting as it may seem to use you own fryer oil, it needs to be filtered by professionals. Biodiesel fuel is also available at many local gas stations, including Get-Go. All new diesel cars can run on biodiesel. If you have an older diesel car, you can convert it. Steel City Biofuel offers biodiesel converter kits starting at $2,000 that allow older diesel cars to run on biodiesel fuel. Most of the vehicles that receive biodiesel converters are older Mercedes Benz turbo-diesel and some Volkswagen diesel models. Info: 412/894-8184, fossilfreefuel.com
Best Reason to Let Someone Else Do the Driving: Classy Cabs is going green! Owner Bob DeLucia’s goal is to have an entire green fleet of cabs, from cars that run on hydrogen to those that use electric and propane. To date, he has added 10 “green” cars to his fleet, though they are actually black in color. A cross between a cab and a limo, these sedans—each named after a Pittsburgh Steeler—offer energy-efficient luxury rides that fight air pollution. Your trip to the airport or around town has never been this good for the environment. Hail a ride—and all hail, Bob DeLucia. Info: 412/322-5080, classycab.com
Best Conceptual Housing System: TriPod is a prototype house demonstrating a prefabricated-home concept developed at Carnegie Mellon University. A prefabricated and modular house can be assembled with greater speed and superior craftmanship when compared with a traditional “stick built” house, which is constructed on the building site, piece by piece. The TriPod house has many energy-efficient features. It only uses 10 percent to 25 percent of the electricity that would be used in a standard-construction home of equivalent size. TriPod uses photovoltaic panels to gather energy from the sun, and this allows it to be a “zero energy house.” That means it generates as much electricity as it uses, and consequently, eliminates the need to use fossil fuel for power. The TriPod concept received a 2008 Lifecycle Building Challenge Award, a national honor created in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) that recognizes the future of green building and facilitates the reuse of local building materials. Look for your TriPod home in the near future. Info: lifecyclebuilding.org
Best Way to Get More Green Into Your Neighborhood: By 2012, there will be 20,000 trees planted throughout the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to improve quality of life and the environment through TreeVitalize Pittsburgh, the local arm of a state-wide public-private partnership to help restore tree cover, educate citizens about planting trees, and build capacity among local governments to understand, protect and restore their urban trees. Community groups are encouraged to partner with TreeVitalize. The number, species and types of trees awarded to each group will be determined by TreeVitalize Pittsburgh, and each group will receive priority enrollment as a group for Tree Tenders training (see following blurb) offered at various locations in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Bring more trees to your neighborhood! Info: paconserve.org/216/treevitalize
Best Volunteer Opportunity With a Tree: How would you like to become a trained volunteer authorized to care for city-owned trees? Tree Tenders is a special group of volunteers who participate in a four-session course, organized by Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest, that equips you with the skills necessary to care for trees. Local tree experts provide instruction, and the course covers everything from tree biology to planting and pruning. Following completion of the course, Tree Tenders-in-Training participate in the program by volunteering to help trees (often at plantings in their own neighborhoods). Info: pittsburghforest.org/TreeTenders
Best Green Community in Planning: This past summer, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for Venango Trails, a new, rural residential village that takes its inspiration from the history and natural beauty of its site. Located in Marshall Township on a former golf course, Venango Trails will be a traditional, walkable neighborhood surrounded by tranquil parks, greenways and preserved open spaces. Venango Trails is working with Allegheny Land Trust to preserve 84 acres of mature woods, allowing them to be enjoyed by residents for generations to come. Although the designs of homes will reflect the Arts and Crafts period, they will offer modern amenities and materials that are both sustainable and energy-efficient. Venango Trails homes are being designed to provide 35 percent better energy efficiency than the current code for the region. All homes are designed with building materials selected for their reduced impact on the environment and longer life cycle, and are healthier for the residents. Model homes are scheduled to open by March. Project architect and land planner is local firm Burt Hill. Info: venangotrails.com
