Tokyo candlemakers Filt don't have to travel far to source their raw materials: they're located directly above Chubby, a cafe that's happy to hand over its used cooking oil to Filt, which carefully filters the oil to remove odors and sediment. After adding pigments and a vanilla scent, the filtered oil is poured into glass jars that the company collects from local recycling bins. The candles come in various sizes and—despite their humble origins—sell for artisanal prices of JPY 2,000–3,600 (USD 20–36) at local boutiques and at Chubby, which also uses the candles on its own tables.

Bringing their recycling efforts full circle, Filt asks customers to keep their empty jars for storage, or to return them so that they can be made into new candles (no word on whether that entitles customers to a discount on their next purchase). As can be expected from savvy brand-builders, Filt offers a premium range of candles, too. Besides the basic jam jars, the company also sells candles in 'hard to find' antique glassware.

Besides its eco appeal and extreme (still) made here approach—which is a great story to share—it's the branding that makes Filt stand out, giving those disparate, found items a uniform look and smell, and turning a craft project into a marketable product. Those of you with marketing smarts and time to spare: if you live near a restaurant and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, this is a concept you could start tomorrow. (Related: Leather jackets remade into designer bags — Powering restaurants with kitchen grease — Mass-made to order, here.)

Website: www.filt-made.com
Contact: contact@filt-made.com

Spotted by: C-Scout Japan

With all the pressures placed upon forests for the natural resources they contain, it was only a matter of time before someone used a crowdfunding model to protect and sustain them. Sure enough, at Wisconsin's Driftless Farm, members pay an annual contribution in exchange for the right to enjoy many of the experiences and products the forest has to offer.

For an annual membership fee of USD 550, members of Driftless Farm's Community Supported Forest get access to the abundance of a 140-acre sustainable forest along with activities, services and workshops. Fresh spring water, herbs and the opportunity to hike, explore and scavenge firewood are all among the benefits to which members have unlimited access, while selective access is provided to sustainably milled lumber, wild mushrooms, garden plots, camping, hunting and delivery of both spring water and firewood. Workshops for members, meanwhile, include beer brewing using sustainably grown hops and barley, beekeeping, maple syrup tapping and the art of finding wild edibles.

Launched a few months ago by Whole Trees Architecture and Construction—which uses small-diameter, un-milled timbers as a local, green structural building alternative—the Community Supported Forest had filled four of its 20 available membership spots by mid-July, according to a report in Worldchanging. We'd bet more will surely follow, given the concept's winning combination of status story-inspiring experiences along with eco credentials and (still) made here appeal. Just as the subscription model is being used to support local organic farms, a like-minded crowdfunding concept could just be what it takes to keep local forests thriving. One to emulate in wooded areas around the world! (Related: Trees felled to order — More homegrown veggies without the sweat.)

Website: www.wholetreesarchitecture.com/CommunitySupportedForestry.html
Contact: info@wholetrees.com

Spotted by: Worldchanging via Judy McRae

Consumers spend some USD 65 billion on gift cards each year in the United States alone, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report; extrapolated globally, that adds up to a lot of plastic. While some retailers have begun recycling the PVC-based cards after they're used, the fact remains that most still end up in landfills. Enter the ecocard, a new line of eco-friendly alternatives.

Suitable also for use as hotel key cards, ecocard's range includes four different cards with increasing levels of "greenness." First is the PETg card, made from non-PVC, food-grade plastic that can be widely recycled. Next on the green scale comes a recycled PVC card that's made from old, traditional gift cards along with waste from factories; flecks of colour give away its mixed heritage. Even more green is the Ingeo ecocard, made from a plant-based material that disappears when composted. (Retailers including L.L Bean, Apple iTunes, REI, Target and Toys “R” US are reportedly among the companies that have already begun offering cards made from Ingeo.) Finally, ecocard's flagship Bloomcard—the greenest on its eco-scale—is made from recycled paper and laden with wildflower seeds, so that it can be planted after use and "reborn as poppies, daisies and buttercups." The UK-based company also offers sustainable badge holders and card packaging. And for every order, it pledges to plant one tree.

Perhaps just as important as the material underlying each ecocard is the fact that its composition and origins are proudly proclaimed on the back of the card, making the line not only eco-minded but also eco-iconic, as our sister site would say. Retailers, hoteliers, credit companies and all others using plastic cards: this one's for you! ;-) (Related: Service pays cash for unwanted gift cards.)

Website: www.eco-card.co.uk
Contact: hello@eco-card.co.uk

Spotted by: Florent Lesauvage and Rob Hayles

New York's water-toting crowd has a convenient new way to be sustainable while staying hydrated, as a tap water refilling service officially launches in the city. TapIt is a community program that enables people to refill their water bottles at participating cafés, completely free of charge.

TapIt aims to help people stay healthy and hydrated without relying on single-use plastic bottles. Any restaurant or café with a soda dispenser or tap that gives clean drinking water can sign up as a partner. Thirsty consumers can find taps online or via TapIt's iPhone app, and are provided with information on the type of water that's available, telling discerning customers whether the water's filtered or non-filtered, room temperature or chilled.

TapIt is better for the environment, better for people's wallets, and helps businesses connect with new customers at almost zero cost. The initiative is currently only up and running in New York, where it now has over 100 locations after a year of soft-launching. But it intends to extend its bottle-less initiative further afield. In the meantime, there's no reason why councils or community organisations can't get inspired and help TapIt launch in their own town.

Website: www.tapitwater.com
Contact: www.tapitwater.com/contact

Spotted by: Jonas Cords

Remember the old proverb 'none of us is as smart as all of us'? It's something a small group of companies took to heart earlier this year, setting up GreenXchange for sharing of intellectual property for green product design. The initiative is hosted by Creative Commons, with Nike and Best Buy leading the way.

With GreenXchange, companies can not only share research, innovation and design amongst themselves, but can also make patents available to the public. Each contributor to the exchange commits to a non-assertion pledge, which allows the patent to be used in other research for green product design. GreenXchange recognises that green innovations can be shared across a variety of industries, often with a different purpose, and will not necessarily pose a threat in terms of competition. If a company is concerned about sharing product design with competitors, they can opt to designate selected patents to be made available for sustainability uses. GreenXchange also aspires to use technologies that support networking and knowledge sharing to promote open innovation in the 'digital commons'.

If it works, the concept could greatly accelerate the development of green innovation, helping some of the world's best brands work together toward the same goal, and start to think differently in terms of how they share ideas. (Related: Online library of green building materials.)

Contact: science@creativecommons.org
Website: www.sciencecommons.org/projects/greenxchange

Spotted by: Jenny Lau