Mirel Bioplastic by Metabolix

The public knows the basic about bioplastic. What is actually produced with such plastics ? As designers it’s good to know who to contact, when we actually need to develop a project with such product, i would like to present Mirel, produced by Metabolix a 15 years old company specialised in bio plastic research.

What is Mirel ?

A family of plastic based on corn sugar. Its biobased sustainable and biodegradable.

When we see (- Plastic debris piling up in Pacific - ) what happen to our tons of plastic it’s urgent to go for biodegradable.

What can be done with Mirel family ?

Mirel can be used in a wide variety of applications, from packaging, to cosmetic cases, from plastic bags to toothbrushes.

it’s support injection molding, extrusion coating and could be provided as sheet.

Mirel is well documented in ecolect database, have a look, register and share your knowledges with the community.

For more information on Mirel properties, check Metabolix presentation on their website.
Mirel bioplastic slideshow

Is Your Way of Life Sustainable? - A Short Quiz

Earthday footprint quiz provide an interesting hint on the influence of your consumption on the global environment.

After a short set of questions the quiz tells you how many planet would be required to sustain your habits if every earth habitant were consuming at the same rate. The results are sometimes frightening.

Portable Solar Panels on The Rise in The UK

There are portable products on the market like Energi To Go and TuneJuice 2 that will charge cellphones and other mobile devices but they use standard batteries that get tossed. We’re happy to announce that Solar Technology in the UK is selling a small solar panel charger called Freeloader. As an iPhone user without a swappable battery and a frequent traveler, I was immediately excited. Alas, the e-commerce sites we found didn’t ship to the United States yet. No pressure from across the pond but we’d love to get our hands on a few for user testing…

For more info on the Freeloader and it’s accessories visit www.solartechnology.co.uk.

Nanosolar Prints Photovoltaics, Proves Cheaper Than Coal?

Photovoltaics, the technology of converting sunlight into electricity, has been around for many years. One of the biggest drawbacks to capturing the sun’s energy has been cost. The high price of manufacturing solar panels has slowed down mass market adoption. Let’s hope that is about to change with the latest round of solar panel innovation: thin film technology (mentioned on Ecolect in September).

Nanosolar appears to have a winner, combining the tried and true process of printing, with a thin metal foil substrate. The ink is a proprietary formula based on nano-materials. The exact cost savings of Nanosolar’s product are unclear, but one estimate comes in at 9 times less than the price of traditional solar panels making it cheaper than coal energy.

They’re seriously funded, and have clearly been working hard on preparing for mass manufacturer; plants in San Jose, CA and Germany total 647,000 square feet. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Nanosolar over the next few months!

Via www.celsias.com

Creating Opportunities for Sustainable Transportation in New York

New York city is working very hard to become more sustainable but it hasn’t been easy. Creating physically separated bike lanes is one smart and immediate measure that is helping to reduce the number of drivers on the road. By adding physical dividers, bike riders are safer and their travel times are reduced. For more information see www.streetfilms.org.

Biodegradable Gift Cards: Get Them While They Last

This year Target released the biodegradable gift card made from Mirel. Metabolix, the producer of Mirel is located in Cambridge Massachusetts, just an hour away from our office in Providence. These new gift cards are said to biodegrade within about 40 days. Like all “sustainable” materials entering the market today, there are challenges. First, Bio-plastics need to be composted well or they won’t decompose. Second, a large amount of energy is sometimes needed to make bio-plastics. That said, with the creation of more innovative composting methods and certified renewable resources, bio-plastics are on the rise as a good working alternative. For more information on this material, visit www.mirelplastics.com.

Flip & Tumble New Reusable Shopping Bag

I’m have to admit that i’m a bit late on that one ; )

Flip & Tumble is a new company founded by two designers, Hetal Jariwala and Eva Bauer.

Flip & Tumble is a shopping bag and was launched on november 1st. in hetal Jariwala own words : “Flip & Tumble is a unique reusable bag that works really well for those of us who keep forgetting to bring our bags”

It’s basically a bag that easily transform into a small ball and take place in your everyday bag. It’s small, so you always bring it with you, It’s always with you so you never forget it when you go shopping. Especially because you never know when you’ll go shopping. A good and clever product in my opinion.

flipandtumble website

Branch Holiday Sale!

This weekend, Nov. 24-25, our site sponsor Branch Home will be holding their Friends and Family Sale. Enter code “branchfriend” to take advantage of 20% off a selection of modern green furnishings, accessories, bags, and gifts.