TIME's Take: The Green Design 100

Crate & Barrel’s Jardin Chair

Here’s a bit of easy, enjoyable weekend reading for you – TIME magazine’s complete list of the people and companies that are embracing the environment, beautifully.

The Green Design 100 recognizes “Top architects … implementing revolutionary methods. Fashion and furniture mainstays … manufacturing products using sustainable materials. And luxury empires … establishing credos on issues their customers are still waking up to.” It’s all oh-so highbrow.

The list is organized into 14 categories - architecture, technology, fashion, home accessories, beauty and the like. A sampling of some that made it and the reasons why:

Ikea – prohibits the use of harmful substances in its products and only uses wood from responsibly managed forests.

Ligne Roset – manufactures and compartmentalizes products in a way that helps facilitate the breakdown and reuse of each object at the end of its life cycle.

One Haworth Center – a new headquarters with a modular green roof that’s 20% larger than the old structure, but won’t consume any more energy. 


DWR’s Loll Adirondack Chair – a new take on a classic design, made out of recycled high-density polyethylene milk jugs.

Crate & Barrel Jardin Chair – one of 50 eco-amenable upholstered styles offered by Crate & Barrel — features a kiln-dried-hardwood frame and soy- and corn-based cushions (in place of petroleum-based ones).

These are just a few of the top 100 from our biz. There’s plenty more. Are they all really, deeply green? No, but articles like this draw attention to the stuff that matters.

Here’s a surprise – Tiffany & Company: “A pioneer in the eco-gold and ethical-mining movement, Tiffany & Co. is also a leader in energy conservation. The jewelry company installed two solar-power systems at its distribution plant in New Jersey. The panels generate about 1.4 megawatts of power annually, making up 35% of the plant’s electricity needs.”

Who knew?