Best Green Slogan: ”Just Reuse It.” One of Pittsburgh’s first green businesses, Construction Junction diverts more than 700 tons of construction materials from landfills annually. This past year, Construction Junction was recognized as the best social-enterprise organization in the region by the Social Innovation Accelerator, a local support organization for social-enterprise nonprofit. Since its founding a decade ago, Construction Junction has created a green, recycling community, and houses many organizations and projects on-site. Free Ride, a project of Bike Pittsburgh, a local group that repairs donated bikes, donates bikes to Third World countries and holds repair workshops. Reclamere and eLoop provide customers with the service of having their electronic trash responsibly recycled. Steel City Biofuels, a nonprofit that promotes biofuels, is awaiting a state grant to install a biofuel pump. The city of Pittsburgh also has a recycling station at 214 N. Lexington St. in North Point Breeze. Info: 412/243-5025, constructionjunction.org
Best Way to Be Cleaner and Greener: Host a Green Cleaning Party. This is a fun event where you and your friends learn how to make nontoxic cleaners from common ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda and essential oils. No need to worry if it gets messy during the party, as you’ll have all the products and tools you need to clean up. And, you can encourage your friends to do the work by letting them think they are trying out the products. The Women’s Voices for the Earth, a national organization that engages women to advocate healthy-living environments, offers “green cleaning party kits,” which are the 21st-century equivalent to planning a Tupperware party. Info: womenandenvironment.org/greenclean
Best Way to Live Life in the Green Lane: Cycling isn’t just for recreation anymore. While driving your pollution-generating car around town, you probably have seen numerous cyclists on the new bike lanes sprouting up throughout the city thanks to Bike Pittsburgh. So, why not get in on the greenest transportation trend. Even new buildings are required to have bicycle parking. Participating in this year’s national Bike to Work Week in May is a great way to start. You will get into better shape and might outlive your car-driving friends, save money on fuel and help the environment. Info: bike-pgh.org
Best Way to Keep From Being Humiliated in the Shopping-Center Parking Lot: Using brown paper or plastic for your groceries—unless you recycle the bags—is environmentally unfriendly and deserving of market staff and patrons shaming you in the parking lot. Many local markets have friendly reminder signs posted. Don’t be lazy—walk back to your car and use your green grocery bags. Need further incentive? Most stores give you a discount to BYOB—“Bring Your Own Bags.” And for the fashion-conscious shopper, many stores sell reusable, sturdy tote bags in cool designs. Some tote bags are even made from recycled plastic bottles.
Best Way to Detoxify and Redesign Your Home: Start by looking at healthy building materials that are eco-friendly. Artemis Environmental Building Materials (3709 Butler St., Lawrenceville) sells high-quality, environmentally responsible, “green” building products. For the past four years, Artemis has expanded the availability and use of green building products in the tri-state region. The products that you’ll find at the store were selected because they are better for the environment, perform well and contribute to healthier living. “Don’t be afraid to introduce one healthy thing into your space,” co-owner Janice Donatelli says. Donatelli provides sage guidance to contractors, architects and home owners to help demystify working with green construction materials. They are not always more expensive—take bamboo flooring, for example. And, going green at home does not necessarily mean going contemporary. There are many green offerings that have a traditional aesthetic as well. Besides, investing in energy-efficient materials up front provides cost savings down the road. That makes living in a green space common cents. Info: 412/353-019, artemisenvironmental.com
Best Green Spa: Modern spas have their roots in ancient European towns famed for waters that restored one’s health. Today, massages and facials are by far the most popular spa treatments in America. Eva Sztupka, a native of Hungary, modeled her business, ESSpa Kozmetika (17 Brilliant Ave., Aspinwall), on the European-style spa. She regards skin care and the spa experience as crucial components of overall health. This past year, the Green Spa Network nationally recognized the spa for its reliance on natural Hungarian skin-care traditions, which include extensive training and use of natural and organic products. The handmade, organic skin-care products and treatments at the spa are brilliant, just like the name of street where it’s located. Info: 412/782-3888, esspa.net
Best Green Day at the Beauty Shop: Clients of the stylish Jeffrey Smith Salon (3801 Butler St., Lawrenceville) can now pamper themselves at a “green day” of beauty with eco-friendly hair-, skin- and nail-service options. Going green is an easy option to offer, and Smith and his team do it with great flair. Your hair, skin and nails will thank you, and so will the environment. That’s so eco-chic. Info: 412/683-8153, jeffreysmithstudio.com
