About Us

Our Mission: The Green Chalet began with the idea that to make a big difference it takes many small changes. We want to be one of those changes. We want to help consumers have better access to sustainable options as part of their everyday lives. We want to provide customers with Learning and Action links in order to make it easier for them to become proactive in The Environmental Movement. And, we want to communicate with our customers via Customer Feedback to provide them with the best possible products and resources. It is our Greatest hope that through our efforts, we can help support a sustainable economy that can coexist in harmony with the natural environment.

Founder's Story: It was 1984 and I was 13 years old. I lived in a Chicago, suburb adjacent to small farms and fields, not yet cultivated with dwellings. I spent most of my childhood in one of those fields, built forts, climbed trees, got muddy and caught frogs, lizards, and insects. I began naming the marshes, prairies, fallen logs, clumps of trees and bushes that I encountered on a regular basis. It was like childhood heaven. Then, after spending over 9 years in those fields, one morning I discovered giant machines, mud hills, man-made ponds and destruction. Everything I had named was eventually gone. 10 years later I moved to northern Wisconsin to be closer to nature, and then after 17 years relocated to beautiful Bend, OR. During those years, through my quest for knowledge, I've educated myself about green principals and dynamics through readings about chemistry, green building, politics and the environment. One of the most important things that I've learned is that within the complex interactions between capitalism and the environment, consumers are the most powerful market force on the planet. Businesses sell what people are buying. If people buy eco-friendly products, this is what companies will produce. If people want sustainable homes built in harmony with their environment, this is what developers will build. I've developed this interactive store in hopes that through product offerings, education and action links I can help provide a channel through which consumers can make a difference. By learning, taking action and, through the purchase of eco-friendly products, you will help make that difference. Thank you for shopping sustainably. Sincerely, Jeff Pokorny- Founder "The Green Chalet"

Our Commitment to the Environment: At The Green Chalet, we take sustainability seriously. We strive to operate our business as green as possible. At our previous warehouse, we heated with 90 percent straight veggie oil (SVO). We also designed the warehouse area with an uninsulated concrete slab that allows the earths stored energy (heat) to help maintain a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping the thermostat set this low allows us to reduce our fuel consumption by approximately 75 percent as compared to heating at 70 degrees. South facing windows light our warehouse allowing us to go "lights off" all day long. In addition, these windows provide passive solar heating when the sun is shining, allowing the heat to stay off on all but the coldest days . We utilize high efficiency tubular fluorescents in a four bulb chamber with only one bulb inserted in each fixture, allowing us to light each of our office rooms with only 32 watts of energy. We do not water our lawn and have plans to incorporate native/edible landscaping trees/shrubs in the future. Our diesel truck is run on 80 percent (SVO). In addition, we specifically shop for reusable and recyclable goods and spend a lot of extra time trying to recycle everything possible. All of our packing lists, business card magnets and other office papers are made from 80% pcc recycled paper, hemp, banana paper, etc. Additionally, both our retail warehouse and our Bend, OR residence are now powered by 100% renewable energy, (the majority of which is wind power), through WPS's Nature Wise Program & Pacific Power's Blue Sky Program respectively. Look for our future retail store in Bend, OR to offer more of the same.

Our Logo: Our logo was developed to portray our mission showcasing a fun, carbon neutral chalet, existing in harmony with the natural environment.

Our Pricing: All of our products are priced competitively, especially if you take advantage of our Big3 program. In many cases, we meet or beat the big box stores, however, we do not sell any of our products "below cost", so if you see a product(s) for less somewhere else, it's probably the "bait" that they are using to "switch" unwary shoppers to more profitable products. At The Green Chalet we have consistent & fair mark-ups on all of our products. We invite you to shop around. You will see that "The Green Chalet" is an honest store and an excellent value.

Product Standards*: Our product environmental, quality and safety standards include the following: We favor concentrated detergents (we carry powders when available) and all ingredients must be eco-friendly and listed on bottle. Detergents cannot leave a significant residue when used properly. All products must be built to last. Any fabrics will preferably be comprised of Recycled and/or Organic materials. Any products that are primarily wood will preferably be comprised of at least 50% F.S.C. certified lumber. We attempt to stock products that are "as safe as" or "safer than" their mainstream counterparts. Although we prefer products built from sustainable materials, some of our products may be stocked due to their exceptional durability, ingenious design and/or energy/material saving qualities when eco-friendly versions are not yet available. We also give our products "Green Ratings" where we disclose what makes them green, and we'll often modify manufacturer claims in our product descriptions to make them more realistic. This helps educate our customers so that they can make more accurate, ecological purchase decisions.

Who We Support: We donate 3% of the Net Sales from your order, to the organization you choose from the following during checkout: