Nokia Cell Phone Made of Sustainably Harvested Wood

If there’s one thing I hate about modern gadgets, it’s all the plastic.  I’ve long looked back at wooden electronics wishing you could still find up-to-date versions of the sophisticated designs.  Plus, there’s the fact that so many plastic gadgets contain toxic materials, and all that plastic ends up getting thrown away.  Well, Nokia might just give me the cell phone of my dreams, if this new prototype made of sustainable timber ends up going into production mode.

From Cell Phone Beat:

Mobile phones with metallic bodies, which in the designer mode are even seen studded with diamonds and crystals, will have an environment-friendly competitor, if the eco-friendly wooden Nokia concept is realized sometime in the distant future. The natural soulful look of the phone, fitted with advanced technical features, will make it the most sought after device by environmentally-conscious, cell phone users, looking for a phone that does not contaminate the environment with its toxic elements.

The eco-friendly wooden Nokia concept phone features an 8-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, speaker and Symbian S60 Operating System.  The perfect combination of old-school looks and modern functionality.  Sweet!  I wonder if I could bribe Nokia to send me a prototype even if this design doesn’t go on the market…

Link [Cell Phone Beat]

Paper that Erases Itself After 24 Hours Debuts at WIRED NextFest

Xerox debuted an innovation that might just save paper from becoming a relic of less than eco-friendly times at WIRED NextFest, which is taking place in Chicago until October 12th.  It’s paper that self-erases within 24 hours, and can be re-used again and again. Studies have shown that 40% of paper gets discarded on the day it was produced, and despite the availability of new technology and tips for using less paper in the office, most companies still use paper at an astounding rate.

From Treehugger:

The catch is that you can’t just use regular ink for it to work. You need a certain type of light:

The “a-ha” moment came from developing compounds that change color when they absorb a certain wavelength of light but then will gradually disappear. In its present version, the paper self-erases in about 16-24 hours and can be used multiple times.

You can also erase the page faster by exposing it to heat.

The scientists at PARC (the place that invented the laser printer) are working on a new type of printer that could print with the right type of light.

It’s still a research project, so it won’t be for sale for a while still.  A Treehugger commenter also points out the waste that would be produced when thousands of companies switched over to the new special printers required. Still, it’s a step in the right direction.  We need to start thinking this way, in terms of reducing waste and preserving resources.

Link [Treehugger]

Plastic Bottle Chandelier Proves Trash Can Be Beautiful

We’ve seen a lot of trash recycled into things like furniture, décor and jewelry, but it’s often more of a novelty than something people would actually use.  However, designer Michelle Brand has created something simple, innovative and beautiful that one can easily imagine seeing in homes and businesses: a chandelier made entirely from cut-off 2-liter bottle bases.  The plastic bases resemble flowers, and strung from a metal hoop with fishing wire, they make a surprisingly lovely chandelier.

From Inhabitat:

Michelle Brand custom builds each chandelier from plastic bottle petal bases, linking their modules together with a simple tag. The original design was launched in 2007, and it seems that the Manchester based designer is developing the design to appeal to the retail & interiors market, although the idea of reutilizing something that has been perfectly designed for one purpose remains intact. Brand states: “Once a plastic drinks bottle is empty, it is perceived as redundant and then thrown away. I wanted to challenge this wasteful paradigm.”

Inhabitat spied the chandeliers at (re)design’s Lighten Up exhibition at this year’s 100% Design event.  The exhibition “showcased a selection of innovative lighting designer-makers who are ’switched-on’ when it comes to tackling domestic lighting design solutions.”

Link [Inhabitat] + [100% Design]

Urban Birdhouse Inspired by Shoes Strung on Power Lines

Check out this cool green gear: urban birdhouses designed to imitate shoes thrown over power lines, providing a home for wildlife that’s been displaced by urban growth.  If we’re going to have stuff dangling from power lines, it might as well serve a good purpose, right?

Design Band calls it:

an urban birdhouse inspired by the uniquely American act
of throwing shoes over power lines (gangs use this to mark
their “turf”), Bird Turf proudly reclaims city space for natural
habitat by manipulating a distinctly cultural typology

Design Band is a collaborative effort between designers Emilie Baltz and Ben Bearsch.

Link [Design Band]

Bicycle Maker Grows Sustainable Bikes Made of Bamboo

It just might be the ultimate in eco-friendly bicycles: frames grown in a field out of a highly renewable material that doesn’t require pesticides or fertilizer, and needs very little water.  Bicycle maker Craig Calfee, based in Santa Cruz, California, creates made-to-order bicycles with frames that are grown bonsai-style, coerced into the desired shape while they’re growing.  The result is strong, earthy-looking, highly-sought-after bikes that go for $2,700 a pop.

From Wired:

To increase production and improve design, Craig is experimenting with growing bamboo into pre-formed shapes in the field.

By forcing the bamboo to grow through carefully placed barriers, the naturally straight plant grows with the bends and curves he needs for frames and other components.

Calfee said he’s experimenting with a limited number of plants, but can envision fields full of bamboo. “It’s like mass production,” he said. “A factory in a field. You can have row after row of bamboo growing into the right structures for bike frames.”

According to Calfee, bamboo is an ideal material for bicycles: It’s stronger and lighter than most metals, but absorbs road vibration much better.

“It’s tougher than metal,” he said. “It takes impact very well.”

The bamboo frame tubes are held together with a hemp epoxy composite, which is made of long strips of hemp fiber soaked in epoxy.  The result is organic, tough and super durable.   Calfee claims that the bike offers better performance than traditional aluminum bikes.

Another beautiful blend of high-tech and low-tech… the effect of the bamboo and hemp paired with carbon fiber and titanium components is striking.  It seems like, over time, this concept could be applied as a low-cost solution to transportation in third world countries – production costs would probably go down as the manufacturing becomes more efficient.  Oh, the possibilities of green tech!

Link [Wired] + [Calfee Design]

STRiDA MAS Debuts New Folding Bike

Bikes are already fairly portable, and obviously a very green way to get around.  But, imagine being able to easily fold up and carry a lightweight bicycle that you could carry around with you, easily bringing it on a train or into your office building.  Folding bike company STRiDA just released the MAS Special Signature, which does just that.  The bike, which features a Swiss engineered drive system and a rustproof aluminum frame, folds up in just 5 seconds flat.

From Inhabitat:

The MAS Special is named after its inventor Mark Sanders. Weighing in at 22 pounds, it features a lightweight collapsible bike constructed from aluminum. Its unique triangular frame allows it for to collapse quickly, while giving it great stability and making it quite comfortable to ride.

Instead of a greasy chain, the STRiDA comes equipped with a clean and quiet Kevlar Belt, while a two-speed drive system allows the rider to seamlessly shift gears with the tap of a heel.

Be prepared to drop quite a load of cash if you’re set on this bike: it’s got a $1,400 price tag.  But even for those of us who can’t afford to get one right away, this is an awesome peek into the sort of green technology we’ll be seeing in the years to come.  If, on the other hand, money is no object for you, you can pick up a MAS Special Signature of your very own next spring.

Link [Inhabitat] + [STRiDA]

Green Computer Roundup: From Super Thin Notebooks to Pocket-Sized Desktops

In the market for a new computer, and seeking out eco-friendly options? We’re assuming, of course, that since you’re environmentally responsible, you’ve waited until your current PC has taken its last breath and will also be recycling it, since those are the first steps toward buying a new green computer. It’s also smart to research all of the models available.

At first glance, it can seem pretty confusing – some computers are marketed as eco-friendly, but the manufacturers have been less than upfront about their so-called green qualities. Other computers have nary a mention of eco-friendliness on their marketing materials or packaging, but beat out so-called ‘green’ computers in nearly every way possible.

Here’s a roundup of green computers, including those that trumpet ‘green’ all over their packaging and those that have received high ratings from Energy Star and EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. EPEAT serves up the most comprehensive evaluations of a computer’s eco-friendly attributes.