Best Place Where Green Is Always the New Black: In trendy “Larryville,” there is Equita, a clothing boutique that focuses on contemporary-fashion designs that are eco-friendly and sweatshop-free and all geared toward fostering fair-trade and sustainable employment in developing countries around the world. Equita (3609 Butler St., Lawrenceville) supports and offers designers that adhere to using organic materials. Info: 412/353-0109, shopequita.com
Best Way to Wear It Green…Baby: Come on, you’re not too young to recall when wearing an “I Like Ike” pin made a statement. Now your tots can make their own eco-political statements with eco ike brand T-shirts. They are the brainchild of Pittsburgh’s hip, all-organic mom Faith Moser, who was inspired by her son to create an environmentally friendly children’s-clothing line. Her mission is to encourage people to go green. In fact, “I’m Organic” is the most popular shirt. The merchandise is sold in select local and national boutiques as well as online. So get your eco ike wear before Brooke, Gwen, Sarah Jessica and other celeb moms buy them up for their little ones. Info: 412/901-4043, ecoike.com
Best Thing That Should be Happening to Your Dry Cleaning: It’s hard to believe that green dry cleaning is late to catch on in our region. Even small hamlets across New Jersey, as well as in (gasp!) Cleveland, now have this dry-cleaning service. Using a sand byproduct rather than petroleum, green dry cleaning is not only healthier for you and the environment, but it’s also gentler on your clothes and budget-friendly—your clothes will last longer! Demand that your dry cleaner go green. In the meantime, there are two area companies that now offer GreenEarth cleaning systems: Martinizing Dry Cleaning (12023 Perry Highway, Wexford; 724/940-2494) and Dry Cleaning Station (4071 Washington Road, McMurray; 724/941-7610; 330 Greengate Centre Circle, Greensburg, 724/834-2225). Info: drycleaningstation.com
Best Way to Buy Fresh and Local: From May to November, support your local farmers and buy produce at area farmers’ markets and farm stands. Because the food is grown locally, many items are limited to the beginning of the season, and more become available each week. Markets have the most food and the most farmers from July through September. The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) has a directory of Pennsylvania farmers’ markets, family farms, you-pick farms and other businesses that sell locally grown farm products. Info: buylocalpa.org
Best Chefs Who Make Others Go Green With Envy: It’s no surprise that for three years in a row, Pittsburgh magazine’s “Chef of the Year” has been Douglass Dick, executive chef and owner of Bona Terra (908 Main St., Sharpsburg). His restaurant, whose name means “Good Earth,” offers the freshest local ingredients prepared in the most exquisite manner, and they’re on the menu every night. Make your reservations well in advance, or you may have to wait until Earth Day 2010. Info: 412/781-8210, bonaterrapgh.com
Big Burrito executive chef Bill Fuller gives Douglass Dick a run for the green. Not only does Fuller incorporate local purveyors into the menus at all of big Burrito’s restaurants, Fuller also has turned part of Eleven’s wine cellar into a charcuterie, and he makes his own vinegar in Casbah’s basement. Fuller is one of the greenest food junkies around, and is not shy about letting you know it. You can’t miss him at nearly every green food event in town, from Rachel Carson’s Homestead events to cooking up whatever he can grab at the Farmers@Firehouse market in the Strip District on Saturday mornings. Even big Burrito’s catering company, big catering, is mad about green. Info: bigburrito.com
Best Green Specials: Legume (1113 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square) is a charming BYOB restaurant that offers an evolving seasonal menu. Though its menu is small, you might find it difficult to decide what to order, because everything is made from enticingly fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. Legume updates and posts its offerings daily on its Web site. Info: 412/371-1815, legumebistro.com
Six Penn Kitchen (146 Sixth St., downtown) serves fresh, carefully crafted, all-American cuisine. The menu highlights seasonal ingredients and takes an updated approach to regional American classics. Executive chef Keith Fuller masterfully creates regional classics with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Six Penn continues to grow its own herbs on its rooftop garden, and supports local and sustainable farms and suppliers, all noted on the menu. Info: 412/566-7366, sixpennkitchen.com
