HELLO MODERN SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE
ABOUT LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST
Lazy Environmentalist curates exceptionally designed sustainable products that empower consumers to create their best sustainable lifestyles.
Sustainable innovation is advancing at a rapid clip. Designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and bold business leaders are inventing the sustainable future before our very eyes. Their eco-friendly products fit our consumption criteria and reflect our values.
It’s never been easier or more enjoyable to live sustainably than it is today. At Lazy Environmentalist, we guide consumers towards the best sustainable products, towards emerging sustainable brands of impeccable style, efficacy, and taste.
We do it because we believe consumers and companies together hold the keys to our collective sustainable future. Visionary companies generate sustainable solutions that enrich our lives and reduce our environmental impact. Consumers who embrace these solutions co-create the future alongside these companies.
Together, we have the power to reverse global warming and restore the balance between our global civilization and nature’s capabilities to sustain it.
That choice is available to each of us. You can start today.
our founder & history
Josh Dorfman has been on a mission to help consumers discover beautifully designed sustainable products since 2003 when he founded Vivavi, a pioneering modern sustainable furniture company — named by Inc. Magazine to its first-ever “Green 50” list of businesses accelerating the green economy.
Two years later, Josh created Lazy Environmentalist when his first employee at Vivavi called him out for his hypocritical environmental behavior in his personal life.
How could he be so dedicated to offering consumers sustainable products when he himself was awful at recycling? And what about all those long showers using up precious water and energy? What the hell, dude?
Convinced authenticity is key to leading a mission-driven company, Josh owned up to his hypocrisy and shared his perspective in a blog post on Vivavi’s site that he titled “The Lazy Environmentalist.”
He acknowledged his dismal environmental behavior along with the reality that his awareness of it would not compel him to change. He outlined how it was incumbent upon businesses to make it easy for sloths like him to live sustainably by creating products that would do the heavy eco-lifting for him. He cared a great deal about saving the planet, he really did, but just not enough to change his habits.
And that is how Lazy Environmentalist was born. Not long after publishing the blog post, a radio producer offered him a chance to turn the concept into an online radio show. Six months later, in 2006, the show was picked up by Sirius Satellite Radio.
In 2007, The Lazy Environmentalist became a live daily radio show broadcast across North America. Josh’s first of two books – The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide To Easy, Stylish, Green Living – was published.
Josh also appeared on the Martha Stewart Show for Earth Day to showcase easy, sustainable living solutions. He’s the only guest ever to ride a bicycle onto the show.
When he didn’t pass out from the nervousness of appearing on national television for the first time, Brita, the water pitcher brand, soon after approached him to become the national spokesperson for its FilterForGood Campaign to reduce bottled water waste.
Lazy Environmentalist continued to reach more people. In 2008, Sundance Channel approached Josh about turning the concept into a primetime reality television show. In 2009, The Lazy Environmentalist televison show debuted with Josh as the show’s host. In its first season, it won “Best Reality Show” at the Environmental Media Awards.
The Lazy Environmentalist television show ran for two seasons. In 2010, Josh went back into the startup world joining GoodGuide, a “Fast Company 50” startup focusing on radical transparency in consumer products, as VP of Marketing. He later led the launch of Vine.com, a natural and organic product e-commerce venture backed by Amazon.
Several ventures later (learn more about Josh’s sustainability and entrepreneurship experience and speaking engagements), Josh is back leading Lazy Environmentalist into its next chapter.
Today, Josh lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife, three kids, dog (Buster), and cat (Kitters).
our sustainability standard
Our environmental line in the sand is straightforward. We call it The Rule of 50%.
All products featured on Lazy Environmentalist must either:
1) Be made of at least 50% eco-friendly materials
2) Increase efficiency (of energy or water) by at least 50%
3) Minimize waste by 50% (compared to standard products)
Why not 100%?
We want to move the needle on sustainable living. If we can make our lives at least 50% better for the planet than they are today, that would be incredible progress!
If everyone did it, we’d win. Nearly every environmental challenge, including climate change, would be solved.
50% Sustainable is actually a high bar. Imagine if everything in your closet were made of at least 50% sustainable materials. That would be serious environmental progress!
And progress is what we’re after. We won’t let perfection get in the way of it.
Most of the products we recommend far exceed the Lazy E Rule of 50. Many are closer to 100%.
Overall, however, we want you to feel fantastic about making choices that shift your life in a more sustainable direction. Choices that are substantially better than the status quo. Choices that bring us closer to a sustainable future operating in balance with nature.