These pendants from graypants are handmade in Seattle, WA of repurposed cardboard boxes. They are unique looking and cast a really cool light. They are coated with a No-Burn spray (it's green, don't worry - no VOCs, Class A Fire Rating) so you won't burn your house down. We like the "Jupiter" series because they look like flashy planetary...
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...
This 12-sided planter from Woolly Pockets takes a softer approach to the floor planter - and sports a new and different look. Made of recycled bottles and also being breathable, these planters can allow the roots to be aerated. The Brian has zippers so you can fold down leaves to expose more topsoil to air or sun. Comes in brown, black,...
Here's a cool discovery: the espresso maker from Presso. Notice: there is no plug. You boil a little water, fill the espresso handle, then crack your knuckles and bear down on the handles to force the water through. Normal espresso makers use a lot of energy just to idle. So we call this a green machine. Online reviews generally rate it...
These LED lights provide a nice warm glow, inside or outside. After a full recharge, they will stay lit for 8 hours, so you can hang out until the wee hours with your friends if you like. Safety? They are cool to the touch and won't (like candles) leave soot marks on your walls (or your lungs). Expensive? $50 for 2, $80 for 4 or $150 for...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
As many advantages there are to living in Los Angeles (well, Santa Monica, technically), the possibility of having one's own house and yard is smaller than in other places - unless you sell a few screenplays. Which we haven't. Yet. But until then, we grow our own vegetables and herbs on our patio and now, thanks to NatureMill, we can still...
Those that live and work in India (and other Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia) are familiar with one of the handiest storage containers and lunchboxes: tiffins. Everyday, couriers in Asian cities transport tiffins filled with lunches - either from a caterer or their homes - to people in their offices. They are simply designed adn...
These glasses are featured in the permanent collection of MOMA New York. You can see the original bottle behind these designs (this particular one is a covered carafe - covered with a tumbler). Designs by Studio Tord Boontje and Emma Woffenden. Available polished or satin finished. They are a part of Artecnica's Design With Conscience...
Chrome is one of the top manufacturers of messenger bags. Let us clarify: not the craptastic messenger bags that seem to be ubiquitous these days - the flimsy things that hang on one shoulder and only fit more than a laptop if you cram it in and make an appointment for a neck massage. No, we're talking about messenger bags - you know, like the...
We'd never even heard of wall flats before, but basically they're just tiles that you fasten to your wall - they can be used to add texture to any room. This particular one is braille patterned. They look great plain (white) or you can paint them. Even better: these are made from 100% bamboo pulp, a renewable resource. They are...
On a recent trip to New York City, I had dinner at a restaurant called WD50. If you're not familiar with it, it is the flagship of chef Wylie Dufresne and is renowned for the style of cooking he uses: molecular gastronomy. That is, using science in the kitchen (we have written about this before). At any rate, the meal was fantastic and one...
Pressure cookers are an old school (well, from, like, the 80s) technique used to cook things...quickly. Which is precisely why we're giving it (though we have no authorization to do so) the green thumbs up award. Shorter cook times = less energy = less CO2...you get the idea. Did we mention quickly? Yeah, that's nice. Cook beans in half the...
I have this problem vis-a-vis getting groceries on my bicycle. You see, I have a messenger bag (more on this sooon...), which is great, but it's not altogether suited for carrying groceries - especially if I have other stuff (like my macbook pro) as well. So, I have been thinking about buying a backpack. But (a) I'll only use it when I...
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...
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,...
Think of all the disposable cups served by Starbucks and McDonalds all over the world in a single day. A lot. A friend here in Los Angeles started BringYourOwn.org to promote and educate about all this waste. And for most of us, it's all a matter of convenience. Like remembering to bring a bag or two to the grocery store. Or a decent mug...
Let's be honest, a lot of the "environmental" or "green" products out there are still just crap. Sure, they're made from recycled this and that and will 100% biodegrade if we accidentally leave them in our cars. But are we supposed to throw away all of our non-organic sheets so we can sleep in shade-grown organic bamboo ones? Here is a...
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