Best Green Beans: Fair-trade-certified coffee roasters La Prima Espresso Co. directly supports a better life for coffee-farming families with each bean it roasts. La Prima’s current fair-trade coffee offerings include relationships with Los Olivos farm in Colombia and Finca Vista Hermosa farm in Guatemala. For a small fee, you can enjoy a roaster tour and coffee class at La Prima (Smallman and 20th streets, Strip District). Learn about different coffee types, including organic, and find out more about fair trade. Info: laprima.com
Best Food in a (Recycled) Box: CSA Program from Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance. Local family farms offer some of the best local and seasonal foods directly from their fields to your table. Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance is a group of almost 20 local farmers who use sustainable farming practices, and many of them grow organically. The Alliance delivers fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese, meat and other delicious farm products directly to you through its CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program from April through November. Your neighborhood connection to farm-fresh foods is now in the box! Info: pennscorner.com
Best Club for Green Food Lovers: With almost 200 members, Slow Food Pittsburgh is a good choice if you want to enjoy and learn about food. It is part of an international educational organization dedicated to reviving kitchens and dining tables as centers of pleasure, culture and community. It promotes the proliferation of regional and seasonal food traditions among other culinary quests. The Pittsburgh convivium is one of the most active groups in the United States. Its educational programs are top-notch—some of the leading green food writers, cooks and thinkers are brought to Pittsburgh—and this group knows how to throw a party! Learn how to lead a slower and more harmonious life with good local food. Info: slowfoodpgh.com
Best Cocktail Mover and Shaker: Spencer Warren, owner of the Firehouse Lounge (2216 Penn Ave., Strip District), was one of the first mixologists on the scene in Pittsburgh. He also is one of the first to introduce organic cocktails to the region. Organic and local are both things that are very important to Warren, and as a result, he has had a lot of fun creating specialty drinks. While he relishes serving cocktails made from unique and fresh ingredients, he is quick to point out the limited availability of true organic spirits on the market. With that said, Warren delights in serving up organic selections such as a Prairie/40 North vodka cocktail and a sangria made from BD (biodynamic) wines. His ambitious drink menu, which changes seasonally, includes some interesting and mouth-watering favorites such as a Bluecoat Blossom, the Curious George or a Lime or Lavender Mojito. Drink responsibly and organically. Info: 412/434-1230, firehouse-lounge.com
Best and First “Living Building” in the ’Burgh and the World: Last fall, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens broke ground for its “living building”: the Center for Sustainable Landscapes. Teresa Heinz—chair of The Heinz Endowments, which provided a substantial gift for the project—described the new building by asking, “What would it be like if every building in the world were built like a tree?” The building, currently under construction, will primarily house administration, education and research activities for the organization. However, what makes the building unique is that it will essentially be “alive,” meaning it will be a zero-net-energy structure—generating all of its own energy with renewable resources, and capturing and treating all of its water on-site. This will make it one of the greenest, most energy-efficient structures in the world. Info: phipps.conservatory.org
Best Group on the Rivers: With executive director Lisa Schroeder at the helm, Riverlife, a public-private partnership established in 2000 to guide and advocate for the redevelopment of Pittsburgh’s riverfronts, is working hard to reconnect Pittsburgh with its rivers. That means bringing recreational and economic opportunities back to the city’s waterfronts. When the Point State Park renovation is completed, Riverlife’s proposed Three River’s Park Project, which will run more than 10 miles from the West End Bridge on the Ohio to the Hot Metal Bridge on the Mon to the 31st Street Bridge on the Allegheny, will be nearly complete and bring more green recreation activities to Pittsburghers and visitors alike. Info: riverlifetaskforce.org
Best Urban Farming to Have Taken Root in Pittsburgh: There’s a growing dedication to providing healthy produce to area residents, increasing local food security, remediating the land and teaching youth about the benefits of sustainable living. Grow Pittsburgh is proud to be at the center of it all by providing visibility and leadership for the urban-agriculture community. Its “Edible Schoolyard “initiative is based on the “seed-to-table” learning model created by San Francisco-based chef Alice Waters, a legendary champion of locally grown, fresh ingredients. Its newest, large-scale demonstration site is Braddock Farms, an urban-farming-complex organization that includes spin-off farms and a farm cooperative. One of Grow Pittsburgh’s programs, “Here We Grow Pittsburgh, Here We Grow,” promotes local, fresh food and community spirit through the creation of community gardens. Summer internships provide urban youth with the opportunity to gain summer employment while learning how to preserve the health of our bodies and the environment. Through Grow Pittsburgh’s partnering with Silver Eye Center for Photography, the kids also photo-document the way they look at food. Info: growpittsburgh.org