DESKTOPS

Dell Studio Hybrid PC

This ‘miniature’ desktop computer – 80% smaller than standard desktops - is definitely the sleekest, most modern-looking PC Dell has offered to date. It comes in a variety of shiny jewel tones, or you can pay an extra $130 for a bamboo sleeve (uh… okay). The greenest feature of the Dell Studio Hybrid is that it uses 70% less energy than standard desktops – great news if you’ve got to have a desktop for one reason or another (though notebooks do consume a lot less power). It also received EPEAT’s Gold rating, and meets Energy Star 4.0 standards with its 87% efficient power supply. The packaging uses 95% recyclable materials.

The Dell Studio Hybrid uses only 1 watt of power when off or in hibernation mode, 26 watts while idle and 44 watts when the system’s running at full speed. By comparison, many Intel-equipped desktops draw up to 160 watts of power when fully taxed.

Features include: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB standard hard drive, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (no monitor)
Price starts at: $499
Max energy usage: 44 watts

Apple Mac Mini

The Mac Mini has been renowned for its sleek, compact design as well as its admirably low power usage. It’s also the cheapest new Apple desktop you can buy, starting at around $600. The Mac Mini is still the most energy-efficient desktop computer available on the market, drawing a mere 42 watts when fully taxed, 20 while idle and 2 watts both in sleep mode and while turned off. It’s 90 percent recyclable, and received a silver EPEAT rating. Plus, now that Mac Minis are equipped with Core 2 Duo processors, they’re just as powerful as larger desktops.

Features include: Intel Core Duo 1.83 GHz processor, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 80GB standard hard drive, Intel GMA 950 graphics (no monitor)
Price starts at: $599
Energy usage: 42 watt
Buy it at Amazon

Lenovo ThinkCentre M57/M57p

This PC won’t win any awards for looks, but in this case, it’s definitely what’s inside that counts. The first desktop from many PC maker to gain GREENGUARD certification, the ThinkCentre is also EPEAT-Gold rated, RoHS certified, Energy Star 4.0, and made of recycled materials from post-consumer plastics. In fact, Lenovo says the ThinkCentre contains up to 95% reusable and recyclable materials, and the packaging is 90% recyclable. As you can see in the photo, it’s quite a bit smaller than your average desktop computer.

Features include: Choice of Intel Celeron/Core 2 Duo CPU options, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, integrated Intel GMA 3100 graphics, 80GB/160GB hard drive, includes monitor
Price starts at: $699
Max energy usage: 58 watts
Buy it at Amazon

CherryPal

The paperback-book-sized Cherry Pal is a ‘cloud computer’ which means that many of its applications run on an online server. It uses 80% fewer components than a regular-sized PC and consumes just 2 watts of power as it runs – less than many computers use in standby mode. It’s been billed ‘the greenest, most affordable computer on the market’, but like other cloud computers, it’s best for those who only need a PC for web, email and word processing.

Features include: MPC5121e mobileGT processor, 256MB of DDR2 DRAM, integrated graphics, 4GB flash storage, Wi-Fi, ethernet (no monitor)
Price starts at: $249
Max energy usage: 2 watts

Fit PC Slim

The Fit PC Slim, which debuted Thursday as ‘the world’s smallest PC’, is tiny – it could fit in your jacket pocket. It’s also pretty bare-bones, though it can handle running either Windows XP (optional) or Linux (preloaded). Incredibly, this fanless PC uses only 6 watts of power to operate. The 256MB RAM version costs just $220 sans Wi-Fi; the 512MB version is $245 with Wi-Fi but without a hard drive. There are also models available that include a 60 MB hard drive, 512MB RAM and either Linux ($295) or Windows XP ($335).

Features include: AMD geode chip, 256MB or 512MB RAM, SXGA graphics controller, ethernet port, optional 60MB 2.5” hard drive (no monitor)
Price starts at: $220
Max energy usage: 6 watts

Everex TC2502 Green PC

The $200 Everex TC2502 Green PC is a low-end economy computer that runs Ubuntu Linux instead of a Windows operating system, which are known to suck up lots of power. Sold exclusively at select Walmart stores, this ‘green’ PC isn’t quite as green as it could be: tiny components are put in a standard-size case because, as Wired noted, “research indicates that Wal-Mart shoppers are so unsophisticated they equate physical size with capability.” The power supply – a Sanhwa DR-8220BTX – has a rated efficiency of only 65%, relatively unimpressive for a computer with ‘green’ right there in its name. This PC hasn’t been rated by EPEAT.

