story by Jaclyn Hardgrove“The first time we tried to sell our [bird]houses in public, the customers knew more about birdhouses than we did,” admits Matthew Borgen, co-founder of Recycled Rowhouse. Borgen and his partner Monica Giacomucci started cobbling birdhouses from found wood as gifts for friends and family. But after that initial attempt
Morestory by Liz Pacheco | photos by Alyssa Robb When college friends Anna Bario and Page Neal reconnected at a wedding a few years ago, the pair discovered they shared an interest in creating sustainable jewelry. At the time, each had an independent jewelry label, but in 2007, decided to forgo
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story by Molly O'Neill | portrait by Chris Crisman AT PEG AND AWL, stories bring products to life. Every découpaged candleholder, leather book necklace and sturdy wooden caddy proudly reveals the source of its reclaimed materials. A chalkboard tablet is reborn from oak bleachers of the century-old Liberty High School in
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story by Liz Pacheco | photos by Albert YeeDRESSED IN BOW TIES and early twentieth-century-style suits, Ryan and Eric Berley—owners of the ice cream saloon Franklin Fountain—talk about their second time-tripping sweets business, Shane Confectionary.
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Finding that special holiday gift that won’t be tossed aside with the wrapping paper can be a challenge. So, here’s our advice: Buy gifts that are totally cool. What does that mean exactly? Consider these criteria before opening your billfold: 1 Is the gift homemade? 2 Is the design thoughtful? 3 Are the materials salvaged
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Last Friday, Mayor Nutter made perhaps what is his strongest commitment to American workers and business owners. The Mayor signed a non-binding order creating a Philadelphia-, Pennsylvania- and American-made preference for all commodity and work bids. This means that when the City is putting an office together, they’re giving preference to locally-made items, like paperclips,
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Tree damage in Philadelphia post-Sandy. Image via Jacqueline Larma/AP PhotoWhen Sandy blew in last week, she did some serious damage to the Northeast region, and local trees were no exception. Now, as residents put back together their homes and businesses, it’s important to determine the care these trees need. Some will recover no problem with
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Image via paenergy.orgHere at Grid, we’re always encouraging readers to buy local, renewable energy. So, we were excited to see that since 2004, Peco has been among the 20 utility companies in the Northeast to offer such an option. Their Peco Wind program allows customers to purchase some or all of their electric supply as
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Are you passionate about sustainability? Want to help spread the word? We are looking for eco-minded individuals in the Philadelphia area interested in developing and marketing new Grid projects. This is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience researching, marketing, and designing print publications as well as live events. Preferred candidates will have strong research
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Weinstein won first place in PHS’s City Garden Contest l Photo by Ken Weinstein Trolley Car Diner and Trolley Car Café have long-been great places to grab a milkshake and burger, but owner Ken Weinstein is doing more than satisfying the local sweet tooth. Both his diner and café are proudly serving up sustainability programming
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