The UK's Royal Mail makes some 40 million unsuccessful first-time delivery attempts per year, causing no end of hassle for the consumers waiting to receive those packages. At the same time, Britain is losing about 52 of its pubs per week to recession-induced closures. Taken together, those two statistics underlie the creation of UseYourLocal, a new service backed by British brewer Scottish & Newcastle that facilitates package delivery to the local pub.

Launched this spring, UseYourLocal aims to give consumers more reasons to visit their local pub, effectively helping to put the UK's 90,000 pubs and clubs back at the heart of the community. For GBP 50 (plus VAT) per year, participating pubs get their own website—including an easy way to email news and special offers to local customers—along with the ability to receive customers' package deliveries and a point-of-sale kit to help them register. Customers who sign up for the free service can then stay abreast of happenings in their favourite pubs as well as see who else has joined and send parcels to people at other registered outlets, with tracking along the way and email notification once their package has arrived. Perhaps best of all, of course, is that rather than waiting in line at the local postal sorting office to claim their undelivered packages, they can rediscover the charms of the local pub instead.

The company's website explains: "At UseYourLocal we truly believe that local pubs and clubs can be a real force for good in our local villages, towns and cities and hope that this is just the first in a series of great ideas aimed at finding creative solutions to help breathe life back into local communities."

More than 500 pubs across Britain have already signed up with UseYourLocal; how about bringing something similar to the local pubs in your neck of the woods...? (Related: Neighbourhood pickup spots for deliveries — Ride-sharing for packages.)

Website: www.useyourlocal.com
Contact: www.useyourlocal.com/contact-us

Spotted by: Andrew Sargent

After many caffeinated years spent paying homage to Starbucks, Red Bull and countless other purveyors of high-energy drinks, consumers are increasingly being invited to slow down—with the help of the right beverage. Now joining the ranks of Drank, Purple Stuff and Slow Cow—which we covered two weeks ago—comes a new contender, aptly named Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda.

Whereas other anti-energy beverages we've seen base their relaxing qualities on some combination of ingredients including theanine, valerian, melatonin and rose hips, Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda appears to differ in its use of kava extract, which is said to promote "euphoric relaxation" along with mental clarity. Kava has been used as a ceremonial beverage in the Pacific Islands for thousands of years, Mary Jane's says, and can mirror the effects of alcohol without the negative side effects. Consumers can experience noticeable effects within 10 to 30 minutes of consuming it, and they typically last for one to two hours. Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda also contains passion flower extract, a calming herb used to treat anxiety and insomnia. (Despite its name, which hints at another relaxing herb, Mary Jane's doesn't contain marijuana.) The Kosher-certified drink is available from Mary Jane's Denver-based online store at prices starting at USD 11 for four bottles; for every sale, Mary Jane's donates USD 1 to the Modest Needs Foundation.

Given the current economic recession, there's certainly no shortage of stress around the globe. So will relaxing sodas become the new energy drinks? Maybe not, but they could well become a viable niche alternative to beer and other alcoholic beverages. While the company mentions that Mary Jane's is coming to select 7-Eleven locations in the coming months, distribution is still limited—one to get in on early...?

Website: www.relaxingsoda.com
Contact: hello@relaxingsoda.com

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

On a munchie mission? The Warm Cookie Radar at Specialty's Cafe & Bakery tells customers exactly where the nearest batch of just-baked cookies is.

While supplying office workers with handmade sandwiches, pastries and baked goods since 1988, the Bay Area chain is mainly known for its cookies. The Warm Cookie Radar uses Google Maps to show customers where cookies have recently been baked. Customers can click on a location marker to find out when particular batches rolled out of the oven, or can use the 'find warmest cookie' to go straight to the freshest batch. Real cookie monsters can sign up to receive email alerts.

Like twittering taco trucks and Albion's Baker Tweet, the Warm Cookie Radar is an online version of Krispy Kreme's familiar 'Hot Now' signs. Which, when it comes down to it, is just a more enticing way of saying 'Buy now!' For small businesses, it's a relatively simple marketing tool that could help boost revenues. One to try out!

Website: www.specialtysdirect.com
Contact: www.specialtysdirect.com/home_feedback.asp

Spotted by: Brent Cohler

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