Before science was invented, going green used to mean chugging a two-liter of broccoli juice then spinning around a baseball bat for 30 seconds. Exercise a healthier expression of blue and yellow's love child with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of any eco-friendly products at Amicus Green Building Center, located in Kensington, Maryland.

Amicus Green Building Center brings an eco-friendly approach to the building process with its inventory of green and sustainable materials. Each product in the store undergoes extensive review to determine its potential energy savings, environmental integrity, and ability to intimidate smog that shows up unannounced to dinner parties. New initiates into the world of healthy eco-living may wish to start with a safety test kit ($10.95 each) to discover just how much asbestos, lead dust, or radon lurks in the shadowy recesses of their home. Said shadows can be banished with the efficient lighting of compact fluorescent light bulbs ($5.19 each for small bulbs), which offer long life and warm light quality, or light-emitting diodes ($60.40 each for recessed bulbs) that pack an average 40,000 hours, or approximately 80,000 equally illuminating episodes of Frasier, of light.

In addition to hardware, Amicus offers non-VOC paints and soy-based wood stains in a rainbow of shades, ensuring that no lungs need suffer for color-coordinated ocular gratification. Those looking for eco-conscious home fixtures will enjoy Amicus' custom-built cabinets and unique countertops, made from earth-loving and panda-baiting materials such as bamboo (contact the company for pricing).

Valid for in-store purchases only. Store open Monday–Saturday.

Reviews

Amicus Green Building Center was featured in Green Building Product Dealer and Kensington Voice. Three Yelpers give the center an average of 3.5 stars:

• They have environmentaly [sic] friendly flooring, tiles, countertop, paint, etc. – Victoria S., Yelp
• I bought Ice Stone at Amicus Green, and the service was prompt and reliable… – Jessica E., Yelp