Like a modern-day alchemist, Washington, DC-based Envion has developed a system to produce oil from waste plastic. Considering that the price of crude oil is once again on the rise, that's not unlike turning rocks into gold. Envion, founded in 2004, is keeping the lid on the details of its proprietary technology, but does reveal that it involves extracting the hydrocarbons from plastic, and that low temperature thermal cracking in a vacuum is part of the process.

According to the company's website, the Envion Oil Generator is both efficient and environmentally sensitive, producing a net gain in energy recaptured, with vent gas generating electricity to drive the unit. The machine accepts most types of waste plastic, without the need for pre-sorting or cleaning, and is able to handle plastic currently sitting in landfill sites. Given that in the US only 4% of the 48 million tons of plastic waste produced every year gets recycled, there's plenty of raw material for Envion to work with. The company claims that a single oil generator can convert 10,000 tons of plastic into more than 50,000 barrels of oil a year, at a cost of USD 17 per ton. Given the cost of the alternatives—landfill at USD 70–200 per ton, and recycling at USD 50–150 per ton—Envion looks set to clean up. Envion is also developing an application of the technology to convert car tires into oil.

Although some will challenge that more oil consumption is not what the planet needs, Envion has come up with a commercially attractive solution to the problem of plastic waste, which should appeal to local authorities for whom waste management is an increasing struggle.

Website: www.envion.com
Contact: info@envion.com

Spotted by: Seth Berger

While recent interest in sustainable building has spurred the creation of eco-minded materials like Greensulate and Cow Dung Bricks, drywall is one building component that has remained e ssentially the same over the past 100 or so years. That's about to change, however, thanks to EcoRock, a new drywall material that's made of 80 percent recycled materials.

Due to become available from California-based Serious Materials next year, EcoRock is used the same way as traditional gypsum-based drywall, but it's made of recycled industrial materials and uses 80 percent less energy to produce. The termite-resistant material also generates 60 percent less dust than traditional drywall and is 50 percent more resistant to mold. Perhaps best of all, EcoRock is fully recyclable, and can be used as a pH additive for soil or as a raw material in the production of new EcoRock and other building materials. Using EcoRock in a building project can contribute up to 8 LEED credits, Serious Materials says.

EcoRock won a Popular Science Green Tech Grand Award last year and is priced about the same as high-end drywall, Popular Science reported, at USD 14 to USD 20 per 4-by-8-ft. sheet. Distribution of EcoRock will begin on the West Coast of the U.S.; one to partner with on availability in other parts of the world...? (Related: Library of green building materials.)

Website: www.seriousmaterials.com/html/ecorock.html
Contact: info@seriousmaterials.com

Spotted by: Murtaza Ali Patel

There's no doubt recycling is good, but in many cases, reusing is even better. Aiming to keep its share of reusable boxes out of the recycling bin, Columbia Sportswear recently launched an effort to let customers request that their orders be shipped in boxes that have been used before.

Consumers can already buy and sell their own used boxes on BoxCycle, which we covered about a year ago, and now Columbia Sportswear is bringing the concept into the corporate domain. When online shoppers reach checkout at Columbia.com, the website gives them the choice of shipping their order in a previously used cardboard box. Since the launch of the effort in August, more than 60 percent of online customers have selected the used box option, Columbia says. Perhaps even more interesting, however, is that Columbia places a sticker on the outside of each used box that includes a unique code and number. Entering that number or scanning the code via mobile phone into Columbia's "A Box Life" community site reveals a wealth of information about where that box has been. Then, before sending their reused box on its next journey, consumers are encouraged to post pictures of their own to the A Box Life Flickr group and to tweet about their box’s journey by adding the hash tag #aboxlife to Twitter posts when they have something “box worthy” to share.

Not only does Oregon-based Columbia's effort create a new, eco-iconic shipping option, but it also brings the concept of product life stories into the world of packaging materials. In this era of transparency and sustainability, it's not hard to imagine Columbia's example setting a new standard for mail-order retailers worldwide. One to emulate sooner rather than later!

Website: www.columbia.com — www.aboxlife.com
Contact: www.columbia.com/contact-us/Contact_Us,default,pg.html

Sports apparel is a huge industry dominated by a few giant brands. So it's refreshing to see a small company from Arlington, Virginia gathering support across the United States. Which is probably due to Atayne’s unique angle: its athletic clothing is made from trash.

Atayne uses recycled polyester (from post-consumer plastic bottles) and recycled cotton. For odor control, fabrics are treated with naturally-derived chitosan. The concept for Atayne's product line was born when founder Jeremy Litchfield discovered that his traditional red running shirt contained petroleum, dioxins and other potentially harmful chemicals that might be absorbed by his body when he perspired. Which sparked the idea for a performance apparel company that would put people and the planet first, instead of solely focusing on convenience and aesthetics.

Not only does Atayne’s approach mean less waste in landfills and less energy used manufacturing materials, it's also likely to attract enthused and loyal customers who'd rather sport one of Atayne's eco-proud slogans than a mega-brand's logo. (Related: Recycled plastic bottles into graduation gowns.)

Website: www.atayne.com
Contact: info@atayne.com

Spotted by: Maria Deyell

Toronto's Beach Solar Laundromat shows how a fresh, sustainable approach can revitalize a small business. As part of a heating system overhaul in 2002/3, the laundromat's 70-year-old building was retrofitted with eight solar thermal panels that now heat its water. The refurbished system has reduced natural gas consumption by 30%. Electricity consumption per washload has fallen by the same amount, and the remaining electricity now comes from hydro and wind power.

As a result of Beach Solar's changes, not only the planet has benefited. The business has seen a 160% increase in revenue, which it puts down to a green-conscious consumer choice. As you would expect, the solar laundromat proudly displays its carbon-free credentials on its website, which allows visitors to view the energy consumption of the laundromat in real time—a good example of eco-metering (for more on that, check out the 'eco intel' section of trendwatching.com's eco bounty briefing. Consumers aren't the only ones to have noticed—the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment have recognised the building as Best in Canada for its pollution reduction measures.

While the concept of a solar-powered laundromat may not be unique, it's still far from common. And all of the above should send a clear message to small businesses everywhere: clean up your energy and the cash will follow.

Website: www.bslvideo.com

Spotted by: June Avila