Filed under: Handbags
Today's bag takes recycling to a new level. This bag is made from an authentic, de-commissioned US mint money bag made usable with a drawstring and a leather strap. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing bag I've ever seen but it's definitely an attention getter. It sells for $100. Dean Accessories makes a line of handbags from recycled leather jackets.
Tired of the paper vs. plastic debate? (New York Times columnist John Tierney recently said not to worry about plastic bags, but I and the 100 billion flimsy sacks tossed last year beg to differ.) If you don't yet have your own canvas grocery-getters (I pride myself on vintage WholeFoods totes, circa 1996 -- should I try eBaying them for massive profit?), check out The Better Bag. It's basically an eco-friendly triple threat: reusable, recyclable and crafted from recycled materials. Not to mention washable, waterproof and kind of good-looking.
When it comes to recycling most people don't think of the wine cork. Usually people either save them as mementos, turn them into trivets, bulletin boards or in one rare case a suit, or the simply place them back into the wine bottle and toss the bottle in the recycling bin. FOr personal consumption it's perhaps not that big an issue but when you are talking about restaurants and wine tasting rooms, that can be a lot of corks. ReCork America is a new recycling program sponsored by Amorim, a Portuguese cork manufacturer. The project began as a pilot program in Oregon is in place in many San Francisco businesses and restaurants and is spreading into Napa Valley, the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena recently came onboard. The plan is to eventually take cork recycling nationwide. Used corks can be recycled and remade into floor tiles, insulation, gardening products and more. According to an article in the Napa Valley Register, the biggest problem is logistics, if it takes more energy to pick up the corks than it negates the worth of the recycling. So far, this has been a grassroots program with people getting the word out and working to gather corks to deliver to collection centers as well as starting to brainstorm new uses for the recycled cork. For more information, visit the ReCork America website.Filed under: Green
Next up in the oh-look-we-are-green-too category comes Macy's which has announced that they will start using shopping bags made in part with recycled paper at its Macy's stores and biodegradable packaging for online shipments. The shopping bags will be made from paper that uses 30% recycled material and will be 100% recyclable. The previous Macy's bags were laminated and not recyclable, which is a big deal when you consider. Macy's uses more than 43 million handled shopping bags each year. Like other stores, Macy's will sell their own branded totes. The reusable cotton tote bags for $3.95, with $1 going to the National Park Foundation. On April 26, the first 100 to 150 customers at every Macy's store will receive a free reusable tote bag.Filed under: Wine
Plastic to save the environment? I'm confused. The latest salvo in the battle to make wine greener comes from British store Sainsbury's which has announced they will be introducing wine in plastic bottles next month. They say the lightweight and recyclable bottles are more environmentally friendly and that they will not break if they fall on the floor. The wine bottles will look just like the traditional glaas bottles. They will sell two of their own brand wines, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and an Australian Shiraz plus two from Australian winemaker Wolf Blass. It sounds suspicious to me, and also to Simon Berry, of wine merchant Berry Brothers & Rudd who mentioned that making the glass bottles thinner might be a better way to reduce carbon emissions. The traditional wine containment system of glass bottle and traditional cork seems like it is best for both aesthetic and environmental purposes as long as the glass is recycled.Filed under: Decor
These rubber tubs from The Conran Shop might not be the prettiest things we've ever seen but they could be the workhorse of your summer. The tubs, made from recycled car and truck tires and based on early Middle Eastern leather designs are incredibly tough and long lasting. Use them to hold beach towels, pack them full of ice and use them as a drinks cooler, use them to tote your barbecue supplies to the cookout or any other of dozens of storage options. The tubs sell for $74 to $135 depending on size.Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels
Filed under: Gadgets
There's noting like a really slick design to inspire some eco-friendly behaviors. In this case, it is the design of the Ecopod Home Recycling Center that is getting us in the mood to be a touch more diligent when it comes to recycling. The pod was designed by BMW Designworks and automatically compacts plastic and aluminum containers.A bin at the bottom collects the newly compact pieces and holds them until they can be redeemed or collected for processing. There are removable bins inside the lid to store glass, paper and other noncompactible items before collection, as well. Price: $328.
[via uncrate]
Filed under: Jewelry
There are many ways to recycle a used wedding band but not so many new wedding bands from recycled materials. Good Point Recycling has had the plan to make wedding bands from gold taken from discarded computers since 2004 and they are finally getting close to making them available for sale. I've written about the negative environmental effects of gold mining. The company has elected not to make "vanity products" from the recycled gold and the proceeds from the rings, which will cost around $5,000 each will benefit the non-profit group Earthworks which spearheads the No Dirty Gold campaign. The rings should finally be on the market around Valentine's Day in 2007.Filed under: Handbags
We mentioned Bags from Brazil before but they aren't the only
Brazilian company dealing in funky, recycled pop top bags. Escama works with two
women's cooperatives Cia do Lacre and 100 Dimensao in Brasília, Brazil. The prices for the handbags are
set by the cooperatives. Each bag has a card with the name of the artist who crocheted the piece and the Escama website
has a picture and a bio of each of the artisans. The Masha bag shown here sells for $160 and comes in silver, gold or
black.Filed under: Decor
The latest use of old circuity is this business card case. It
is made from recycled circuit boards and aluminum. At $17.95, it's a total cheap thrill
and bound to amuse anyone with a love of computers. Acorn
Studios also sells clocks, CD cases, clipboards, and coasters that use recycled circuit boards.
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