VOUWWOW [Vow-Wow] – Wow! It Folds!

Fusing the sustainability of a re-used cardboard box with the structural integrity of the golden ratio of the vaunted triangle, Dutch designers Joost Van Nort’s and Maartje Nuy just won the Thonet Mart Stamprijs 2009 Chair Design Competition for their cardboard folding chair, VOUWWOW. It won recognition for its wise materials use, ease of assembly, portability, and innovative bohemian aesthetic.

Vouwwow forges a new aesthetic—one that acknowledges the need for a new paradigm for all the stuff we produce and discard every day.

Via 3rings.

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Paper from Elephant Dung?

That’s right.  Elephant dung.  From journals and notebooks to personal stationary, The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company has created a line of products made from elephant waste.  Many of us are probably familiar with TerraCycle’s worm waste-based fertilizer, but these products give whole new meaning to the term reuse and sustainability!   The paper is made by drying the dung, and then thoroughly rinsing it until the fibers from the vegetation the elephants consumed, are the only element remaining, which are in turn, eventually transformed into the actual paper fibers.  As a further indication of their commitment to sustainability, a portion of the sale of their “Products with a Purpose” is put towards supporting the welfare and conservation of elephant habitat around the world.

The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company

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Would You Ever Sit on a Sony Playstation?

Pli Design Ltd, a sustainable furniture firm based in London, U.K., has come up with a practical solution to the increasingly common question of what to do with plastics from discarded consumer products.  With the Reee Chair, comes the first chair back and seat made entirely of recycled plastic from a single source – nine old SONY PlayStation®2 cases go into each chair, in addition to the frame and legs made of powdercoated steel.  Founder Christopher Pett, notes that each chair prevents 2.4 kg of plastic from being landfilled, the design accommodates ease-of-disassembly for maintenance and recycling, and all parts are locally sourced, within the U.K.  In an example of what American companies could do with a similar initiative in place in the U.S., the PS cases are acquired and reprocessed under the guidelines of the European Commision’s Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which states that all electronics manufacturers must take responsibility for retrieving their products at end-of-life.  The Reee Chair is ultimately the result of a discussion among Pli Design’s staff at the Eden Project suppliers conference in Cornwall, England, about how to effectively use high quality recycled plastic from discarded electronics.  Upon determining old SONY PlayStation®2 consoles as their material source, Pli partnered with Sprout Design, a sustainable design consultancy, to develop the chair.

Pli Design Ltd

WEEE Directive

The Eden Project

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How to Make a Home Out of Shipping Containers

(Image courtesy of City Center Lofts)

Soon to rise up in the heart of one of Salt Lake City’s historic districts, is a condo project called City Center Lofts, designed by architect Adam Kalkin, to be the first mid-rise building in the U.S. built from international shipping containers.  In the mode of many European architects, Kalkin has experience designing a number of luxury as well as affordable homes out of shipping containers, and he is employing his expertise to help make this residential project one of the greenest in the State of Utah.  Taking a wholistic approach, the project team is focusing on sustainable site development, water conservation, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor air quality.  The main green features within the building will be natural ventilation; no or low-VOC paints, sealants and adhesives; a high efficiency air-to-air heat exchanger and HEPA filtration; low-E windows; on-demand hot water heaters; a green roof; on-site bicycle storage; and most notably, construction from 50% recycled materials by weight, which is no small feat.  Another factor making City Center Lofts so progressive is that its central location makes it so pedestrian friendly, allowing residents convenient access to numerous neighborhood amenities as well as public transportation.

Please visit City Center Lofts for more information.

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What’s New at The Body Shop?

As part of its Nature’s Way to Beautiful campaign, the first marketing effort since its purchase by L’Oreal, The Body Shop has launched its Wellbeing line of  beauty products in 100% PCR (post-consumer recyclate) bottles, and will feature in-store displays describing the environmentally friendly nature of their products.  According to a Body Shop spokesperson, the company intends over the next 12 months, to convert all of their PET bottles from 30% PCR to 100%, with significant gains in PCR expected even before the end of 2008.  In an effort to get customers to stop using plastic bags, they have also introduced the Bag of Life, a shopping bag made of organic cotton-canvas, with $2.00 from each purchase being donated to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.  In the long term, The Body Shop intends to become carbon neutral by 2010.

The Body Shop

Bag of Life

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Meet the ReUse People of America

As their Mission Statement articulates, “The ReUse People of America reduces the solid waste stream and changes the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse.”  With headquarters in Oakland, CA, and a number of branches throughout the country, TRP is busy spreading the word about salvaging the overwhelming amount of materials from construction sites, in an effort to minimize waste flow to landfills.  Begun in the immediate aftermath of catastrophic floods in Tijuana, Mexico in April, 1993, with the help of San Diego and Tijana government and business leaders, the firm set out to provide over 400 tons of donated material to help rebuild devastated communities.  Once they acquire materials from construction sites, The ReUse People of America will then either sell them to customers at one of their facilities, or donate them to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity.  The company also offers demolition services for homeowners, whereby one may acquire tax deductions based on the overall value of salvaged materials, and provides online inventories of available materials according to location at regional TRP warehouses.

Please visit The ReUse People of America for more information.

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Yarn From Old Newspapers

Today’s news, tomorrow’s textiles. A graduate from Design Academy Eindhoven, Greetje van Tiem, has found a distinctive and creative way to recycle old newspapers that have been sitting around. As part of a school assignment, van Tiem completed a project that turns newspapers into yarn, and although not quite the same as regular yarn, it can be spun tighter and woven into something like a mat to be nearly as durable and functional. These newspaper threads can be woven into products like rugs, curtains and upholstery for the home, to help create a very distinguishing look. The delicate yarn is handspun and requires few supplies: a pair of scissors, a spindle, and of course, the newspaper itself. Twenty yards of yarn can be made from each sheet of newspaper. Van Tiem calls the project Indruk. She says that it is possible to transpose yesterday’s news into tangible memories.

http://www.greetjevantiem.nl

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Materials from Detergent Bottles, Swimming Pool Covers, and Old Tires

Yemm & Hart, based in Missouri, offers many unique products featuring their own materials made from common recycled items such as detergent bottles, swimming pool covers, and tires.  Their three lines of materials create unique and colorful products that can be used by anyone.  One decorative material, known as Origins, is created from discarded detergent bottles.  Unlike other plastic laminate products with patterns that are printed on to create a uniform design, Yemm & Hart’s products made from their Origins line, have a more random coloring pattern.

The creation of Origins involves many steps.  Used bottles are collected, sorted by color, shredded into very small pieces, and then soaked in hot water to remove any contamination such as soap or paper labels.  Sorting the bottles by color during this preparation process, allows for color pattern customization.  A measured amount of blended colors is then spread into a mold, placed in an oven, and heated until it transformed into a liquid.  Pressure is then applied, which causes distribution of the colored flakes.  The pattern comes out differently every time for each product, and the colors used tend to be very vibrant, which Yemm & Hart believes is a key selling point for this material line, making them stand out from other products on the market.  In the end, they are pleasing to the eye, and more desirable than typically one-colored recycled items.  Products range from countertops, casegoods, lighting and tables, to smaller items such as clipboards and picture frames.

YEMM & HART

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