News | April 22, 2014

San Francisco Green Leader Sophie Azouaou Talks 365-Sustainability

News | April 22, 2014
Sophie Azouaou
Sophie Azouaou

Sustainability doesn’t get any more luxurious than San Francisco’s own Sophie Azouaou. The chic and stylish founder of Step Into My Green World, a leading green living media platform, brought her eco-friendly message to the masses at Earth Day San Francisco where she is on the Board of Directors.  At the event (produced by talented environmentalist Douglas Kolberg) Azouaou took to the stage and rocked the crowd of over 15,000 people, bringing out leaders in the industry including co-founder, Chairman of the Board at 350.org and author of The End of Nature, Bill McKibben, whose mission was to spread awareness about recycling, reusing and reducing waste.

Bill Kibben and Sophie Azouaou at Earth Day San Francisco 2014
Bill Kibben (author of The End of Nature, the first book about global warming) and Sophie Azouaou at Earth Day San Francisco 2014

But behind the scenes, Azouaou practices what she preaches. Much of her penchant for green and healthy living comes from growing up in the south of France, following old world recipes passed from generation to generation. She is green-conscious in every step of her life, from the food she eats to the products she uses to the energy and water she saves at home. Azouaou, who previously gave monthly green seminars to residents of the Infiniti, Rincon and Millinium Towers, began Step Into My Green World as a way to teach people how to lead a healthy and green life. She started in a small way by bringing sustainable tips and tricks. Within the first year, it was endorsed by Mayor Ed Lee. And from there, her Step Into My Green World has taken off like wildfire. On April 19th, Azouaou was awarded a certificate of honor by Mayor Edwin Lee for a decade of outstanding service towards a more sustainable future for all.

Azouaou is a big believer that education is key and has deep connections with thought leaders. Her late mentor, Van Vlahkis, was a legend and a pioneer in the world of sustainability (The movie A Green Story was made after him). His company, Earth Friendly Products, was the first company to partner at Step Into My Green World.  Today, she speaks at conventions, gives green living seminars nationwide and was honored to be a speaker at the World Market Center in Las Vegas with former President Bill Clinton. 

Azouaou, a member of Global Green USA and Sustainable Furnishings Council, has a background in interior design. So naturally, as President of Sophicate Interiors in San Francisco, she specializes in green design and high-rise design. In fact, she was chosen as the lead designer of the Green Design Showrise for three of San Francisco’s major penthouses, a benefit for the San Francisco City Lighthouse. She also won the “Best of 2012” Houzz Award for her Green remodeling designs by more than 1.2 million registered members of the Houzz community.
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As Azouaou says, “we all have a green voice.” She sat down with Haute Living to discuss ways to stay green 365 days out of the year!

 

1.  When you wash your hands, turn off the water.  You can save up to two gallons of water each time!
2.  Same goes for the shower – when you lather up in the shower, turn the water off.
3. Unplug your appliances – you don’t have to keep your phone charged in over night.
4.  Support your local farmers by eating and buying local.
5.  Get the “Stop Junk Mail Kit” (find it via google) and save some trees.

 

Here, Azouaou gives us the scoop on her favorite must-have sustainable products:

 

1. Aquasana: An essential to green living to reduce waste and avoid plastic bottles!
2. Shear Miracle Organics: They are a pioneer in organic haircare.
3. 100% Pure:  They are a leader in fruit-pigmented makeup
4. Suki Skin Care: This is synthetic-free skin care with proven clinical results
5. Living Tree Community Foods: Purest and best sourced organic food
6. Tesla (Azouaou’s dream car): They are seriously leading the way!
7. Vasily Vein: My favorite emerging fashion star who makes sustainable dresses
8. ECOS: a plant-derived laundry detergent that is gentle and safe for the environment

 

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