Green Market | A look at some Northwest products that tout green credentials

Although they may define green in different ways, many companies in the Seattle area offer products they say will help customers go green. Here are a few we've checked out:

Très eco-chic: Seattle sisters Patty Grossman and Leigh Anne Van Dusen have sought the most sustainably grown fibers, as well as manufacturing partners willing to forgo harsh chemicals, bleaches and finishes, to create luxury interior-design fabrics with rich, earthy tones and evocative, Northwest names like Lopez and Bloedel. Even their dyes are organically certified. Their dictum: opulent yet organic, sensuous yet sustainable. Fabrics average $84 per yard to those in the trade.

O Ecotextiles: 206-633-1177 or www.oecotextiles.com.

Baby soft: Company founder Kate Quinn designs stylish clothing and bedding made from certified organic cotton for infants and children. Based in Seattle, Quinn markets to the world, recently adding accounts in Hong Kong and South Korea, and is expanding to women's apparel and a skin-care line. Kimono shirts: $24; crib sheets: $48. Kate Quinn Organics: 206-760-2997 or www.katequinnorganics.com.

Beautiful botanicals: A Seattle designer's bold-colored blossoms and branches are printed with soy ink on stationery and wedding invitations made from 100 percent Forest Stewardship Certified sustainable paper. Six cards/envelopes: $22. Herman Yu Design 206-448-2182 or www.hermanyu.com.

Get a grip: Who knew that indoor climbing gyms or guide services, for insurance reasons, must routinely discard mountains of used but perfectly good rope? The Krebs family did. They upcycle old nylon rope (and factory remnants) into sturdy dog leashes. A Reggie big-dog leash: $15. Krebs Recycle: 206-275-2062 or www.krebsrecycle.com.

Counter intuitive: What began as a concept for a graduate-studies paper by Ameé Quiriconi is now a caressable countertop cast in Woodinville. Squak Mountain Stone Countertops' textured, cement-based composite, mixed with waste fly ash as well as newsprint and other recycled paper, is an alternative to quarried stone. A 30- by 48-inch slab: $420.29. A new line, Trinity, uses recycled glass to mimic smooth granite. Call 425-486-3417 or www.tmi-online.com.

Bee Green: Kim Denend and Aaron Otto combine organic farming and beekeeping to make soaps, salves and lotion bars tested on family and friends. Most of their ingredients are grown on Pragtree, a land-trust farm near Arlington, or come from other sustainable producers. Calendula soap: $5.95; muscle rub with cayenne: $10.95. Moon Valley Organics: 877-652-1819 or www.moonvalleyhoney.com.

Waste not: ELWd ("elwood") Systems, a division of Auburn's Forest Concepts, began replicating woody debris for salmon-habitat restoration and branched out to erosion-control bales, planters, fencing and other products made from wood that would otherwise be wasted. Sets of pole units can be used in place of rock, block or creosoted railroad ties for landscape terraces. A 90-inch unit: $52.99. ELWd Systems SlopeCheck: 253-333-9663 or www.elwdsystems.com.

From hippie to hip: Bellingham-area designer Teresa Remple refers to her apparel line as clothes with a conscience — kicky styles like comfy skirts stitched from organic cotton and hemp blends. She also makes rag rugs from skirt scraps. A skirt: $68; tee: $32. Texture Clothing: 360-224-1342 or www.textureclothing.com.

A crush on you: Proudly crunching and reusing tons of glass that otherwise would go into landfills, Bedrock recycles glass into all sorts of neat stuff, including garden art, dinnerware and wasabi plates. A salmon platter: $105. Bedrock Industries: 206-283-7625 or www.bedrockindustries.com.

Raising the bar: The darker side of the chocolate industry is unsustainable farming and allegations of underpaid or child labor, especially in West Africa, where much of the world's cacao is grown. As the only roaster of organic, fair-trade cacao in the U.S., Seattle's Theo Chocolate is an agent of change, blending award-winning taste with social responsibility. A two-ounce, 3400 Phinney bar: $3.25. Theo Chocolate: 206-632-5100 or www.theochocolate.com.

Port Townsend-based freelance writer Mary Rothschild is a former Seattle Times editor.

Have a suggestion for a company we should consider for a future Green Market? Send to: footprint@seattletimes.com