Mixing a sense of humour with a sense of environmental responsibility, Creative Paper Wales (CPW) has shepherded in the latest in its line of Sheep Poo Paper products – flower-fragranced Poo Pouri Air Freshener. The company claims to make all its handcrafted papers and paper gift items using eco-friendly materials and methods, but Sheep Poo Paper takes the ingenuity biscuit for exploiting the droppings of Wales’ most ubiquitous animal. New Zealand must be kicking itself it didn’t get there first.

Rear-guard action against climate change: Welsh sheep

Image: Vertigogen

Based out of a restored quarry building turned paper mill in the spectacular Snowdonia National Park, CPW got going in 2006 with a little help from a £20,000 Millennium Award for ‘Social Entrepreneurship’. Ever since, it’s been perfecting the craft of making paper from its magic ingredient, collected ’super fresh’ from the surrounding mountainsides.

Something smells good: Poo Pouri Air Freshener

Image: Redcrow at Corvus Chainmaille

With its cool cutesy design, and greetings cards saying everything from I Love Ewe to Birthday Bleatings, CPW clearly benefits from some witty marketing. But the playful image doesn’t detract from the shear goodness of a not-so woolly sustainable solution that goes against the destruction of forests, and masses of non-renewable energy and chemicals required to turn timber into paper pulp. With such careless use of resources not an alternative for a venture keen to stay clean and green, perhaps the future of the papermaking industry rests on the back end of a sheep.

New faeces on the sustainable market: sheep poo

Image: ickyfisher44

CPW’s papermaking process involves first boiling and repeatedly washing the sheep poo, to extract its undigested plant fibres, plus a by-product of liquid fertiliser that’s distributed to local growers. Next it’s paper recycling more as we know it: the fibres are beaten and blended with other recycled materials, like rags and old paper, into a porridgy paper pulp. Traditional sieving techniques are used to form the pulp into sheets, which are then stacked and pressure-pressed to remove water and get the fibre particles to bond. The sheets are hung out to dry, and hey presto, Sheep Poo paper. Baa-dass!

Sources: 1, 2

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We’ve all become familiar with the fair trade ethos with our food buying, but one person is trying to bring the same values to a very different part of the retail industry. Sam Roddick’s Coco de Mer is a sex shop with an environmentally friendly ethos, selling everything from corsets to clitoris creams.

Image: Coco de Mer

“The sex industry is totally unethical,” explains Roddick, daughter of Body Shop creator Anita Roddick. “There are no regulations about the materials used for products that people use with their most sensitive areas. That’s a huge worry and it’s really up to people like me that supply these products to have ethics beyond company profit.”

With this in mind, Coco de Mer’s products are all made with consideration towards the environment and human rights. The products are made of high-quality material, usually locally sourced and created by local artists. When they seek skill from abroad they make sure it’s got the Fairtrade ® seal of approval, using small projects and cottage industries instead of the shameless sweatshops. If you’re the type to worry if your spanking paddle comes from sustainable forests, this is the shop you’ve been looking for!

Image: Coco de Mer

Coco de Mer first rose to notoriety when it held a naked protest against the Iraq war on the streets of London. Since then it has been a champion of many causes, including sex trade rights.

This devotion to human and environmental causes has seen Coco de Mer gain something of a cult following. It seems to be a winning formula too, with two boutiques open in the most upmarket of places in London and Los Angeles and more on the way despite current economic gloom. Sam herself is a firm believer that sex can help the environment. “Turn off your telephone, turn off your TV, your computer and have great sex and I promise you that your life will be a happier place.”

Source Coco de Mer

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Save on the risqué Tarzan and Jane costumes and explore your inner animal at one of the world’s most breathtaking tree-top getaways. Whether it’s bare-bones lodging or some back-woods luxury these tip-top wonders are sure to amaze. So, back away from the Blackberry, strap on some boots, grab your mate, or someone better, and go climb a tree.

