In this installment of 10 Questions for . . . , Senior Editor Daniel DiClerico speaks with Mark Caserta, owner of 3r Living, a retailer of green home decor and furnishings and other products with locations in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Maplewood, New Jersey (shown). Here, Caserta gives his take on the green movement, reveals which products sell even in a down economy, and talks about the impact of the recession. e-mail | Twitter

When did you open the Brooklyn shop, and what was the inspiration?
We celebrated our five-year anniversary of the original Park Slope, Brooklyn, store last week. The Maplewood, New Jersey, location opened in October 2007. My wife, Samantha Delman-Caserta, had worked in retail for many years, and I did nonprofit and government work for the environment. So our business melds those two interests, a retailer that sells green products.

How has the business evolved over the past five years?
Back in 2004, it was very hard to find products that met our 3r criteria. We had a hard time keeping the Park Slope store stocked. Over time, the market has grown. A lot of people are coming out with great stuff, to the point where we have to turn down a lot of vendors. The competition is tough, and products are now shipped to us from all over.

Don't the energy costs of shipping go against the green mission of your business?
The answer I usually give to the shipping question is that we want the market for green products to grow, and in order for it to grow there have to be buyers and sellers. It's mostly small businesses that we're supporting.

I have a preference for locally made goods. Unfortunately, manufacturing in New York has been decimated over the past 30 years. The one thing you can find locally is people who make their own jewelry. We have a lot of people making unique jewelry out of found objects, for example rings and earrings made from the inside of watches and electronics.

Green is a somewhat elastic term. How do you define it?
We have several criteria. First, we look for products that are eco-friendly in some way, whether they reduce waste in the manufacturing process, are made from recycled or reused materials, or are fair-trade products. 3r merchandise also has to be affordable, because we believe firmly that green should not be a luxury. You can't make an impact if it's only wealthy people buying your products. It must be stylish, too. You shouldn't have to sacrifice beauty in your home just because you want to be green.

Which of the three Rs—reuse, reduce, recycle—is the hardest to mesh with modern life?
When we first opened, I probably would have said reuse. Americans used to love new. But with the advent of eBay and Craigslist, you have a lot of people looking for good, used products, which benefits the environment. So these days, the hardest R is probably reduce. But the current economic climate is reintroducing the idea of waste reduction, since it can end up saving money.

What's the best example of saving by reduction?
Look at water bottles. Bottled water is one of the biggest environmental issues. Millions of these plastic containers are thrown out every day, ending up in landfills, waterways, and sewers. We've carried reusable water bottles in our Brooklyn store from the beginning, with the idea being that tap water is healthy and clean and virtually free. It's amazing how much you can do for the environment just by using a reusable container.

It sounds as if the recession is an issue. How hard have you been hit?
A lot of people think we're recession proof because we're a green business. And up until the holiday season of last year we weren't impacted. But since January 2009 we've been heavily impacted. The adage is that when people are better off it's easier for them to think about the environment. And right now, they're concerned about their jobs and their savings. But I do think the focus of the Obama administration has been good in that green and money savings and the future all go together.