bemoreeco

The first eco-friendly billboard is coming to Times Square, entirely powered by the sun and the wind — but there is one small catch.

“We think if that happens, it’s just fine,” said Ron Potesky, a senior marketing vice president for Ricoh Americas Corporation, the office equipment and document-storage supplier that owns the sign.

The billboard — traditionally called a “spectacular” on the Great White Way — weighs in at 35,000 pounds. It will be 55 feet off the ground at 3 Times Square, wrapping around the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street.

Fitted with 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels, the sign will be “a first for Times Square,” said Barry E. Winston, a Times Square billboard consultant not involved in the Ricoh project, who has been a sign expert for more than 50 years.

Wind turbines for the vast sign, which is 126 feet wide and 47 feet high, have arrived in a warehouse in Deer Park, N.Y., where preliminary testing is being done. Construction will begin this month, for a lighting ceremony on Dec. 4.

Full Article & Source:  New York Times Online

Photos: Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times & Gigante Vaz Partners NYC

Last month we listed the nominations for Best Eco Gadget in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards. 

The awards, decided by the UK’s top technology and gadget journalists from online and print, let you the consumer know what the best camera, satnav, music gadget, laptop, software, video game, home cinema device, mobile phone, email device, and eco gadgets are. 

This year it was tougher than ever with the nominations drawn from over 600 products released in the last year with the usual suspects not even getting a look in on some of the categories. 

So who was the winner of the Best Eco Gadget catagory. We can confirm it was Pure for its move to more friendly green practices and packaging. The runner up was Roberts solarDAB radio. Both of these products were spotted by the Eco Trend Spotter team, well done.

Shops which Eco Gadgets can be found by <clicking here>

Many of us this Christmas will give and receive new gadgets. Some of these with be eco and some not. The question we discussed in the BeMoreEco office was what is the best process of buying gadgets this year. What should our green eco gadget shopping tips be.

Well after some searching we found these Green Gadget tips posted by Plant Green.

Organise the perfect green Christmas this year and save money with our guide; reduce your carbon footprint and have a more eco friendly and sustainable holiday season.

1. Serve local, healthy and seasonal December foods at your events and xmas parties.  Choose vegetables that are in season and do not have to be flown in from abroad.  Broccoli, cabbage and onions can all be grown without the aid of harsh chemicals so you can spend your organic pounds elsewhere. Buy loose vegetables rather than packaged from a farmers market or try a vegetable box from Abel & Cole which are packed with the season’s best foodstuffs. Choose an organic Turkey or Goose. If you are a vegetarian or vegan go for a substitute from www.Ecotopia.co.uk or www.ethicalsuperstore.com Check out www.freerangereview.com to find local food to you! Click here for all foods that are in season. (located at the end of this post)

2. Decorating your house can be one of the most enjoyable parts of Xmas. Go for ethically made and traded decorations. Natural Collection, Big Green Smile, Nigel’s Eco Store and Vita Etica  all have a great range. Kids really enjoy making their own green decorations out of old scraps of material and leftovers. Try popcorn garlands – which are really fun and cheap to make and scour a woodland floor for fallen pinecones and twigs that are great for decorations!

3. E-mail party invites and Christmas cards rather than post them. There are loads of free Xmas themed party invite e-cards around or alternatively make your own out of scrap and recycled products. If you really want to send cards, choose charity ones or check out these really funky recycled ones. After the big day, make sure your Christmas cards don’t go to waste – take them to a Woodland Trust recycling point.

4. Christmas heating and lighting bills can be huge! Save cash and protect the environment by using energy saving devices such as standby busters and radiator boosters. Don’t forget to turn off the tree lights or better still try these solar powered ones.

5. Use recycled paper, gift bags or even colorful cloth to wrap the Christmas presents and instead of tape, use colorful ribbon to tie up the gifts.

6. Make a green statement this xmas! Send a message to the manufacturers of consumer goods by shopping for & buying only natural, non toxic, eco friendly, organic presents this year. Shop through www.moreeco.com for the largest selection of green retailers on one site and earn rewards and offset carbon at the same time.

7. Which makes a better tree? Artificial or a real one? Simply real ones are as they are great for the environment and can be replanted after use. If replanting isn’t an option, most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes. Contact yours or go to http://www.letsrecycle.com. If you need to use an artificial one avoid those made in China or Tawian which have transport costs associated with them. They also can be made with nasty chemicals, metals and plastics which can emit into our homes. Adorn with fair trade and ethical traded decorations or again make your own.

8. How do we give children what they desire but without poisoning our planet? Take electronic toys for instance. There are 900 million batteries used each year in the UK alone and many are in toys. But only 2% of batteries are currently recycled - the rest end up in landfill sites and are poisoning our planet! So what do you do? Choose an eco toy. Green and eco-friendly toys shouldn’t cost the earth so choose from a great selection here that don’t require batteries. Alternatively go for rechargeable batteries which will save you pounds throughout the year.

