Springwise - Eco & Sustainability

Eco-iconic license plates for green vehicles

2009-11-20T13:53:01Z

Electric and hybrid vehicles are typically eco-iconic in their own right, but a new program from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation aims to give them additional recognition via special license plates as well.

The Canadian province hopes to have one out of every 20 vehicles driven in Ontario electrically powered by 2020. As part of that effort, it is encouraging the purchase and use of electric cars via several incentives. First, vehicles purchased after July 1, 2010, can qualify for rebates of between CDN 4,000 and CDN 10,000. Even more eco-iconic, however, is that drivers of such vehicles will be given special, green license plates from the province starting next year. Said license plates will qualify them to use Ontario's High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes until 2015, even if there is just one person in the vehicle; give them access to provincial recharging facilities; and allow them to use designated parking spots at the University of Toronto and private companies such as Wal-Mart Canada. Particularly interesting from a crowdsourcing perspective is that the province's green license plate design was chosen through public voting from among four competing alternatives.

If there's anything more gratifying than simply reaping the benefits of an environmentally friendly vehicle, it's having that ethical purchase decision recognized and rewarded, for all the world to see. How long before every DMV under the sun has its own version of the green license plate...?

Website: news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2009/11/new-green-licence-plate-selected-by-ontarians.html
Contact: nicole.lippa-gasparro@ontario.ca

Spotted by: Monica Watkins

Water bottle with integrated filter purifies as you drink

2009-11-18T17:01:04Z

While over a billion people live without clean water, the world is drowning in the waste of millions of water bottles. The Hydros Bottle could provide a simple solution. Available for the US market by the end of the year, the 700 ml bottle features an integrated filter that cleans water as you drink. The bottle was originally developed by the University of Pennsylvania to provide purified water to increasingly mobile, urban people in the developing world. However, the researchers discovered water quality problems closer to home, with high levels of heavy metals and toxins in the tap water in some areas of the States.

The Hydros Bottle's filter reduces arsenic, particulate and dissolved lead, mercury, copper, chlorine and cadmium, which is more than some well-known household filters. The company is also aiming to wean Americans off bottled water by outlining the potential savings: at USD 6, one recyclable filter lasts for 320 refills, amounting to a saving of over USD 500 compared to bottled water. The bottle plus one filter costs USD 25; replacement filters are USD 6 each. Hydros Bottle is treated to prevent odours and can be branded with company logos. (Note that bottles with different types of integrated filters are available for the outdoor sports market; see Trailspace for an overview.)

Hydros Bottle's plans to develop a customizable filter for the developing world are temporarily on hold, but the company is still actively engaged in projects to promote worldwide access to potable water. One to partner with locally? (Related: Reusable water bottle flattens and folds when empty — Generator turns plastic bottles back into oil.)

Website: www.hydrosbottle.com
Contact: www.hydrosbottle.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Eduardo Orozco

Connecting buyers and sellers of locally grown food

2009-11-11T09:58:19Z

Few would dispute the benefits of eating locally grown food, both for the environment and for human health. Access is the challenge, which is why we've seen such goods sold in vending machines, delivered by bicycle and packed in five-dollar bags for commuters. The latest spotting? Local Dirt, a Wisconsin-based site that connects buyers and sellers of locally grown food nationwide.

Farmers and other vendors begin by creating a profile page to promote their produce, as well as listing the quantities and prices of the products they have to sell. Individual and organizational buyers can then search for local food sellers and products in their area—searching by address, ZIP code or via map—and browsing the listings of those near them. Once they've found something they like, buyers can order food for pick-up at farmers' markets or farms. A purchase order is automatically generated and mailed to them for use in picking up the food and paying the seller. Listing, ordering and bidding on items in Local Dirt is free; yearly memberships for more sophisticated features—such as wholesale capabilities—begin at USD 360.

Whether it's by bringing the food to the consumers or the consumers to the food, there's no doubt the resulting boost for local food consumption is a win-win for everyone—and the planet. One to emulate in your neck of the food-producing woods...?

Website: www.localdirt.com
Contact: www.localdirt.com/contact_us-a194.html

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Reusable water bottle flattens & folds when empty

2009-11-04T06:57:39Z

To reduce the number of plastic water bottles that end up in landfills, consumers are encouraged to buy reusable bottles. Since those can be bulky to carry along, a company in Thousand Oaks, California designed an alternative. Vapur is a reusable water bottle that flattens when empty. Like a regular bottle, it stands upright when full. But when it's empty, users can fold or roll it up to stick it in a pocket or a purse.

Made of ultra-durable three-ply, BPA-free polymer, Vapur bottles can be cleaned in a dishwasher's top rack and can be frozen to keep water cool. Vapur's eco-creds aren't limited to their day-to-day use: since the bottles can be shipped flat, they're also greener to ship from manufacturer to distributors and consumers. All in all, it's an innovative way to make it more convenient for consumers to drink and carry tap water. Also of interest is that the product was developed in-house by design agency Tonic, as part of their strategy to create and spin off products of their own.

