Two stylish opportunities from the world of sustainable fashion:

ECOIST
Known as the candy wrapper handbags, Ecoist's bags (USD 28-58) are made from misprinted or discontinued snack bags, soda labels and candy wrappers. A family business based in Miami, the company believes that consumers should be able to enjoy a modern lifestyle, buying their favourite things, while also doing good to the Earth.

Material that would otherwise end up in landfills is folded into straps and woven into bags and clutches by Mexican artisans. Ecoist works with organizations in Mexico and Central America that help people use recycled materials to create a living.

Products are designed by Ecoist's international network of eco-fashion designers, and colours change depending on which wrappers are available. Partnering with Luna, a maker of energy bars for women, Ecoist is producing its first branded bag made from misprinted Luna bar packaging. Talks with other major snack brands are likely to lead to more limited editions.

The eco-friendly attitude doesn't stop at recycling: Ecoist also plants a tree for every bag sold. Their combination of fun, clever designs and sustainable approach is doing the company good – projected sales for 2006 are USD 1.5 million. Ecoist's bags are sold through their website, and are stocked by stores in the US, Japan, Puerto Rico and the UK. Candy wrapper belts are next.

RAG BAG
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, ragpickers are going after plastic bags that are littering streets and clogging sewage drains. Plastic bags are collected, washed, dried and sorted by colour. They're then thrown into a machine that presses them into thicker, more durable sheets.

The sheets are cut, lined with cloth and sewn or molded into stylish bags, wallets and organizers, designed and sold by Rag Bag, which is based in The Netherlands.

With organic foods currently leading the way in green becoming mainstream, there's an ocean of opportunity waiting for entrepreneurs who can match consumers' preference for sustainability with stylish products and services. Be inspired!

Internet swap sites allow consumers to trade products online. One of the newest is Swaptree, adding yet another twist to the concept.

Boston-based Swaptree lets people trade books, cds, dvds and other items. Users create lists of what they have and what they want, and Swaptree looks for matches, using a complex system of algorithms.

Unlike other bartering sites (Zunafish, PeerFlix, and Lala, to name a few), which only allow consumers to trade like item for like item, Swaptree lets users swap for any product that has the same value as what they're offering. How it works: a member enters the UPC or ISBN code printed on the back of every cd, book, video game and dvd. Swaptree then finds the correct item details: edition, release, version, paperback/hardback, normal/widescreen, etc. And instantly shows the user thousands of items that they could receive in trade.

Members are responsible for shipping goods to each other. Swaptree, which recently launch its private beta testing period, will be free to use. The company's business model revolves around targeted advertising.

For many consumers, swapping is more appealing than selling because it eliminates the negotiation process, fee structure and ratings systems that are an integral part of online marketplaces like eBay. Swaptree's benefit over Barterbee, another multi-trade swap site, is that it doesn't work with a points system, thereby further simplifying the act of bartering. Will swapping marketplaces become as common as currency-based online markets? With the big ones gobbling up localized version? Build it now, sell it soon!

Favouritz sells boxes filled with everything needed for an original and entertaining children's party.

Founded by Danish-Swiss Jeannette Domeisen, Favouritz targets the niche market of children's' birthday parties. A mother herself, Domeisen believes that children "deserve lots of smiles and happy memories from their childhood - especially on their birthdays."

To keep birthday parties fun for both children and their parents, Favouritz offers Party in a Box. The birthday child picks a theme, and parents order a box that comes with everything needed for a party, including outfits, decoration, games and a shopping list for themed food. Instructional photos are included to guide hosts through the day.

There are ten different themes to choose from, including Upside Down, Asian, Detective and Wild Animal, and the parties are suitable for children aged 5-12. A box for eight children is priced at CHF 299 (USD 249 / EUR 189).

The concept isn’t entirely new – similar initiatives include Birthday in a Box in the US. But Favouritz has a non-mass, handmade appeal. Adding to its charm, Favouritz actively involves children in product development. The company established a children's council that meets up twice a year, and its twelve young members give their opinions on everything from recipes and games to design and colours.

Making parents' lives easier by providing a fun theme and taking care of the details, this could be a great opportunity for creative minipreneurs everywhere.

As demanding, experienced consumers hunt for the best of the best, it's no wonder that brands are combining their respective core competencies into new and desirable products and services. A few recent examples from the world of branded brands:

NIKE + IPOD
Nike and Apple created the Nike+iPod Sport Kit (retailing at USD 29), which consists of a small sensor/transmitter that is placed in a running shoe and wirelessly connects to a receiver attached to an iPod Nano. With every step, the transmitter sends data to the iPod, which saves and displays time, distance, calories burned and a runner's pace, as well as providing real-time audio feedback.

Once a runner gets back to his or her computer and hooks up the iPod, collected data can be uploaded to nikeplus.com, where users can set goals, track their progress, and virtually compete with other runners. Nike is also selling special sports gear to further enhance the Nike+iPod running experience, including shoes with a built-in pocket for the sensor, and shirts that keep the iPod secure and headphone cords out of the way.

W HOTELS + PUMA
Appealing to consumers on the road, athletics brand Puma has teamed up with W Hotels to offer hotel guests a multi-layered fitness program. The partnership includes Puma's Train Away sports apparel, which includes collapsible sneakers that have a storage compartment designed to hold guests' key cards while they work out. Train Away products will be sold through the hotel's W Stores.

Other offerings include pre-loaded iPods featuring running guides. Outdoor running guides focus on history and landmarks, while an indoor guide, designed for treadmill use, gives training advice and information on city sights, shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. W and Puma have also co-created custom-designed jogging maps.

GORENJE + SWAROVSKI
Gorenje, a Slovenian domestic appliances manufacturer, is taking the pimp-my-kitchen route by beautifying their products with Swarovski crystals. Gorenje's Swarovski range of appliances includes refrigerators and freezers adorned with over 3,500 crystals, while the limited-limited version is covered in over 7,000 crystals.

Charmingly described as "Tall and dark. A woman’s dream. Only that it has more jewellery than they do," Gorenje's fridge-freezers with Swarovski crystals are on sale in Slovenia, Russia, Romania, Serbia, and the UK (a Harrods exclusive).

MORE
Want more inspiration? Check out trendwatching.com's briefing on branded brands. If you've recently spotted other interesting examples of this enduring trend, please leave a comment!

ChipIn is an online tool that enables people to collect money for gifts or other group purchases.

Like Fundable, which we wrote about last year, ChipIn automates the time-consuming task of organizing people to collect funds for a group purchase. While Fundable's open set-up has attracted a lot of charity projects ('Short film seeks funding' and 'Help Jeff become a Yogi' are two of Fundable's recently completed fund drives), ChipIn focuses on purchases by people who already know each other.

Users invite friends, family or co-workers to a 'ChipIn', which states how much money they're collecting, and who or what the money is for. This creates a dynamic, customized event page and automated notifications, which means users don't have to nag and remind people to contribute their share. Money is collected through major credit cards and PayPal, and is sent to the person or organization that organized the ChipIn.

It's a convenient, online solution to collecting money for birthday gifts, office lunches, neighbourhood fundraisers or any other group purchase – making the Honolulu, Hawaii based start-up yet another player in the fast growing field of social commerce. ChipIn's revenue will come from advertising, transaction-based fees (the service is currently free to use), and partnerships with online retailers. The company's goal is to make ChipIn the standard payment option for collaborative transactions.

Opportunities? If you've been itching to start your own Web 2.0 business, there's plenty of room to start up something similar in other countries. And if you're in (online) retail, now's the time to partner with companies like ChipIn and Fundable to forge the missing link between fundraising and actual purchases.