Seattle
All About: Seattle, Washington
Washington State has a reputation (along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest) as being a green, eco-friendly region. Given the natural beauty, active outdoorsy residents and connection with nature, its really no wonder.
Here at The Chic Ecologist, we have done several articles and features of Seattle based sustainable businesses, green events and manufacturers, so we decided to compile a little list of our favorites so far:
Sustainable Seattle Restaurants
Local 360 – Almost all raw ingredients (even liquors, wine and beer!) are sourced within a 360 mile radius of this Seattle restaurant. They also attempt to use organic and sustainable items whenever possible including humane raised meats and local wild-caught seafoods.
Mashiko Sushi – Seattle’s first sustainable sushi restaurant, Mashiko has developed an exciting local, seasonal and delicious menu from sustainably sourced and sustainably caught ingredients. Not your traditional sushi (you won’t find the typical yellowtail hamachi and toro here), instead you will find amazing Hawaiian abalone, sockeye salmon and geoduck.
Seattle Eco-friendly Businesses
Appliance Away & Mattress Away – Mattress and appliance recycling. This local company will actually come to your home, pick up your old mattress and appliances and haul them away, stripping them down for recycling. Call for individual rates and quotes, but it is a great way to keep these big, bulky items out of landfills while re-purposing valuable resources.
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Sustainable Sushi in Seattle – Mashiko
I am a true sushi lover, but getting information about the fish I am eating can be a difficult ordeal. Most sushi places aren’t very forthcoming on where they get their fish, or even what kind of fish it is you are actually eating (Hamachi is often labeled as yellowtail when it actually should be Amberjack, although it can vary between several species depending on the restaurant – same with Tai or snapper).
The Monterey Bay Aquarium puts out a wonderful Seafood Watch sustainable sushi guide both as an app, and on their website as a printable card, and Sustainable Sushi has great information too, but this can still pose a problem when it comes down to sourcing (many ratings are high for wild caught or sustainable fisheries, but low for farmed or catch method, like bottom trawlers).
Enter Mashiko, a sushi restaurant in West Seattle that maintains a fully sustainable seafood menu. Mashiko is also Seattle’s first fully sustainable sushi bar
We have solid relationships with several top seafood sustainability experts. We appreciate the support we have received from both customers and industry insiders. Our education has been intense, and it will be ongoing.– Hajime
Local Seattle Vodka & Gin – Sound Spirits
It’s pretty amazing what you can find just leisurely walking around Seattle. Case in point, the other day I decided to take a walk down 15th near the Interbay area and ran into Sound Spirits, a Seattle craft distillery producing primarily Vodka and Gin (with an Aquavit coming soon!) under the label Ebb+Flow.
Billed as Seattle’s first distillery since prohibition, Sound Spirits uses local ingredients to distill each batch by hand at their Interbay facility.Their entire operation is contained within this single building, including the distillery itself, tasting room and store. › Continue reading
Northwest EcoBuilding Guild Building Slam! 2011
Ten projects.
Ten slides.
Ten minutes.
Emceed by Patti Southard, of the King County Green Tools Program, this year’s Annual Green Building Slam! put on by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is sure to be interesting.
| What: | Annual Green Building Slam! |
| Where: | Bastyr University Auditorium |
| When: | Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Cost: | $20 Advance (before 9/8)/ $30 (after 9/8) |
Hosted by Northwest EcoBuilding Guild’s Seattle Chapter, this event features architects and builders showcasing their green construction projects in a 10 minute, 10 slide presentation.
In celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the International Women’s Day, a number of remarkable projects by top women green building professionals will be highlighted. › Continue reading
Seattle Appliance Recycling – Appliance Away
I introduced these guys a little while back when they started their first landfill diverting project of recycling mattresses, they have now expanded to home appliances! Now serving Washington’s King County, they offer local residents the easiest way to go green by recycling old appliances that are taking over our landfills!
Appliance Away is the best way to dispose of an appliance in an environmentally responsible way in Seattle.
…you are not only helping our environment, but also boosting our local economy. That’s right, we recycle and re-purpose as many materials as possible (up to 90%) to keep things out of the landfill and cut down on pollution.
Local 360 Restaurant in Seattle
Local 360 is a relatively new restaurant in Seattle’s Belltown area serving locally sourced breakfast, lunch and dinner. The premise behind their name and their philosophy is every raw ingredient is sources within 360 miles of Seattle, and they really do mean it. Browse even their drink menu, and you won’t find a spirit, liquor or wine produced any further away than Idaho (most are from Washington and Oregon).
Our products are always sourced from the most humane farms we can find. Ideally, 90% of our raw ingredients come from within 360 miles of Seattle. Lemons, limes, coffee and a few other items just don’t grow in Cascadia anytime of the year.
We source these items Certified Organic from the closest place possible. Nothing we are doing is innovative or new- on the contrary, we are returning to a simpler way of functioning as a business. We have stopped asking “what is new,” and have begun asking, “what is best.”
NorthWest SolarFest 2011
Part of Shoreline Solar Project, NW Solar Fest 2011 is a Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair happening at Shoreline Community College. There will be displays, demonstrations, music, food and a beer garden open until 8 pm.
| What: | NW SolarFest |
| Where: | Shoreline Community College |
| When: | July 16th, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Cost: | FREE! |
It may sound strange, solar power in the Pacific Northwest, but this renewable energy is becoming more efficient and able to convert energy at lower light levels.
Come learn about various new solar technologies including solar cooking and explore other renewable resources at › Continue reading
Craving the Green Life – CRAVEGreen Seattle
Last night I had a major craving for all the eco-friendly indulgences of Seattle, and I knew just the way to satisfy my craving.
In the heart of SODO tucked under the first avenue bridge in the awesome location of URBAN enoteca, CRAVESeattle hosted their 2011 green event. Which much to my delight was this eco-friendly girls dream come true.

