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In the shift from the wasteful and earth-damaging ways of the past toward a more sustainable future, technology is our pal. Advances in renewable energy systems, materials production, and waste recycling have transformed our ability to live greener lifestyles. Recently, researchers at the University of Warwick made one such advance in the realm of plastics recycling. Typically, only around 12%......read more
For a long time, Senegalese-French furniture designer Bibi Seck, one half of product design duo Birsel + Seck, wanted to produce local furniture in Senegal. But it wasn't until he linked up with Transtech, a maker of cisterns and septic tanks using recycled plastic, that the project became feasible. The fruit of the partnership is the Taboo Collection of furniture, made in Dakar,......read more
If you're reading this, chances are you've been exposed to bisphenol A (BPA). A key ingredient in many modern plastics, the chemical compound has been used since the 1940s in everything from baby bottles to goggles to lining for food containers. In recent years, animal studies have demonstrated links between BPA and a host of ill health effects, including breast and prostate cancer. ......read more
Emeco (Electric Machine and Equipment Company) has been manufacturing chairs in Pennsylvania since 1944. The sustainability-minded company makes sturdy seating out of 80% recycled aluminum, with an estimated lifespan of 150 years and a lifetime guarantee. Now, in a collaboration with Coca-Cola, Emeco goes even greener with its most iconic design, diverting plastic pop bottles from Coke’s......read more
This floating pavilion on Vancouver's False Creek is being used as a temporary restaurant featuring 4-star local cuisine. Which is neat on its own, but it's doubly cool when you find out it's floating on nearly 1,700 recycled 2L pop bottles. And gets even sweeter when you discover that the Pop Bottle Dining Barge is a fundraising project for the School of Fish Foundation, which......read more
Well, that sucks. The Democratic bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags across California — a measure we at SHFT adamantly supported — failed in the state Senate late Tuesday night. It would have been the country's first statewide ban, although a few California cities already prohibit their use. With the bill's downfall, the state misses an opportunity to be at the vanguard of a......read more
Si bravo! Europe's largest solar farm just opened for business in Italy. Audi announced a plug-in hybrid to drop in 2014. No details yet, but it will be designed by the same people who brought us the bonkers e-tron concept car. The always mind-expanding But Does it Float posted an amazing selection of pics from Swiss-Italian photographer Sylvia Mogni. Miami local Barbara de Vries is......read more
Filmmaker Ben Zolno's "Plastic State of Mind" parodizes the hit Jay-Z/Alicia Keys track on behalf of a cause we hold dear around here: banning single use plastic. Commissioned by Green Sangha, a Californian spiritual and activist group, the video reminds us that even though awareness is growing of the harm caused by plastic bags, shoppers use a million grocery bags every single......read more
Oh, the horror! It's our worst nightmare, in the flesh—errr, plastic. The Plastic Bag Monster is a public art project by The Miha Artnak in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Created from 40,000 plastic bags and 7,500 discarded plastic cups collected from the local schools around the city, the Plastic Bag Monster delivers a metaphorical statement on pollution and waste. "Plastic Bag Monster......read more
Think you have what it takes to live plastic-free? Now's your chance to try. Rodale has issued a "Plastic-Free February" challenge to its readers. The three ground rules are: 1. No buying or acquiring new plastic 2. No cooking with plastic or storing food in plastic 3. Minimize all other plastic use In today's society, this is no doubt a difficult challenge. Think about the fact that most......read more