1.Tree Houses of Montville

Grab a bottle of Queensland rum and kick back in high Aussie style. Perched above the rainforest floor, there’s nothing up here but parrots and peace. Decked out in five-star fashion, Montville takes tree house lodging to the next level. Not a bad place to recoup after hiking the 10 kilometers of spectacular track through Kondalilla Falls National Park.

Tree Houses of Montville

2. Kadir’s Tree Houses

The best value on our list, this 300-bed tree house village in Olympos, Turkey has become a requisite stop for those backpacking across Eastern Europe in search of adventure on the cheap. Far-flung friends meet over beer and vegetarian-friendly home cooking, surrounded in rustic, hand-built style. This hiker’s refuge fulfills ever kid’s backyard-clubhouse fantasies, if your backyard just happened to be sun-soaked Mediterranean coastline.

jonrawlinson

3. Tree House Lodge

Ever showered next to a 100-year-old living tree? Here’s your chance. Tucked deep in Costa Rican parkland and with access to some of the most impressive waves in the equatorial Atlantic, there is no shortage of adventure here. The Lodge is sustainably built and stunning to behold, climbing to tranquil heights. Looking for holidays with eco-conscience? A portion of all hotel profits go to the Iguana Verde Foundation. After all, who can say no to lime-green arboreal reptile?

Tree House Lodge

4. Cedar Creek Treehouse

Looking for a breath-taker with a back-to-nature flair? North America boasts its own sky-high guesthouse, nestled in the imposing shadow of Mt Rainier. Not for the weak of spirit, the two-tier house soars to 50 feet, only outdone by the dizzying 10-story, spiralling Stairway to Heaven and Treehouse Observatory. So, punch up some Zeppelin on your iPod and get busy climbing.

Cedar Creek Treehouse

5. Ariau Amazon Towers

This colossus would have made the list for sheer size, alone – it’s the world’s largest tree house hotel. What could compare to canoeing down the Amazon, casting your line for a piranha or two, or wandering nearly five miles of catwalk connecting seven stilt-perched towers? The biggest worries in these parts are games of keep-away with the Simian locals, hell-bent on pinching your afternoon guava. With mind-blowing views of some of the lushest rainforest on Earth, Ariau has bragging rights to spare.

South American Escapes

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Jill Fehrenbacher, founder of leading green design blog Inhabitat and Inhabitos, has announced the launch of Inhabitat eco tees for kiddies and all-in-ones for babies. Both the t-shirts and onesies are made from 100% organic cotton, printed by hand with eco-friendly, water-based inks and feature Habby, the Inhabitat owl, with the message ‘I give a hoot’ on the front. They cost $20 each and all proceeds go towards Inhabitots, the website that promotes sustainable design for next generation.

You also have the chance to win a free Inhabitat baby tee by entering the Inhabitots Green Halloween contest. All you have to do is submit photos online of a costume you designed for one of your bubs. Check out Inhabitots website for more information. And good luck!

Source: Inhabitat

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Anyone who’s into the ‘green lifestyle’ knows that walking is one of the most environmentally-friendly modes of transportation around. Really, there are only two things keeping it from being an entirely eco-friendly exercise: the shoes on your feet. Most modern shoes are made using PVC, nylon, leather, and other non-sustainable materials. Considering most active people should replace their shoes every six months, that adds up to quite a lot of elements going to waste.

That’s a trend that Environmentally Neutral Design (END) is hoping to curb with their new brand of footwear. The company was founded in Portland, Oregon by a former Nike designer and a marketing director from GE and Philips to develop greener, high-functioning outdoor gear. Their footwear is the first of their products to hit the market at retailer REI through their website. The shoes were designed with the idea of minimizing the impact on the environment in mind. As such, they feature a blend of polyester and natural bamboo fibers in their lining, recycled plastic in their laces and the webbing, and 25% recycled rubber in the outsoles.

It may not be a shoe that can be disposed of in a compost pile quite yet, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction for footwear that’s durable as well as sustainable.