9. Recycle your unwanted presents. Unfortunately everyone receives at least one unwanted gift at Christmas. Many recycle their unwanted presents to charities. Local hospitals and hospices are often very pleased to receive unwanted smellies to give to patients. Or you could try Nigels Eco Store’s regifting forum  or www.freecycle.org and swap them for other people’s unwanted gifts.

10. Don’t go overboard especially in the current climate and remember -  reduce, reuse and recycle.

December Food In Season

VEGETABLES:

Artichoke

(Jerusalem), Brussels sprouts, Broccoli (purple sprouting), Beetroot, Cabbage(red), Celeriac, Celery, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chicory, Chard, Celeriac, Cardoons, Cabbages, Endive, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lamb’s, Lettuce, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Rocket, Shallots, Spinach, Swede, Turnips, Watercress

FRUIT & NUTS: Apples, Chestnuts, Pears, Pomegranate, Quince, Rhubarb

MEAT, POULTRY & GAME: Goose, Grouse, Hare, Mallard, Partridge, Pheasant, Rabbit, Snipe, Squirrel (grey), Turkey, Venison, Woodcock

FISH: Bream (black), Herring, Mussels, Oysters (native), Scallops, Turbot

CHEESE: Stilton, Wensleydale

List courtesy of www.naturalmatters.net

A lot of people nowadays are questioning the quality of the food that they buy at the supermarket.

Organic food can be expensive, but you can eat organically without spending a fortune. Lily Barclay at BBCGreen has done some research to find out more.

In recent months, rising food prices and an economic slowdown have led many people to question the cost of their shopping basket. With organic products typically more expensive than their non-organic counterparts, could these be among the first to go? 

There is still a huge interest in eating fresh, natural produce and you don’t always have to spend big either. If price is your main motivation, there are plenty of opportunities for budget organic shopping. There are 4 areas you shouls focus on. They are;

Vegetable Boxes - Ordering an organic vegetable box can be convenient and cost effective. It means you’ll get fresh, home-grown products delivered directly to your doorstep.  It is worth shopping around to find an option that suits your household’s needs and your wallet. Organic vegetable boxes can vary from around £7 to £25 depending on size and variety. One of the main financial benefits is that, by eating locally, you cut out the rising fuel costs that have made imported products more expensive.  UK organic box scheme Riverford, for example, recently claimed that its boxes are 22 per cent cheaper than organic fruit and vegetables bought online from Tesco, Waitrose, and Sainsbury’s.

Supermarket Sweep - Not all organic varieties cost the same, and shopping around can definitely pay off. Nearly all mainstream supermarkets now carry an in-house organic brand, which can be cheaper than specialist labels. We took a virtual tour of Tesco to make a price comparison of our own.

Savvy Shopping - Avoiding pre-packaged supermarket food, such as salads and ready meals, will save you money, which you can invest in good quality raw produce. Many of us are guilty of buying two for one ready-made food, half of which quietly perishes at the back of the fridge. Taking the time to choose and prepare loose fruit and vegetables will save you cash that you can spend on an organic alternative.

Meaty matters - When it comes to money and organic meat, thinking quality rather than quantity is often the key. The recommended adult portion size for meat is 3oz (about the size of a deck of cards). Rounding up your meal with cheap grains, such as couscous, rice or quinoa is a good way to save a few pounds. Premium cuts, such as chicken breasts, don’t necessarily give the best taste. Organic chicken legs and thighs can often be a cheaper and tastier alternative. Replacing meat altogether with other sources of protein such as organic beans is another great money saver.

Waste not, want not - Simply thinking ahead by planning your meals and shopping list in advance could make a huge difference to your weekly shopping budget. Every year, UK households waste 6.7 million tonnes of food – that’s £420 a year for the average UK household. Being inventive with leftovers by turning dishes such as pasta and rice into salads, and freezing stews, curries and lasagnes gets the most out of your organic produce. Juicers and blenders are also a good investment buy for turning overripe fruit into smoothies and juices.

For full BBCGreen article <click here>

These days there are so many products out there which say they are good for you and help you make, look and feel younger, but what is actually in them. Therefore the question you ask are; Which toxic ingredients should you avoid? Should you buy Organic and Natural products instead?

When doing the weekly shop I all ways look at the the ingredients to see what is being added to the food we eat. After a period of time you naturally move over to buying Organic foods instead. I feel that this is the same for skincare products. At present many people buy products with out considering what is in them. We should all take a look.

Information provide by Smartplanet  details what ingredients we should avoid. For example a bottle of shampoo might not seem particularly offensive on its own. But in the UK, 93 per cent of women use at least 20 different products every day, according to the Soil Association. Each of those products might contain ingredients that are relatively harmless, but their cumulative effect — also called ‘the chemical cocktail effect’ — is believed by some to be harmful, provoking a variety of illnesses from eczema to cancers, autism and dyslexia.