The Everex TC2502 is meant mostly for first-time users, and the cost savings comes mainly from using open-source applications like Google Docs, Google Calendar, Firefox, Xing Movie Player and Open Office. It won’t run graphics-intensive games, and it doesn’t come with a monitor or a built-in wifi option (ethernet only), but many people will find that it works just fine.

It may not be the greenest desktop PC out there, but for people on a tight budget, it’s a great choice.

Features include: 1.5 Ghz Via C7 CPU, 80GB hard drive, DVD burner, 512MB RAM (no monitor)
Price starts at: $200
Max energy usage: 20 watts

Check out all of EPEAT’s top-rated desktop computers here.

NOTEBOOKS

Lenovo ThinkPad X300

The ThinkPad X300 by Lenovo uses mercury-free LEDs to illuminate its display, saving energy and allowing for a thinner display. Instead of a conventional hard drive, the ThinkPad boasts a solid-state drive, making it lighter, faster and more reliable. It meets Energy Star 4.0 criteria, received a gold EPEAT rating and the packaging materials are 90% recyclable.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 only barely beats the MacBook Air in EPEAT green points, but the reasoning won’t mean much to the average user: it got an extra point because it is compatible with a $1,200 85.5 pound solar generator/panel package. Apple also loses a point for not being open about their sustainability practices – they don’t comply with the Global Reporting Initative, while Lenovo does. So, really, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 and the MacBook Air are right about on the same level, green-wise.

Features include: Intel Core 2 Duo L7 100 processor, 2 GB RAM, Intel GMA X3100 graphics card, 358 GB storage capacity
Price starts at: $2500
Max energy usage: 27 watts

Buy it at Amazon

Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air was the first computer from Apple to have a completely mercury and arsenic-free display, and its all-aluminum case is easily recyclable. The MacBook Air received a silver EPEAT rating as noted above, and is also Energy Star 4.0 certified. The circuitry is PVC-free and the MacBook Air comes with 50% less packaging materials than other laptops. The battery lasts about 5 hours, but it’s not user-replaceable.

Features include: 1.6 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics card, 80GB storage capacity
Price starts at: $1799

Buy it at Amazon

Toshiba Portégé R500

The Portégé is one of the lightest notebook computers, weighing just 2.4 pounds and measuring .77 inches thick. It uses LED backlights to illuminate its 12-inch widescreen, which allows the screen to be as thin as it is – just a quarter inch. The battery on this laptop lasts 8 hours, and since the machine has no hard drive – it relies on solid-state storage instead – it uses about half as much power as most other notebooks. All of the Portégé R500 configurations qualified for the EPEAT gold rating. A notable con: the Portégé doesn’t support mobile broadband.

Features include: 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 processor, 1GB, 667MHz DDR2, 120 GB storage capacity, integrated Mobile Intel Express 950GM graphics
Price starts at: $1,999
Max energy usage: 21 watts
Buy it at Amazon

HP Pavilion dv6929 Notebook

The best thing about the HP Pavilion dv6929 is that it’s packaged in a really smart way that led it to win Walmart’s Reduced Packaging Award. HP, a company that has been known for some serious packaging blunders in the past, cut down the packaging on the Pavilion dv6929 by an incredible 97%. There’s no styrofoam to be seen – the notebook computer comes in a reusable bag made of 100% recycled fabric. Even better, three thusly packaged notebook computers can fit in one shipping box, which means fewer pallets, fewer trucks, fewer miles driven and less pollution emitted into the air along the way.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to spend money at Walmart or Sam’s Club to get the Pavilion dv6929 packaged this way – though the retail giant will take your old computer for recycling free of charge.

The computer itself is also a relatively eco-friendly choice: it received a ‘silver’ rating from EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, indicating that it’s mostly free of environmentally sensitive materials, is built to last and most of its components are reusable and/or recyclable. It’s an Energy Star qualified notebook, and HP trumpets its ‘aggressive power-management settings’ which can help you reduce power consumption.

Features include: Turion X2 TL-60 dual core microprocessor, 4 GB memory, 250 GB hard drive
Price starts at: $798

Get EPEAT’s full list of rated notebooks, from Gold status on down, here.