Website: www.vapur.us
Contact: www.thinktonic.com/contact-us.php

Rental & adoption Christmas trees: delivered, picked up & replanted

2009-11-03T22:57:43Z

For all the traditional merriment they embody, Christmas trees are a) awkward to transport and b) terribly depressing when they're discarded in January. No longer if Los Angeles landscape architect Scott Martin has his way; he founded The Living Christmas Company, which gives Los Angeles residents the chance to temporarily rent a living Christmas tree and have it delivered right to their door. Unlike regular Christmas trees, around 20 million of which are felled each year in the US, living trees are transplanted, roots and all, into pots to be enjoyed over the festive period. After the holidays, Scott and his team pick up the trees, replant them and nuture them until next year.

Customers can order a living tree from the company's website; sizes range from 3–8 feet and prices—including delivery and collection by bio-diesel truck—are comparable to those of felled trees. While the company isn't the first to offer tree rentals for Christmas, it is the first we've seen that lets customers adopt a pine, allowing them to share Christmas with the same tree year after year, watching it grow along with their family. Adopted trees are tracked by barcode.

The concept will certainly appeal to eco-conscious Angelenos, who may not get a white Christmas, but can now choose a greener one. It also gives them a nice little cradle-to-cradle status story to share at Christmas. Mr Martin goes by the nickname Scotty Claus. However, until he has a distribution network to match that of his namesake, there's an opportunity for green-fingered, red-suited entrepreneurs elsewhere... (Related: Trees with character, felled to order.)

Website: www.livingchristmas.com

Generator turns plastic bottles back into oil

2009-11-02T22:50:03Z

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

Eco-drywall made of recycled materials

2009-10-29T21:29:16Z

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

Columbia reuses shipping boxes, tracks their stories

2009-10-22T21:50:57Z

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

Athletic apparel made from trash

2009-10-19T17:18:08Z

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

Laundromat reaps solar rewards

2009-10-19T06:49:30Z

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

Thin, flexible solar paneling

2009-10-16T17:03:01Z

There's no doubt solar energy is a compelling alternative to fossil fuels, but implementing it has traditionally meant installing the standard, costly and ungainly solar panel. SRS Energy's dual-purpose roof tiles offer one way to get around that requirement; now another comes in the form of thin, flexible solar sheets that can be integrated with architectural building materials.

Iowa-based PowerFilm makes low-cost foldable and rollable solar panels in which the solar technology is monolithically integrated in a polyimide substrate that's flexible and durable, yet as thin as 0.025mm. With an absorber layer made of amorphous silicon, PowerFilm solar panels use as little as 1 percent of the amount of silicon used in traditional solar panels; they're also cadmium-free. Since 2005 the company has been using its technology to manufacture solar field shelter tarps for military applications, and now it's developed the ability to combine it with standard building materials as well. Standing seam metal roofing, single-ply elastomeric membrane roofing and architectural fabric can all be combined with PowerFilm's flexible paneling for a variety of low-cost, building-integrated solar applications. In such uses, the electricity generated by the solar panels is stored in local batteries and converted to 110 AC for general wall outlet use or—in some cases—used directly for low-voltage lighting systems. The buildings can be either off-grid or grid-connected. PowerFilm recently completed a 10-kilowatt demonstration and evaluation project on metal roofing, and is now in the final stages of developing the technology.

PowerFilm also makes a variety of portable solar chargers—one of which won second place in the Mobile CE Fashion & Lifestyle Products competition at CTIA Wireless 2009—and it manufactures for OEM and custom orders as well. The lightweight and durable nature of its thin paneling, meanwhile, seems eminently suitable for use in the developing world. One to get in on early for the application of your choice...?

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

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

Voltage optimization for the home

2009-10-15T15:40:39Z

Voltage optimization technology has been around for years, providing a way to cut energy costs and carbon emissions by reducing a building's incoming voltage and maintaining it at a stable level. Whereas traditionally the technology's costs have been prohibitive for all but large organizations, recently a British company created a low-cost device that puts it within reach of everyday consumers.

VPhase's namesake device, which was developed in conjunction with Liverpool University, gets fitted by an electrician next to a home's fuse box and operates on socket outlets and lighting circuits. From there, it optimizes the incoming voltage to a constant 220V in the UK, giving homeowners energy savings throughout the house without requiring any changes to their behaviour. The amount of energy saved will vary depending on the incoming voltage and type of appliances in the house, the company says, but typical savings include a 17 percent reduction in the electricity consumption of fridges and freezers, and 15 percent savings on lighting and central heating pumps.

VPhase CEO Lee Juby explains: “Many electrical appliances will work more efficiently and use less electricity at a much lower voltage. If every household in the UK used voltage optimization, a typical home could save carbon emissions of 270kg every year—the equivalent of taking 2.3 million cars off the road."

