Green Envy is, in a word, lovely. It reflects its owner, Rachel Lessne, who is passionate about helping others and the environment through her shop. Known as an “eco boutique,” Green Envy is environmentally conscious right down to its upcycled fixtures (“upcycled” means reusing something that would otherwise be thrown away).
Rachel says that she gravitated to natural products while growing up. “I wanted to buy all my gifts eco-friendly, fair trade and natural but there was nowhere to do that,” she says. “[I wanted] one store where you could go and not have to
worry about checking labels [or] about where something was made.”
Rachel originally opened her shop in Newport’s Brick Marketplace in 2008, but moved to Franklin Street in 2012 when she had too much product for the small space. The store is now full of what she boasts are the “most eco-friendly products on the market.” There are a variety of high quality items from skin care and baby products to jewelry and home decor. Rachel says, “I want a little of everything so there’s something for everybody.”
What’s also unique is most of the products benefit a charity. Gorgeous hand spun shawls made by Weaving Wellness benefit the Confetti Foundation – a RI charity that throws birthday parties for children in hospitals. There are also best-selling Roll-On Bracelets that aid women artisans in Nepal.
Rachel finds her work extremely gratifying. “It’s rewarding that you know that every day you work you’re giving back to a variety of causes whether it be AIDS, orphans or environmental charities,” she says. I left the shop with an eco-friendly handcrafted dreamcatcher from DiVine Designs and felt pretty good about my purchase, and will be coming back.
Green Envy
8 Franklin Street, Newport
401-619-1993
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