Who Says Solar Panels Have to be Ugly?

This solar gadget charger, in the shape of a bonsai, proves that you can have both form and function when it comes to solar panels.  Made by Vivien Muller, the PhotoSynthese charger has 54 photovoltaic cells.  The branches are composed of detachable parts that, when put together, create the shape of the tree.  You can rotate the parts different ways to create the shape you want. You can also perch your gadgets in the tree branches while they charge.

No word yet on the price or whether this is actually going into production, but what a cool idea.  We’d love to see more examples of functional green design!

Link [Inhabitat] + [Behance]

Non-Dorky Bicycle Helmets: Brainwear for Smart People

Tired of looking like a big dork every time you put on your bicycle helmet? We need to wear helmets for obvious reasons (unless you’re one of those folks who think they’re invincible), but they’ve never been particularly attractive.  Even Barack Obama was made fun of for how he looked riding a bicycle earlier this summer (though the light wash mom jeans may have had something to do with that, too).

Well, bicycle riders (and Obama), you now have a reason to feel much more hip when getting to and fro. A group of Danish designers has created bicycle helmets that look like hats, though they do still have the requisite chin strap. You can get your very own ‘shell helmet’ with a choice of hats to cover it from Copenhagen-based company Yakkay for about $120.  They aren’t available in the US quite yet but Yakkay has plans for an international launch shortly.

Link [Yakkay] via [Springwise]

We Add Up: Global Warming, Activism & Organic Cotton T-Shirts

We Add Up is more than just a t-shirt company – they’re pioneers of a new way of getting people to realize that yes, you’re just one person – but together with millions of other people, you make a big difference. We love to see a good mash-up of global warming activism and eco-fashion, and We Add Up does it well.

The concept? Get yourself a ‘We Add Up’ organic cotton t-shirt printed with a unique number that represents your personal commitment to help stop climate change.  On the back of each shirt is printed a word or phrase that describes something everyone can do to help, like ‘Unplug’, ‘Lights Off’, ‘Carpool’, ‘Hybrid’, ‘Bike’ and ‘Buy Local’.  Every person who orders a ‘We Add Up’ t-shirt adds to the tally of folks who have decided that they won’t just stand back and let global warming happen.

We Add Up aims to get millions of people around the world committed, and believes that our combined effort can provide a health, green world for generations to come.  We Add Up t-shirts are made of 100% certified organic cotton, and come in a variety of colors including blue, natural, green and black.

Get involved – buy a t-shirt, start a fundraiser for your school/organization or join the affiliate program.  Get counted in!

Link [We Add Up]

Indoor ‘River Ecosystem’ Aquarium and Hydroponic Garden

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has created an incredible item that serves as an art installation, aquarium, fish hatchery, hydroponic vegetable garden and home décor at in one. The refrigerated aquarium houses freshwater fish, with vegetables growing in glass pods on top. The vegetables get their water from the tank, and then filter and purify the water for the fish. It’s its own little mini river ecosystem indoors.

I don’t know about the snakes, but all in all this is a pretty sleek and sexy design, and an interesting approach to dealing with the global food crisis. Check out the video of the installation below:

Via [Inhabitat]

Go Manual and Go Green!

In the last 50 years or so, most of us have gotten incredibly lazy – at least, in developed countries where automated and/or electricity-powered gadgets are readily available.  We don’t wash dishes or clothes by hand anymore.  We stand around while escalators and elevators lift us up to the next floor.  It makes one imagine a future where we’re all giant blobs floating around on moving platforms and can’t even walk for ourselves anymore.

Sure, all of these modern inventions save us time, but it’s cool to take some pride in manual work every now and then and actually make something happen with muscle power.  That’s why manual gadgets are so awesome.

You don’t have to hook up a crazy invention like the bike-powered washing machine above in order to take on some human-powered activities.  Manual lawnmowers, hand-operated paper shredders, coffee-bean grinders, hand-crank popcorn poppers and this stationary bike blender are all great examples. Save electricity and get some exercise all at once – go manual and go green, baby!

