Save landfill space. Eat good to go food.

Get to-go food ever? We do to. Who has time to always cook? But the problem is that every time you go to get Ma po tofu or sushi or what have you, they always throw in plastic ware. If you’re lucky it’s made from corn – but in the end it’s still going to the landfill.

So we were excited when we saw these on sale while eating some delicious macro food at Seed (amazing vegan burger/fries, btw) in Venice yesterday: bamboo reusable portable tableware. Now we just throw these in with our lunch. We keep an extra in the car so when we get food on the go, we’re good.

Oh and it comes with spoon, knife, fork and chopsticks too! And a handy carrying case with a carabiner to snap on to your backpack or whatever.

Fun gift idea for the environmentalist or college student in your life (seriously, remember all the to go food back then?), as well.

This comes as a 2-pack.

$25

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the gutterball dining table: old bowling alley becomes new table

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 furniture.

No surprise: a Brooklyn-based company. Their furniture has been featured in Starbucks and highlighted in modern design publications like Dwell.

I’d say they’re bowling a perfect 300.

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Bamboo, bookbound iPad case

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 laptop ones. Not so the DODOcase, which looks like a traditional book. But, they’re handmade (in San Francisco, FWIW) of bamboo. That is to say, they look cool, and you aren’t hurting trees.

What more could one ask for?

How about cheap?

$50.

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Re-treaded 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 fast as we use them: an alarming 290 million tires per year in the US alone.

Fortunately, there are a few pioneering souls looking for ways to reuse them. We’ve seen the sandals. Here are some planters. These are great, and unlike some ridiculous examples of “green” furniture we’ve seen (one old tire stool in a Los Angeles furniture we saw was $300), these prices actually reflect that the materials are, well, free.

2 for $32.

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Bring some electricity to your garden

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 construction: teak + stainless steel + solar panel. Easy to clean, just hose it off.

According to NY Times, the price is a mere $2k.

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Get your reclaimed wood and reclaimed wood products

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 wood? Usually it’s old wood from old barns. Sometimes older houses. Now you can order it directly online from Reclaimed Wood Company. They have some pre-made furniture – beds, shelves, storage – and even flooring.

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Next best thing to disposable tableware: compostable, renewable 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 series of these plates which feature organic and curvaceous shapes, even their plates have a topographical roll to them (perhaps to enable easy grasping).

Fun to use, interesting to look at and good for the environment. So much better than even the next best of disposable tableware

Bowl pictured (compote) is $12 for a set of 6. The entire line varies in price.

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Shade in the day, light at night

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 stand is aluminum, the umbrella polyester with a UV and weatherproof coating.

Fits in a standard umbrella case.

$350

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Shelves from old colonial era Indian railroad ties

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 medium (18″), large is discontinued.

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Old barn destruction = new swallow's home

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 from).

Interesting little houses make a good gift – to a friend or family member, or your new backyard bird friends.

$100

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