Fold it, Stash It, Use it

Disposable plastic bags are everywhere. They’re in our homes, our offices, and the stores we frequent, but as more and more cities ban their use, consumers are now turning to reusable bags for all their shopping needs. The problem with reusable bags is that they’re not always there when you need them; enter Flip & Tumble. With unique foldable designs, Flip & Tumble has created stylish, versatile bags that can be carried with you wherever you go.

Flip & Tumble bags come in a variety of colors and when folded up, are small enough to live in a purse or messenger bag. The unique design allows the bags to be there when you need them and can be used over and over again. Flip & Tumble is also a company committed to the environment and is a carbon neutral business.

They offer two different types of bags, the 24/7 that retails for $12 and the Loopt that retails for $6. When you’re finished with the bag, you can simply send the bags back and they’ll be recycled.

To find out more check out Flip & Tumble’s Website

Sustainable Group Greens the Office one Binder at a Time

Sustainable Group produces a range of locally-made environmentally responsible office products from sustainable sources (with high post consumer/industrial content), in an effort to provide a sensible high quality alternative to the vinyl and plastic-based products on the market, and they have a thoughtful Environmental Mission Statement to support their approach. Founded by Brad Hole and based in Seattle, their initial product was the REBINDER, a 3-ring binder with a cover made of recycled corrugated cardboard, which can be easily disassembled and (recycled) at end of use, thanks to the use of simple screws and t-nuts. Since the launch of the binder, their product line has expanded to include RESLEEVE cd/dvd cases made from recycled chip board, REBADGE, a line of PLA-based badge holders, and their own brand of card stock for business cards and marketing materials, called RESTOCK. All products are screen printing capable, allowing companies to apply their own individual logo, etc on a product’s cover.

Considering how easy it is to recycle their products, not to mention the recycled content itself, Sustainable Group has a potentially large role to play in making the office supply market more environmentally responsible. By demonstrating to individuals, corporations, and the event and tradeshow industries in particular, that a range of environmentally sound and accessible alternatives exists, to the many toxic and non-recyclable products flooding the market, this company will help gradually stem the tide of non-recycled waste. A further indication of how seriously Sustainable Group takes its mission, is their alignment with 100% Replanted, to offset the use of the virgin fiber (and the trees from which it derives) within the corrugated cardboard of the REBINDER covers. Some of the notable entities that take this issue seriously, and have chosen to use Sustainable Group’s products include Nike, Urban Outfitters, , L.L. Bean, Timberland, and NRDC.

Can a Cell Phone Really Be Green?

When we read about low wage workers in unsafe conditions sifting through piles of discarded computers and cell phones in some far off country, many of us find ourselves asking if there is a way to make electronic devices sustainable, and how we can reverse the process of making the Third World a dumping ground for our e-waste. Is it even possible to make devices truly “green”, considering the many toxic ingredients involved in their manufacturing (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, etc), which when not properly disposed of, contaminate air, soil and groundwater? Other things to consider are recyclability, energy efficiency, and whether a phone can even be upgraded in order to extend its lifespan.

A number of cell phone manufacturers are beginning to make strides in addressing these issues, including Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. Nokia has been getting a lot of press lately, for their Remade and Eco Sensor phone concepts, featuring recycled aluminum, plastic, rubber, and glass, and so-called “printed electronics”, as well as the potential incorporation of an interface to monitor personal health and environmental conditions. Motorola has been working on a display screen for a phone, which would double as a solar charger, and Samsung is said to be developing a way by which to power cell phones through a water-hydrogen system. Even a Chinese manufacturer not yet well known in the West, Hi-Tech Wealth, has had a solar chargeable phone on the market since last year, with many more planned to launch in the near future. Clearly, the more efficient phones (and chargers) that are now on the market, and these R&D efforts themselves, represent potential progress in terms of positive impact within a market that is known for style-driven products with short lives, but it may take some time before any of these exciting concepts emerge from the realm of ideas, to become reality.

In the meantime, as consumers, we must make efforts to use our cell phones as long as possible, and recycle them only when they cease to work effectively, rather than replace them every one to one and a half years, which is the average. Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that ultimately, the responsibility of proper disposal of electronic waste should rest on manufacturers, as is becoming the norm in Europe (European Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment), with the consumer taking up the slack before such options exist worldwide. This sort of mindset will not be established however, before legislation is in place, that will direct companies to redesign their products in such a way that they can effectively be taken back at end of life. Certainly no small task.

For those inclined to recycle their old cell phones, a number of options exist. Apart from the large retail chains at which you can drop off old phones and batteries (Best Buy, Staples, Radio Shack, etc), many cell phone manufacturers (Nokia and Motorola included) are starting to have their own direct recycle-to programs. One may also donate old phones to honorable organizations like ReCellular.com and the Support Network for Battered Women, and some organizations like greenphone.com and RIPMobile (and many others), even buy old cell phones, and donate them to various charities. Earth 911 also offers a guide to lessen your electronics’ environmental impact, including many further options to breathe potential new life into your old cell phone.

Some informative selections from You Tube:

GOOD Magazine: E-Waste

The Secret Life of Cell Phones by INFORM, Inc

How Cell Phone Recycling Works

Bamboo or Plastic?

Over the past several years, a trend has emerged, of consumer electronics companies employing counter-intuitive materials like bamboo, as an alternative for their product housings, ranging from Amadana’s popular line of elegant consumer electronics, to Asus‘ upcoming line of laptops and LCD monitors, and even Dell’s recent foray in this direction, with it’s energy-efficient “Mini PC” concept shown at CES 2008. Does this represent a positive revolution in the effort to find alternatives to virgin or toxic materials, or simply a case of jumping on the green material bandwagon without considering the potential short-lived or negative consequences? Certainly, using bamboo means less plastic is used, which is perhaps a step in the right direction, and Asus even claims that its laptops will feature interchangeable (and recyclable) bamboo panels, but there are more things to consider.

As these and other companies increasingly use such materials, it is important for them to ensure that their sources be grown and maintained with the highest standards of sustainability (as natural as it is, bamboo can also be grown through great destruction to forests), while at the same time, develop sensible buy-back programs as well as strive to develop genuine non-toxic alternatives to typical electronic components. Many companies are beginning to see the benefit of adhering to environmentally sensible principals, so there is hope that initial steps like using bamboo, will be combined with the overriding long term mission to design and manufacture the electronics of the future with zero negative effects. An ideal whose time has certainly come.

6 Pack Wine Rack

This fun and efficient wine rack is made from 100% wool felt and manufactured locally in Massachusetts. The felt is reclaimed from post-industrial scrap and consists of about 85% factory excess wool and 15% mixed fibers. Etcetera Media, the design firm that created the wine rack, is based in Boston and was founded in early 2005 by Chris Grimley and Kelly Smith. It holds up to six normal wine bottles and collapses flat to be shipped and stored easily. It’s available for $40 through their website or if you’re on the west coast, through Branch Home based in San Francisco. Comes with the option of orange or green stitching.