Sources 1, 2, 3

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The idea of dragging the kids around a supermarket normally fills most parents with dread and fear. And those who don’t have children are all too aware of the struggles parents seem to face come the weekly shop, which is probably why they choose to remain sans sproglings.

Enter emerging Korean designer Jaebeom Jeong, creator of the new ‘Cartrider’ – half bicycle, half shopping trolley. It allows children – and the young at heart – to pedal around and collect their groceries making a somewhat hair wrenching ordeal much more bearable… and fun.

Although, in the wrong hands – of say a menacing minx of a seven-year-old with a penchant for Monster Trucks – it could all go very wrong. Guess we’ll be nothing but entertained.

Source: Design Boom

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Set in lush green farmland is a cluster of buildings resembling alien spacecraft landing stations. Otherwise known as tulou, these earthen buildings are actually communal living spaces in southern China. Built mostly between the 12th and 20th centuries, tulou are thought to be early precursors to modern-day high-rise apartment blocks, up to five stories high and having enough rooms to house up to 80 families, or 800 people.

Image via wikimedia commons

Built with locally sourced materials and placed within the landscape to ensure that forests and farmland remain intact, tulou are amazing examples of sustainable design. The use of a variety of materials, including cut granite, walls of fired brick, or composites of earth, sand, and lime known as sanhetu, resulted in buildings that are naturally warm in the winter and cool in the summer, windproof and earthquake resistant.

Image via wikimedia commons

Inside the impenetrable outer layer, family clans occupying a tulou enjoy their own private, comfortable living quarters. All rooms are the same size and made of the same materials and everyone shares common spaces and resources. The open courtyard at the centre is used for all manner of community activity, including ancestral worship, festivals, meetings, weddings and funerals. And there’s no room for selfishness because all families share water-wells, bathrooms, washrooms and weaponry, as well as the surrounding farmland and fruit trees.

But tulou aren’t just remarkable for their size and facilities, with outer walls up to six feet thick, tulou are immune to gunfire and arrows making them one of the safest communal housing units on the planet. They were effective against defense during the 12th to 19th centuries when armed bandits roamed the countryside and no doubt would still manage to keep wily villains at bay today.

Image via Jerome Melan

UNESCO describes these buildings as:

“exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization, and, in terms of their harmonious relationship with their environment, an outstanding example of human settlement.”

More than 20,000 of these structures can be found in the Fujian province of China, the oldest of which was constructed over 1,200 years ago, and are now designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

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Anyone who has ever ridden in an auto-rickshaw in India will know the experience, though exciting, can lead to a few extra grey hairs, or a handful in some cases, either due to the adrenalin rush of being cut up by vehicles with little regard for lanes, or the stress of breathing in clouds of exhaust fumes. And if you opted for the traditional cycle rickshaw, no doubt the guilts soon set in at the thought of the person pulling the thing busting a gut for you. If these scenes sound familiar you’ll be happy to know it’s soon set to change.

Image: pangalactic garbleblaster

Enter the solar-powered rickshaw. Dubbed the Soleckshaw, the new-age solar-electric vehicle was recently wheeled into the limelight in Delhi. The dual-powered cycle is operated both by a solar-charged battery and by pedal power. The result is a significant ease on the strain of the poor man normally chugging away at the wheel.

Four Soleckshaws will ply routes near to their solar battery re-charge stations – leaving a carbon tyreprint of zero – with more advanced versions to be launched ready for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the city.

The New Soleckshaw

Cleantech

Despite a top speed of 15kph, the Soleckshaw was almost pipped to the post in its zero-emission urban transport heat by the sleek-looking SolarCab, word of which emerged earlier this year. Developed in London, where it’s due to be launched in 2009, this style-conscious rickshaw’s rooftop solar panels will generate 80% of its total power, with the rest provided by pedal-power.

Solarcab

Blogpocket

Cool points aside, though, people- and eco-friendly modes of transport like these will potentially have greater impact in India. There, cities suffer from higher levels of air pollution, caused largely by vehicle emissions, while using rickshaws is less a novel idea than an ever-present reality – not least for their pullers sweating under the sun.

Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Green is the new black as today’s handbag lovers become more eco-friendly. The luxury labels of Louis Vuitton and Prada will always have a special place in our hearts, but more modern style icons are ditching these designers for more environmentally-friendly accessories.

We’ve all heard of recycling paper, plastic, and glass, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. These days handbag designers are turning some unlikely trash into head-turning accessories you’ll treasure. Woven candy wrapper purses started the trend, but now you’ll find bags made from rice sacks, license plates, juice boxes, soft drink pull tabs, and so much more! These clever purses keep the clutter out of landfill and make a real conversation starter.

Rebagz Reuses Rubbish for Purses

Half the Sky Designs have turned the heads of some of Hollywood’s greenest stars including Gwen Stefani, Angelina Jolie, and Heidi Klum with their Rebagz accessories range. As the name suggests, these innovative handbags are made from all recycled goods including rice sacks and juice boxes.

Neide Ambrosio Makes Beautiful Bags from Pop Tops and Zippers

Neide Ambrosio is one of my favorite eco-friendly fashion designers. This Brazilian handbag goddess creates beautiful purses with soda pop tops, zipper pulls, and other items we’d usually throw away.

Nahui Ollin Uses Ancient Skills to Make Modern Handbags

Another South American accessory house leading the way is Nahui Ollin. The company’s chief designer Olga Abadi learned the ancient Mayan skill of binding candy wrappers and old magazines from cultural festivals near her home. Today she’s taking the technique to the world!

GG2G Makes Fashion Eco-Friendly

GG2G stands for Green Goods 2 Give & Get, an innovative accessories company which takes their environmentally-friendly stance seriously. Founders Alison Grieveson and Dayan Moore use old vinyl billboards, bicycle tires, and vintage fabrics to create their vibrant purses.

Littlearth Creates Colorful License Plate Purses

License plates are given a new lease on life thanks to Littlearth handbags. This clever company creates adorable purses by wrapping used license plates around hubcaps. But the recycling doesn’t stop there. The handles are made from durable recycled rubber, and the clasps are old bottle tops! The cute purses are decorated with lively designs so they look a world away from the junk they were made from!

10 Green Bags We Love

• Rebagz rice sack messenger bags
• Rebagz juice box clutch and cosmetics purses
• Neide Ambrosio Bossa Nova shoulder bag
• Neide Ambrosio zipper pull evening bag
• Nahui Ollin New Overturned tote bag
• Nahui Ollin Cutie Pie handbag
• G2GG Revinylized Natalie wristlet
• GG2G Fluxure Opal purse
• GG2G Chicnik Evangeline bag
• Littlearth Cyclone Sweet Martini handbag

With so many fun environmentally-friendly accessories on the market, it’s easy for even the most fashion conscious folks to go green!

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Written by Chris Brewster

With the recent spate of natural disasters, it’s no wonder that canny designers have created homes able to withstand the elements. Earthquake-proof, hurricane-resistant, thermal efficiencies and solar power are just some of the selling points touted by Solalaya, the US distributor of Domespace Homes. Resembling something from outer space, the design and concept are unique.

Imagine if you will, a saucer-shaped domicile, replete with environmentally-friendly materials and technologies designed to inspire new heights in eco-consciousness, as well as invigorate the soul. Open spaces abound in the overall design. The warm and welcoming atmosphere incorporates a remote control rotating core allowing the house to always face the sun – nice on those cold winter nights.

Other design characteristics include: a central pillar and arches offering stability during a magnitude 8 earthquake, a dome shape to withstand winds up to 175 mph (Cat 5 hurricane) and a metal-free shell to reduce the Faraday Cage Effect.

One of these nifty dome homes could be yours for $200K to $850K, which is not bad considering the average cost of a house in the current financial climate. Two designs are offered – a rotating ‘Harmonique’ model, and a static ‘Eclosion’ model. If you’re not sure which one to go for, check out the Solalaya website.

Thanks to Domespace for images.

Sources: 1, 2

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