Susan Curtis at Neal’s Yard Remedies recommends buying natural and organic products to avoid toxic ingredients. It’s worth noting, however, that labels such as ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ are not legally enforced on beauty products.

Susan also advises taking a close look at the ingredients listing. A pocket book guide is one way to help navigate the lists, but don’t automatically despair if ingredients sound synthetic. “There are some chemical names that will occur even in natural and organic products,” says Susan. “For example, a shampoo will have a detergent and a moisturiser, cetearyl alcohol or stearic acid, which are common plant-based emulsifiers.”

Here are Susan’s ingredients to avoid:

1. Formaldehyde,
A known carcinogen
2. Dimethicones
Also anything that ends ‘-methicone’ 
3. Parabens
Preservatives known to be hormone destructors
4. Aluminium and antiperspirants
They can be absorbed by the body and can cause health problems
5. Talc
A mineral that’s easily absorbed in the body and has been linked to ovarian and prostate cancer

It’s worth remembering the first items on an ingredients list will comprise the bulk of the product, so if they have names that you don’t recognise, look them up on a database such as Skin Deep.

To read the full article at Smartplanet <click here>

The team at Eco Trend Spotter are looking for people who love searching the internet and the world for the latest eco gadget, green home idea, or ethical fashion item.

If you are one of these people then we woud love to hear from you. Please send your exciting findings to ideas@ecotrenspotter.com and we will have a look. If the team thinks you have found an Eco Trend spotter item then we revied and publish it on our blog.

To say thank you for all your effort we will give 250 MoreEco points to every item which is submitted and then published. MoreEco is a UK shopping reward site for Eco shopping. They search the internet for the best organic, green, environmental, and natural online retailers and negotiate with them a reward level which can be passed on to the moreeco members.

Once you have chosen your shop click through and then you are then on the retailer’s own site and will be dealing directly with them from that point.

Therefore if you have something to share please send an e-mail to ideas@ecotrendspotter.com

 (To obtain your points you will need to have a MoreEco members account. Join today and receive 500 start up points)

When it comes to the environment, it makes sense that bulk buying is a greener alternative to buying smaller quantities. There is less packaging involved than with traditional retail packaging.

When you buy a large amount of the same product, there is only a minimal amount of packaging involved. Your purse also sees the effects. For example, a 5 Kg bag of good potatoes costs £1.99 at our local Sainsbury’s, about 40p per kilo. But I can buy a 25Kg sack of the same variety for £2.99 at the market or farm shops; that’s only about 12p per kilo.

Other items which you can make substantial savings on are toilet rolls, cleaning products and laundry liquids. You can also join a bulk-buying group, where people band together to buy things at the price that retailers buy them at. 

I have found that most of the Eco online retailers also offer bulk buy options on purchase and even sell the 5lt Ecover bottle  saving even more on waste.

Click here to see which retailers offer bulk but products online.

What is Upcycling?

Upcycling has been around for ages. It’s only now that it’s catching some serious steam. At it’s heart, it’s the process of turning something that would normally be disposed and using it to create something of greater value. Typical examples include jewellery, furniture and even fashion.

The difference between recycling and upcycling, is recycled products are commonly those that are reused at lesser value. This is important, because it’s easier to build businesses upon upcycling - especially when every product has a story. Done well, we could soon see thousands of talented designers specialising in using disposable products from clothes, cars, furniture and almost anything else - and turning them into premium products.

11 Great Examples of Upcycling

As upcycling really begins taking off, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing better and better examples, most more exciting and ambitious than the next. Here are 11 of the best examples of upcycling I can find.:

Sustainablog - 6 Creative Upcycling Projects

Crafting a Green World - Girl Reconstructed: Upcycling Old Clothes

TreeHugger - How to Upcycling Gift Cards

TreeHugger - Upcycling Contest

LifeGoggles - The Largest Ever Upcycling Program

StumbleUpon - Upcycling Websites

Alternative Consumer - Skateboard Furniture - Upcycling?

HowCanIRecycleThis? - Turning Old Wires Into Wearable Art

Great Green Goods - Recycled Bracelet from inner tubes and flip flops

HippyShopper - Upcycling: Make a Lamp from an old blender

HippyShopper - Upcycling: Yield Shelving

What to look out for in the future?

So what’s next? In short, probably bigger and better. At the moment there are many great companies which are specialising in upcycling clothes and furniture. I would love to see even more ambition and creativity when upcycling. Imagine the products which really mean a lot to people for a small amount of time. Take cars, computers, mobile phones, clothes, sofas and imaging what can be created from them.

It will be interesting to see if the trend leans towards upcycling specialists who people call upon when they want an old product upcycled into something new, or upcycled products at retail. Personally, I hope both.

The biggest challenge facing upcycling at the moment is that most people don’t realise it even exists. I suspect it only needs one big upcycled product that catches on before everyone can do it.

Verdict?

I love the idea of upcycling. Not only does it reduce waste but it changes the image of recycled products from  the cheap option into the more loved premium option. That means more money, more growth and more upcycling.