Best Way to Support More Art and Less Paper: Leave it to the contemporary-art-world gurus at The Mattress Factory on Pittsburgh’s North Side to be the first museum in the United States to initiate a 100 percent paperless Green Membership program. Created by MF membership coordinator Lindsay O’Leary, who earned a degree in environmental planning and design, MF Green Membership allows you to receive all correspondence electronically. “For 30 years the Mattress Factory has pushed boundaries in the contemporary-art world, and we’re proud to extend that drive and ingenuity to the worthy cause of environmentalism,” says O’Leary. MF Green Membership reduces paper and postage costs, and allows more dollars to directly support the art. Info: mattress.org/green
Best Industry Renewed Through Art: Pittsburgh Glass Center is the fastest-growing public-access glass-art facility in the United States. This gold LEED-certified building in the East End houses state-of-the-art glass-art studios and gallery space. The Glass Center also has helped revitalize the Penn Avenue Corridor, attracting glass artists from across the globe to a region whose history is steeped in industrial glass making. In fact, the Steel City could have very easily been called the Glass City. The Glass Center has revitalized glassmaking in the region by making Pittsburgh an international glass-art destination. Be a part of Pittsburgh’s future—take a class or support a local glass artist. Info: pittsburghglasscenter.org
Best Green Savings for the Bucs: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ “Let’s Go Bucs. Let’s Go Green” program, launched last season, integrates green initiatives, sustainable-business practices and educational outreach for the team. So now you can enjoy many of your refreshments at the game with good eco-consciousness. The IC Light and pop that you drink from both of PNC Park’s concessionaires, Aramark and Levy Restaurants, come in corn-based beverage cups, and the club will eliminate its use of about 33,000 Styrofoam cups each year. Also eliminated are most of the non-biodegradable materials that were being used in plates, napkins and food carriers to serve us true-green fans. In addition, steps are being taken to make the ballpark more energy-efficient by using the lowest voltage lights possible in ballpark signage. All right, Bucs! Way to go green! Now let’s go for the pennant! Info: pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com
Best Way to Raise More Money at a Fundraiser: Events such as Construction Junction’s “Steel City Pour,” “Art All Night” and “Rachel Carson’s Sustainable Feast” encourage and even challenge participants to save energy by taking public transportation, riding their bicycle or walking to the event. From transportation to use of recyclable-paper goods and local products, the greening of events is one of the hottest trends in event planning these days. But one local fundraiser might be remembered as the coolest event never to happen—and it might have been the greenest ever. Several years ago, Pittsburgh Filmmakers asked supporters to write a check to the organization rather than waste time and energy getting to a party.
Best Green Happy Hour With a Twist: The perfect blend of beverages and environmental talk is “Green Drinks.” Every month, people who work in the environmental field or who have an interest in a greener planet meet up for drinks at places all around the world for informal sessions known as “Green Drinks.” Locally, we are fortunate to have a lively mixture of participants. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making “Green Drinks” an organic, self-organizing network. Make friends, develop new ideas, do deals and forge a new organic future. Pittsburgh “Green Drinks” meets on the third Friday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m. at various locations. And look for green spirits such as Rain Vodka, Bluecoat Gin, Bonterra wines and Peaks Organic Pale Ale Beer. To get on the circulation list, e-mail pittsburghgreendrinks@gmail.com. Info: greendrinks.org
Lissa Rosenthal has been the PR muscle behind many of Pittsburgh’s largest food and cultural campaigns such as Pittsburgh Wine Festival and Pittsburgh Festival of Lights. Her firm, Relish Public Relations, a lifestyle promotional company, includes local and international clients Boyd & Blair Vodka and Artlumiere. A trend-spotting “Greeniac,” she enjoys cooking in one of Pittsburgh’s coolest green-renovated homes, which she shares with her French bulldog, Panko.
