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Thanks for a great summer of Green Drinks!

Posted October 1, 2009 @ 4:57pm | by reDesign

AIGA reDesign had the honor of curating this past summer’s Green Drinks.

For those of you who do not know, Green Drinks is part of a global non-movement to charge your eco-spirit, make some new connections, and learn a thing or two. Green Drinks events are 6pm – 7:30ish the second Wednesday of every month. The venues change frequently. Past venues have been Birchwood Cafe, Common Roots Cafe, Ecopolitan, Heartland Restaurant, Red Stag Supper Club, Trotters Cafe, and many other responsible, local restaurants. http://www.greendrinks.org/

Rita Penrod and the rest of the reDesign crew organized a great mix of local green thinkers and doers. We heard from Holy Cow, Eureka Recycling, the Center for Energy and Environment, and Jeff Johnson of Spunk Design Machine. The events were held at Sen Yai Sen Lek, a Thai restaurant in NE Minneapolis that offers Thai food but uses and supports local food producers and the local community at large. http://www.senyai-senlek.com/

June:
Justin Barrett is a storyteller, designer, and marketer with a background at Fallon Minneapolis/London and HSBC North America. He is also CEO of Holy Cow, a small Minneapolis clothing boutique with a big mission: “to design the best clothing on earth”. Made with GOTS certified organic cotton, low-impact dyes and water-based inks, Holy Cow clothing is a healthier choice for people and our planet. Every Holy Cow garment comes with a unique nine-digit code that allows customers to track the product along the supply chain, view pictures from the farm, and learn how sustainable clothing production is changing lives. Holy Cow products are currently available at Whole Foods stores and online at http://www.holycowcompany.com/.

July:
Lynn Hoffman from Eureka Recycling spoke about how Eureka is one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the United States and an industry leader demonstrating the best waste reduction and recycling practices not only for the Twin Cities metro area, but for the nation. For over fifteen years, Eureka Recycling has been St. Paul’s nonprofit recycler. Under a long-term contract with the city, Eureka Recycling provides recycling services to St. Paul’s homes and apartments. In addition, Eureka Recycling is a leader in waste reduction education and advocacy.

August:
Neely Crane-Smith, the Community Energy Coordinator at Center for Energy and Environment and Energy Challenge maven spoke about energy efficiency and conservation and how it fits into the ‘green’ movement. The Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) is a nonprofit organization that works to promote public interest through the responsible and efficient use of natural and economic resources. CEE accomplishes this mission through program development and delivery, research and education, evaluation and public policy initiatives.

September:
Jeff Johnson, Founder and Creative Director of Spunk Design Machine. Jeff will talk about how going green is not only good for the planet, it’s good for business. He will highlight Spunk’s branding and design work for three local businesses: Seward Co-Op, Galactic Pizza, and Equal Exchange – all of which recorded profits in this economic downturn. http://www.spkdm.com