Mountain Dew + Burton = The Greenest Collabo, Green Mountain Project (video)

This is a cool and unexpected collaboration between a soft drink company and a performance gear brand to create a more sustainable environment and collection of apparel. I especially like how they turn plastic bottles in to awesome Burton jackets...very Willy Wonka! 

This is a great way to bring attention to millennials who care about sustainability in a fun way with brands they are familiar with and rank high on the "coolness" level. Knowing this, I am more likely to buy these brands when given a choice. What about you? 

Method: Bottles Made From Ocean Plastic (video)

Nothing bothers me more than seeing plastic bottles flaoting in the ocean and end up on the beach. So, naturally, I am so happy to see that Method is doing something with the garbage! 

The Method two-in-one hand and dish soap comes in a bottle made from ocean plastic and post-consumer recycled plastic. The new hand and dish soap in the ocean plastic bottle is available exclusively at Whole Foods.

“Our goal with ocean plastic packaging is to show that the most viable solution to our plastic pollution problem is using the plastic that’s already on the planet. Method’s ocean plastic bottle demonstrates in the extreme that recycling is possible,” said Adam Lowry, co-founder and chief greenskeeper of Method. By recycling and reusing plastic to make our bottles, we turn off the tap of plastic flowing into our oceans and take the first, most important step toward solving the ocean plastic problem.” Source: Method

Method employees hand-collected several tons of plastic from the beaches of Hawaii and this plastic was then used to create the new bottle. Method is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the two-in-one hand and dish soap to Sustainable Coastlines Hawai’i and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, two organizations that worked alongside Method employees to collect the plastic waste. source: MNN

Metro Deck...Brilliant Reuse of Discarded NYC Metrocards

Ever wonder what happens to all those discarded Metrocards you see laying around the subway and even on the streets? Well, most likely, NY artist Norman Ibarra has been picking them up and collecting them to create Metro Deck. He collects discarded Metrocards and prints 5 borough inspired images to produce an entire deck of playing cards. 

"Metro Deck attempts to visually capture the common thread between commuters, public transportation, and chance...Appropriating the language of playing cards, the work asks us to consider our intimate connection with the subway and the city. The face cards are inspired by landmarks across the five Boroughs, referencing the tremendous reach of the subway system."

Each card is screen printed and the ink has to be custom mixed for perfect printing on these slick cards. The designs are unique and each card holds within it a story that may never be known of a person from NY or visiting NY and took the subway.

"The cards were inspired by landmarks across New York City, including Grand Central Terminal, the Staten Island Ferry, Coney Island and Times Square." For example, the Ace is inspired my city man-hole covers.  

You can get your hands on Metro Deck through Etsy. Prices range from $150 to $750 depending on the set. 

Carlsberg - Pop Open Your Beer With Their New Print Ad (video)

Brilliant ad! Not just because it's a cool concept, but I love the idea of use, reuse, upcycle. Like most of my magazines, I tear out what I want to keep and archive and the rest ends up in the dump pile. This however, is clever and I have to admit, I would definitely pull it out and use it. Just in time for summer at the beach when you bring the mag yet forget the bottle opener! Now I just have to find what magazines this is in...

Swap-O-Matic

The US makes up only six per cent of the world’s population but consumes 30 per cent of its resources! (according to Swap-o-matic) Currently this genius idea in vending, bartering and donating is only in NY. I hope  Swap-o-matics will be everywhere around the world soon! I can fill several of these machines myself! It's time to reuse, recycle, and rethink how much waste we create and pay it forward! 

Swap-o-matic - Promotional Video #1 from Lina Fenequito on Vimeo.

TIDE: Write, Reuse, Recycle = Brilliant!

 It would be amazing to roll this out here in the US too! I'd love to use one! 

MetroChange: Metro Card Donations

Why didn't the city or DOT think of this? Because it takes a few brilliant NYU students that actually take the subway each and every day to realize the simple waste of those pesky unuseable fares left behind on metrocards that eventually get thrown away or expire. Check out this genius idea that I hope comes to fruition very soon at every subway station and bus stop. 

MetroChange from Genevieve Hoffman on Vimeo.

It is easy being Green!

Recently at Tokyo Design Week, there was a garbage disposable system designed by Ken Kwok and Catherine Mui that is suppose to make it really easy to decipher what to throw where in the world of "sort this and throw this here and that goes there" recycling. They use very minimal and simple visual cues to clue you in on how to sort and recycle for the good of the Earth. 

This got me thinking. Recently, I have randomly taken snapshots of recycling bins and trucks that are going green. I'm not sure why, but I just kind of feel compelled to document how people, businesses and in general where the design of recycling and "going green" initiatives are headed. Here's a couple of my own pics. 

I have to say this is pretty stylish for Madison, Wi (Concourse Hotel). but what's the middle slot for?

Tabacon Grand in Costa Rica. Waste Not Basket. Well thought out but not really easy to use. It got a little messy and all twisted and mixed up after a few bottles, bags and paper trash went in. But love the idea that there are no plastic bin liners! That's really sorting it out green!

NYC, Frito Lay 100% electric delivery truck! 

NYC, This was conveniently parked in front of the Frito Lay truck. Fed Ex EarthSmart - low emission hybrid electric. Love seeing big companies make the move to go green! 

It is easy being green! As long as we all do our part! 

(hopefully I'll post more pictures and follow this as we move into more green initiatives!)