Link [PriceGrabber Blog]
Photo credit: Homeless Dave

New Vivavi Eco-Friendly Furniture Store at Riverhouse in NYC

Good news for NYC-area fans of sustainable, beautiful furniture and home furnishings! Vivavi - the brainchild of last week’s Who’s Who in Green, Josh Dorfman - has just announced the opening of their latest project – an Eco Pop Up store inside the Riverhouse, an LEED Gold-rated condo building (yep, the one where Leo DiCaprio has digs). It’s open to the public 7 days a week and it’s a veritable treasure trove of luxe modern green design.

From The Lazy Environmentalist:

Set inside a model 2-bedroom unit overlooking the Hudson River, the store features contemporary RC Green sofas and accents, the latest in luxury green lounging from Animavi, a Team 7 sustainably furnished dining room, a bedroom set featuring Okooko’s unique aesthetic and naturally made mattress, an office nook courtesy of Knu Furniture, a nursery outfitted by Oeuf, and loads of others other fabulous pieces from designers such as Amenity, Brave Space, Christian Rathbone, Iannone Design, Knoend, Larson, Lulan, Maku Furnishings, Modern Bamboo, Ortolan, Until Kara and Vers. We also feature the artwork of Sandy Schimmel who transforms tiny scraps of junk mail into visually stunning designs.

The Riverhouse is in Battery Park City, and the store is located in unit 8D adjacent to the Sales & Design center. Hours are Monday – Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday noon to 4pm.

If you live elsewhere in the U.S. and are lamenting the fact that you can’t check it out in person, head on over to the website where you can indulge in some internet retail therapy. If you aren’t already familiar with Vivavi, prepare to be blown away – it’s the kind of sexy green design that inspires poetry of love and devotion.

Link [The Lazy Environmentalist] + [Vivavi]

Foldable Modular Greenhouse Makes Gardening Easy in Small Spaces

Cool new gear for people living in apartments, condos or other places where green space is impossible to come by: there’s a new ‘foldable greenhouse’ that takes up virtually no space at all when it’s not in use, but expands to become a garden bed with a protective covering.  Designer Daniel Schipper created this lightweight, flexible modular greenhouse specifically for places where garden space comes at a premium.  It’s frameless, and built from recycleable plastic.

This product isn’t yet available retail, but the designer is looking to produce it for the masses.  If you can help, send him a message through his website.

Link [Make] + [Daniel Schipper]

Special Edition Wind Turbine Lego Kit for Vestas

Legos are just about the coolest kid toy ever. One set of Legos lasts virtually forever, and you can make just about anything you can think of out of them. So, of course we love the limited edition set Lego made for Vestas, a wind energy company. The turbine actually spins (but, alas, from battery power). Groovy Green thinks it would be cool to use it to send a message to your zoning board or homeowner’s association:

Town zoning board getting you down? Anti-wind organizations befuddling you with their concerns? Feeling the ache of not being able to install your own personal turbine? Well, now you can shut out the rest of the world and focus on this great new kit from Lego called “The Vestas Windmill Kit”.

Though this set is for Vestas promotional use only and not for sale, we’d love to see more kids’ toys with environmental themes like this. While a lot of fusty old folks afraid of change are fighting the green movement, kids will readily accept it as part of their lives, and that is indeed exciting.

Link [Groovy Green]

Brunton Vapor-AF: Precision Stove Burns Any Flammable Liquid

What a cool bit of green gear for any traveler! Wired reviewed the new Brunton Vapor-AF, a precision stove that’s able to burn any flammable liquid from butane to kerosene. It’s easy to use, looks nice, and pumps out 12,000 BTUs. Perfect for camping, hiking, power outages or anytime you need an efficient little portable cook stove.

From Wired:

WIRED Comes with 20.3-ounce aluminum fuel canister and thick foil windscreen. Stuff sack pocket is a perfect stash for included multitool and jet-cleaning needle. Beerlover’s bonus: Multitool has an integrated opener. Precision flame control for both butane and liquid fuel — we can’t stress enough how fantastic this is.

TIRED No built-in ignition. Legs don’t lock in place. A tad noisy. Plastic fuel pump won’t outlive the brass/aluminum/steel stove. Modest 6-inch diameter from end to end, so no super-wide pots. Two bills for a single burner?

