In 2005, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) graduates Matt Grigsby and Joe Gebbia teamed up to introduce the first free sustainable materials library. The results of their labor, Ecolect.net, launched last week at the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design/Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Connecting '07 World Design Congress.

Targeting designers, architects, and graphic designers, the site shows users how to find sustainable materials and what makes them sustainable. But the site is more than a list, is an open forum inviting discussion about the definition of sustainability. With opportunities for user reviews and testimonials, it plans to show who else is using the green products and how.