NH Web Design Blog

10 years ago, the terms Eco-Friendly, Going Green, and Sustainability were hard to spot in the websites of New Hampshire businesses. But times have changed. Companies that are adopting more environmentally friendly ways of doing business are touting their green endeavors on the Internet. The eco-friendly bandwagon is gaining momentum.

Organic Landscape Design

Garden Artisans LLC of Belmont, NH, was one of the first New Hampshire companies I came across with a real interest in the environment. This Organic Landscape Design company utilizes ecological principals and organic methods to create beautiful natural spaces around New Hampshire. They don’t use any synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or soil amendments in their gardens or landscapes.

Sustainable Restaurants

What can restaurants do to be more eco-friendly? Just ask the Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub. Several years ago, they started buying more local products, upgraded to high-efficiency kitchen equipment and converted to using waste cooking oil as the fuel to heat their hot water.

In 2012, they continue to eliminate the use of chemicals when feasible, and recycle and reuse everything they can. This restaurant has received numerous sustainability awards.

Building Green

Sustainability has also become a buzzword in the building industry. The Build Green Lake Sunapee Alliance, for example, is a network of professionals who believe that houses today should be designed to use and waste less energy, considering that buildings are the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. They encourage their customers to build green for environmental and financial benefits.

Sustainable Farming

In 2010, I was introduced to Sustainable Agriculture. It is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers, does not harm the environment, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports rural communities.

The waste from Sustainable Farming stays within the farm’s ecosystem. Using the symbiosis that occurs between livestock and the microscopic organisms that thrive on their wastes, the overall health of the land is improved.

Hopewell Farms and Cascade Brook Farm both utilize sustainable farming methods. Their farm animals live in the most clean, sanitary, compassionate and natural environment that can be provided.

Interior Design

The interior design field has also made tremendous strides in terms of environmental awareness.

Sage Scott of  Sage’s Interiors in New London, NH is happy to help her clients explore eco-friendly options for flooring (such as cork or bamboo), nontoxic, green options for wallcoverings (such as grasscloth) and eco-friendly options for upholstery (such as wool or organic cotton).

She will also find ways to help her clients improve the indoor air quality of their homes and make them more energy-efficient.

Web Site Design

In 2012, it’s now easy to find New Hampshire websites that mention a company’s efforts to build green, recycle, reduce its waste, or protect the environment.

The majority of business owners, today, are truly passionate about reducing their carbon footprint. This has led me to take a peek in the mirror.

Crimson Designs has been taking baby steps towards becoming a GREEN business.

1. We are now making conscious efforts to promote environmentally friendly hosting options such as at Host Gator to our clients. This web site host, for example, is now 130% wind-powered.
2. We love our Apple computers. Read more about Apple and the environment.
3. We use recycled paper in our office and try to minimize printing.
4. We’ve installed thermal insulated shades on the windows.
5. We are exploring the Kindle Fire E-Reader as an alternative to computer books, though there is still a debate over whether it is actually more eco-friendly or not. Read more about Kindles vs. Books.

Your Turn

You can also take steps to become more eco-friendly. How about choosing bamboo for your next floor or an energy-star appliance for your kitchen? Consider buying local produce from a sustainable farmer and eating out at an environmentally-conscious restaurant.

Here’s a quick way to find sustainable New Hampshire lodging and restaurants near you.

And don’t forget to check out a company’s web site first, before you become a customer, to see what efforts they are making in 2012 to GO GREEN.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 3:12 pmand is filed under Business, Going Green, New Hampshire, Web Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.