Currently available only within the UK, VPhase is priced at GBP 299 including VAT and delivery. Its maker is working with Scottish & Southern Energy and Ofgem to determine the product's lifetime CO2 savings. It's also working with British Gas to market the product through British Gas’s existing supply channels. One to partner with and localize for other parts of the world? (Related: Home energy monitoring, delivered by Google — Visualising energy use — Energy meters get tweeting — Smart thermostat is always online.)

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

An ATM for recycling consumer electronics

2009-10-08T18:59:06Z

Of 140 million cell phones sold in the US in 2007, only 10% were recycled, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. That leaves a mounting pile of e-waste to deal with. Offering a solution is EcoATM, an automated reuse-and-recycle machine that makes it easy and financially rewarding for consumers to offload their abandoned electronics. The process is simple: a customer feeds the machine an old mobile phone and it analyses the device and assigns it a value. If the phone has a resale value, the customer receives store credit, or can donate the amount to charity. If there's no resale value, customers can choose to have the handset recycled.

The first EcoATM was installed in Omaha, Nebraska, and has already proved successful, with 23 phones collected on the first day. It's likely to hold appeal for retailers and manufacturers too, as the system is designed to facilitate compliance with new federal 'takeback' laws. Although it currently only takes mobile phones, EcoATM will soon be able to accept a range of consumer electronics including MP3 players, digital cameras and even computers and printers.

Similar to the reverse vending machines we covered a few years ago—which make for easy recycling of beverage containers—the EcoATM's combination of convenience and a reward will no doubt appeal to consumers who might otherwise neglect to find a destination for unused gadgets. The incentive for EcoATM is clear: an estimated 12 billion dollars is currently sitting in drawers across America in the form of old phones. (Related: Retail approach to recycling — Incentive-based recycling — Startup buys broken iPods and abandoned GameCubes.)

Website: www.ecoatm.com
Contact: erosser@ecoatm.com

Spotted by: CNET via Judy McRae

Intention-based shipping brought to the UK

2009-10-02T21:44:55Z

With intention-based shipping spreading like wildfire, we're not surprised to see that it's now catching on in the UK, too. Shiply, which set up shop in 2008, is a free online marketplace where transport companies bid for listed shipments.

After creating an online account, consumers list what they need to ship and provide details about pickup, delivery and shipment dates. Anything from a pet carriage to a car can be listed. Transport providers then bid for the shipment, potentially turning unused space in their trucks into profit. Shiply's system means that as companies try to outbid one another, users typically save about 75% on their shipping costs. Users can contribute and read feedback left by other customers, and accept the bid with which they feel happiest.

The company states that 25% of European lorries run completely empty. By filling up this space, Shiply makes sure trucks get extra cash for unused space, and saves consumers money. Of course, it’s hugely beneficial in terms of reducing carbon emissions and congestion, too. Which is why Shiply was awarded a EUR 100,000 runner-up prize in this year's Green Challenge. (RidgeBlade, which we featured last week, won the top prize of EUR 500,000.)

As the success of services like this depends on reaching a critical mass of users, it’s interesting to see Shiply helping itself along with a special eBay widget, which can be integrated in eBay listings, letting potential bidders get cheap courier quotes from Shiply on the spot. In addition, 4,000 shipping companies have already listed their services on Shiply. Saving the planet by intelligently linking wants and needs—there’s plenty of mileage left in that.

Web: www.shiply.com
Contact: www.shiply.com/docs/contact.php

Spotted by: Green Challenge

Online exchange for builders' surplus goods

2009-10-02T18:59:25Z

More than 90 million tons of construction and demolition waste are generated each year in England and Wales alone, and at least 13 million of those tons are surplus new materials that could have been reused. Hoping to keep such waste out of landfills, BuilderScrap is a free site for the construction trade that aims to connect builders who have extra materials with those who need them.

Similar in many ways to the salvage operations of Buffalo ReUse, UK-based BuilderScrap was established by builders for builders as a way to use up surplus new and high-quality second-hand material in the supply chain. Users begin by registering and then uploading any extra building materials they'd like to sell or give away. Allowable items include timber, doors, floorboards, stair components, joists, tiles, window frames and office furniture, to name just a few. Other users who are interested in an item then contact the relevant user via the BuilderScrap website, which in turn notifies the listing member, who can respond to work out the details. Once the item has exchanged hands, the original listing member then de-lists it from the site. A video on BuilderScrap explains the site's premise in more detail.

Given the increasing interest in green building practices, it won't be long before such exchanges are set up in building markets around the world, and it's not hard to imagine the likes of Home Depot and other large vendors getting involved--not just for the good karma that would result but also for a front-row position as builders make their supply decisions. Who will be first to bring such an exchange—maybe with ad support?—to *your* neck of the woods...? (Related: Library of green building materials — Free plans for eco homes.)

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

Spotted by: Ben Davis