Making It Very Easy To Be Green

Toronto entrepreneur Domenico Siniscalco showcases Italian eco-friendly designs with store

It's not easy being green, as a famous fuzzy puppet once said, but for Domenico Siniscalco there is really no other way to be.
Siniscalco, a young Toronto entrepreneur, considered the rather precarious state of the world's ecosystem and decided he wanted no part of a downward spiral. Instead, he has put personal conviction into practice and started a company which distributes ecologically friendly furniture and accessories which are produced in Italy and Toronto.
Originally from Latina, Siniscalco moved to Toronto seven years ago and worked in the trade show promotion business. The idea for a "green" business had its roots in Siniscalco's everyday personal lifestyle - he and his wife have made a serious commitment to eating organic food. But Siniscalco's biggest inspiration was an Italian furniture manufacturing company which produces designs using wood from a sustainably managed 11,000 hectare forest in the Fiemme valley in the country's Alpine region. Enlisting the help of two partners based in Perugia - Gian Luca Laurenzi and Alfredo Ciaccarini - Siniscalco inked a distribution deal with the furniture manufacturer, Kibily, and the three partners soon sourced more green Italian companies. Toronto-based EcoItaly was established last July.
Kibily produces tables, desks, beds and other home products from the Fiemme valley wood source which is certified ecologically responsible by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit which promotes sustainable forestry practices. Kibily uses no metal hardware in its products, relying instead on interlocking wood components. The green products have natural oil finishes and contain non-toxic glues. EcoItaly also carries a line of lighting by Orte-based artist and designer Eleonora Zuppante which include table, floor and ceiling lamps in natural woods and fabrics. A Bergamo collective of ceramics artisans produce household pieces such as dishes, glasses and teapots which are also distributed by EcoItaly. The products are free of toxic materials such as cadmium, lead, nickel and uranium. Rounding out the current roster of green products offered by Siniscalco and his associates are recyclable wood home accessories from a Umbria manufacturer and the natural fabric linen and pillow designs of Toronto artist Mimmo Baronello.
Considering man-made disasters such as the destruction of rain forests, Siniscalco feels he must do his part to reverse some of the ecological damage we've inflicted on ourselves in recent decades. He's still getting a gauge on his market, but a Toronto showroom on Ossington Avenue, near Queen Street, is scheduled to open next month. Price points at EcoItaly should fall somewhere between mass-market retailers and high-end shops. Ultimately, Siniscalco would like to open retail and trade showrooms across Canada and the U.S.
He jokes that the wood tables he distributes are so natural they could be eaten along with the evening meal, but more seriously Siniscalco says his business is about addressing and improving the quality of our everyday lives.
For more information on EcoItaly, visit their website at www.ecoitaly.it.

Publication Date: 2003-10-05
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3208