Posts Tagged ‘environment’

Cool furniture from reclaimed bowling alley wood »

Cool furniture from reclaimed bowling alley wood

Remember that old bowling alley on the main street of your hometown that closed a while back? Well, imagine if those old alleys didn't hit the landfill, but instead ended up IN your kitchen table. Or desk. Or coffee table. That's what's going on at Counter Evolution - they are taking back those old alleys and putting them in...

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Coolest iPad Case Yet: the DODOcase (bamboo!) »

Coolest iPad Case Yet: the DODOcase (bamboo!)

Apple has announced that there are now 2 million iPads sold. And since the iPad is basically a new genre of computer and doesn't even have a built-in lid (like a laptop) for protection, it could be easy to go commando. But never fear, there are now equally as many cases available. But most look like weird giant iPhone cases or mis-fitted...

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Recycled Tire Planters »

Recycled Tire Planters

One of the largest waste disposal problems in the world of trash is the car tire. They alone represent 2 percent of our waste. Think of all those old tires. They used to burn them, but the smoke is full of all kinds of nastiness. They can recycle them into new tires and asphalt and a host of other things, but it's generally not happening as...

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Sun table: solar powered outdoor table »

Sun table: solar powered outdoor table

This little outdoor table is solar powered...which means you can sit out and work on your WordPress blog. Or you can recharge your new iPad without getting off your butt. Of course if there's a power outage or some kind of apocalyptic situation it's always good to have a live solar panel (120V AC power with included converter...). Its...

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Reclaimed Wood – get from the source »

Reclaimed Wood – get from the source

Reclaimed wood is all the rage these days, and for good reason. It's environmentally sound (no new trees downed), it's usually quality wood (from back when 2 x 4s were actually 2" by 4") and it looks great. You can buy reclaimed wood furniture from places like Environment, but it'll cost you. Ever wonder where they get the reclaimed...

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WASARA eco bowls and compostable tableware »

WASARA eco bowls and compostable tableware

This Japanese line of WASARA bowls are made of 100% non-tree renewable materials: bamboo, sugar can fiber and reed pulp. When you are finished (they are a limited use item), they will biodegrade and can even be composted. The bowls are food safe and can be used to serve hot or cold foods, or just to display non-food items. There is a whole...

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Solar powered shade (with night light) for summer »

Solar powered shade (with night light) for summer moments

Today in Santa Monica, it feels like summer. I realize that's not true everywhere, but it is coming nonetheless. Why not prepare for a nice and green summer. This umbrella from Hammacher Schlemmer has ambient lighting build in (via 24 LEDs) that will power up when the sun is out. It can stay lit for up to 8 hours on a full charge. The...

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Roost (reclaimed) rustic wood display shelves »

Roost (reclaimed) rustic wood display shelves

We are really starting to like this Roost design company. They bring the outdoors in. Like these wall-mounted shelves made from rustic wood (actually made from colonial era railroad ties in India). So...they are teak or another hardwood that has been revived and polished. Wall mounts included. $36 for the small (7"), $54 for the...

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Reclaimed barn wood birdhouse »

Reclaimed barn wood birdhouse

These little birdhouses are each one-of-a-kind. All of the wood comes from old barns in the Kettle Moraine State Forest (thus called because of the dots of "kettles" or deep ponds left by the old glaciers of the last ice age). The roof is covered with the bark of white birch (this is the same bark the  Native American's used to make canoes...

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Make a vase (from anything) »

Make a vase (from anything)

This little ceramic do-hicky from designer Ron Gilad, the VaseMaker, will turn anything into a vase. Made from ceramic with a flat base and a small vase, it can be placed on top of anything that will (ideally) hold water: a real vase, a beer bottle, a cup or can, whatever. Stick a stem or two in the miniature vase on top. The result: a little...

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Woolly Pockets – great eco-friendly »

Woolly Pockets – great eco-friendly indoor/outdoor gardening

Velocity Art and Design is currently featuring the Woolly Pockets series. These soft-sided planters come in a number of configurations that enable you to hang plants on walls, place them in large "meadows" or more traditionally styled "pots" (though they're not really pots with soft sides). They are made from recycled plastic and have...

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Spaghetti Scrub from recycled peach pits and corn cobs »

Spaghetti Scrub from recycled peach pits and corn cobs

It's hard to get too excited about washing the dishes. Frankly I try to use my cooking skills to negotiate daily domestic deals to get out of them entirely. But, here is a cool product that is green AND effective - and might even make it a little more fun. Spaghetti scrubs. Made from recycled corn cobs, peach pits and walnut shells, they have...

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Reclaimed wood desk: Dylan Desk »

Reclaimed wood desk: Dylan Desk

This reclaimed wood trend is great: environmentally sound because they're using wood that would otherwise be bound for the trash heap (or papermill). The Dylan Desk here is 90% reclaimed pine with a raw finish. We think this particular desk/table is awesome with the sawhorse-like leg stands. It would make a great desk (of course), or...

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The best R: Reuse, a good way to do so: telescoping »

The best R: Reuse, a good way to do so: telescoping bag dryer

The problem: we really want to reuse our old zip-locs. Especially those heavy duty freezer bags that are so handy and so robust that they beg to be reused. But let's face it, cleaning out those bags is a pain - especially the drying part. I've had bags lying around, dripping all over, inside-out, hanging on silverware, etc. We've seen other...

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Eco-friendly, chemical safe cooking: Green Cooking »

Eco-friendly, chemical safe cooking: Green Cooking Pots

Studies have shown that Teflon is, well, maybe not so good. Not for you and not for the environment. Stainless steel is good, but can be tricky to maneuver and requires more fat to cook without sticking. Cast iron is good (and may even be good for you), but is even more tricky than stainless. The other alternative, enameled pots, can be...

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Used chopstick lamps: eco light »

Used chopstick lamps: eco light

OK. So the idea that these are used chopsticks is a little gross. BUT, they are single use chopsticks and once you get over it, you can be happy (and with any luck feel a mild sense of smug superiority) that these chopsticks would otherwise be sitting in some landfill somewhere. Plus, they are sanitized at a high temperature/pressure and well...

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Finally, decent rechargeable batteries: Sanyo eneloop »

Finally, decent rechargeable batteries: Sanyo eneloop

Batteries are decidedly un-sexy. In fact, this is undoubtedly our unsexiest post yet. But, this blog is about good stuff, and these Sany batteries are good stuff. What's the difference? Well, basically, traditional rechargeable batteries discharge their energy when not being used. Which means when you go to recharge them after not using...

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Car accident delight: recycled windshield wine glasses »

Car accident delight: recycled windshield wine glasses

I was driving down the highway. Once. A long time ago. And from out of nowhere, CRACK! A rock torqued into my windshield from a passing semi. Fortunately, I had thrown down for the full coverage in my auto insurance and someone actually came out to my office to swap out the windshield. No sweat off my back. But I hate when that stuff...

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Tap water, the new bottled water – a great »

Tap water, the new bottled water – a great portable filter

It's true - bottled water has such a ridiculously high environmental cost. But if you live places like we do (Los Angeles, New York), sometimes the tap water ain't so tasty. Seriously, the stuff down here in Souther California is pretty nasty  (rated endangered). The good news is that filtration has come a long way. The penultimate (which...

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The Urban Survivalist/Environmentalist: Window Farms »

The Urban Survivalist/Environmentalist: Window Farms

Our current agro-business-oriented food system has been blamed for a lot of the problems we are currently experiencing to our health and our environment. While many of us try to eat organic and local as often as we can, there really is no better way than to grow your own. Plus, it's delicious. But, for those of us who live in the city,...

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