The Brunton costs $180 and is available over at Amazon.

Link [Wired]

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Save Money & Waste with a Home Soda Maker

Soda: it’s one of the hardest junk foods to give up.  I started cleaning up my diet years ago in an attempt to cut way back on processed foods, choosing whole foods instead whenever possible, but Diet Coke is the one thing I keep going back to.  I can’t explain why this gross, chemical-laden brown bubbly substance is so attractive, but it is.  I’m not alone – the average American consumes 43,371 cans of soda over 77 years.  Mindboggling, especially when you consider all the waste from those cans and bottles that end up in landfills.

There’s hope for us yet. This strange penguin-shaped countertop gadget actually lets you make your own soda, and control exactly what goes into it.  The Penguin has a carbonator, a carafe and a few manual pumps that turn plain water into seltzer or soda.  You can control the level of carbonation, and exactly what goes into it – plus, it doesn’t use electricity.
It might seem at first like just another piece of junk for your house, and the price is a bit steep, but it would be great to have one less thing you had to buy every week at the grocery store, plus you could reuse a couple of containers over and over.

The Nibble has a breakdown of how the Penguin works.  It’s really pretty simple!

Link [The Nibble] via [EcoSalon]

New ‘Green’ Milk Jugs Not Cutting it with Consumers

So, apparently green milk jugs kind of suck. At least, that’s according to the Wal-Mart and Costco shoppers who have purchased the newly redesigned gallon jugs and complain about how hard they are to pour. These new jugs have been introduced because they’re cheaper to ship, better for the environment, cost less and provide fresher milk to the store. The new shape makes the jugs stackable and eliminates the need for crates. Indentations in the plastic give the jugs structural support.

From The New York Times, via Treehugger:

The jugs have no real spout, and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk.

“I hate it,” said Lisa DeHoff, a cafe owner shopping in a Sam’s Club here.

“It spills everywhere,” said Amy Wise, a homemaker.

“It’s very hard for kids to pour,” said Lee Morris, who was shopping for her grandchildren.

Eco-Fail – not because it’s not innovative or is a bad idea, but because this is the sort of thing that turns off the millions of Wal-Mart shoppers from ‘green’ products and ideas. I mean, great way to turn the Wal-Mart set green – take away their easy pouring milk jugs and give them something to complain about, especially in this nation of resistance to change. They’re more than likely not going to care if the jugs help the environment if they can’t even pour milk into a bowl of cereal without spilling it.

A commenter on the Treehugger post suggested some kind of reusable accessory – stainless steel, perhaps – that mounts onto the jug to make it easier to pour. Great idea, but would Wal-Mart shoppers really go for that? They want simple, cheap and fast. Perhaps another redesign is in the cards – one that’s more practical for everyday use.

Link [The New York Times] via [Treehugger] via [Bag of Nothing]
Photo credit: David Maxwell for the New York Times

Simple, Natural Earth Surf Jewelry

Eco-friendly jewelry isn’t just about conflict-free diamonds. Using sustainable, natural materials in everything we put in and on our bodies is a goal for a lot of us (still working on finding sunglasses not made in China, though!).

When it comes to earth-friendly jewelry, Earth Surf really has it down to a science: there is so much beauty in the simplicity of sea glass taken straight from beaches all over the U.S. and in Barbados. Jennifer Stone Gonzales, founder and jewelry artist, takes the sea glass she finds on the beach and drills a hole in it for stringing – she doesn’t machine-tumble it, polish it, or alter it in any way. Sea glass is, of course, fragments of glass that have been smoothed naturally by the ocean surf.  The pieces of sea glass used in Earth Surf jewelry may have once been a beer bottle, an ink bottle, a drinking glass, a vase or part of a fisherman’s glass boat.

What results is a wide variety of recycled treasures in colors ranging from amber and cobalt to leaf green and pale sea foam. Jennifer hand-strings these beautiful pieces of sea glass on leather and silk cord, and secures them with sailor’s knots rather than metal clasps. Each piece is completely unique.

Check out the Earth Surf website for more info about how Jennifer finds her sea glass, or browse the selections available at the Earth Surf Etsy Shop.

Link [Earth Surf] + [Etsy]

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