SIM Publishes 2011 Winners of its Annual Contest in Green Building-

Sustainable Industries Magazine recently introduced its winners of the sixth annual Top 10 Green Building Products award. The winners were chosen by an expert panel of judges from more than 100 entries based upon design aesthetic, environmental performance, innovativeness, scalability/market impact, as well as value and compatibility using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system. “The green building industry has seen unprecedented growth and change in the six years that Sustainable Industries has produced the Top 10 Green Building Products awards. This year’s winners reflect the diversity of exciting opportunities in the green building space,” says Brian Back, Founding Editor & Publisher of Sustainable Industries. Selected winners are as follows:

1. Adura Wireless Lighting Controls, made by Adura Technologies, slashes lighting-related energy costs by up to 70 percent using a system of sensors and controllers that creates a network to turn off unneeded lights while offering consumers complete control over their electricity through a unique web interface.

2. Breathe Living Wall, made by DIRTT Environmental Solutions, improves air quality and conserves energy by relieving the load of ventilation systems. The system fits any flat wall or vertical building surface. Plants are watered at one point at the top of the wall, and as the water moves through the trough system, wicks from other pots bring water up to the plants.

3. Greensulate, made by Ecovative Design, uses mushroom roots to make its innovative insulation and packaging material. The company doesn’t need any light to grow their fungi and only uses heat during the final drying process – making this product almost entirely sustainable.

4. HydroRight Dual Flush Converter, made by MJSI Inc., created a “drop-in” service for already existing toilets which offers water conservation up to thirty percent. To boot, it only takes about 7 minutes to install.

5. Indow Windows, made by – you guessed it! – Indow Windows, uses thermal inserts that can achieve 94 percent of the energy savings of double-pane replacements at a fraction of the cost. The inserts plus installation run about $13 per square foot, so refitting a house with 14 average-sized windows costs about $2,400.

6. Juice Bar, made by Green Garage Associates, (although not exactly a green building product) is an electric vehicle charging station that can either be bought or rented by property owners. The product is considered sustainable by the judges in that it will encourage more widespread purchases of EVs.

7. Mobile Solar Power System, made by Pure Power Distribution, designed its Mobile Solar Power System to replace dirty, noisy diesel generators, which create air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide, particulate matter and carcinogenic compounds. The company also makes a hybrid system that combines solar power with a biodiesel generator that kicks in when needed.

8. Modlet, made by ThinkEco, aims to cut power wasted by plug-in appliances when they’re not in use. For an office or building that plugs in modlets throughout its facility, that could mean a reduction in overall energy costs of about 10 percent – or a cut of up to 80 percent in the amount of power used by each plugged-in device, according to the company.

9. SageGlass, made by SAGE Electrochromics, offers a unique product using electrochromic glass that can change from clear to darkly tinted using a simple light switch. The good news? It offers a significant reduction in energy savings, lowering peak demand by as much as 24 percent.

10. SmartSlope Living Retaining Wall, made by the Furbish Company, took its inspiration from the tightly-populated central European landscape where buildings are designed vertically rather than horizontally due to the lack of space. Using concrete blocks with a cavity for plant roots, the hollow centers offer space for various plants to take root and, apparently within months, covers up the wall with natural growth. It can be built in open spaces near buildings, highways and other not-so-aesthetically-appealing areas while encouraging the growth of carbon-eating plants. And while concrete isn’t exactly environmentally-friendly, it does offer a structural soundness that other building materials don’t. Longevity is definitely sustainable.

New Initiative Will Save Roughly 20,000 Trees in One Year-

-

Office Depot now offers its delivery customers the choice between paper bags or cardboard boxes when shipping their orders – a move that the company hopes will prevent millions of pounds of paper waste. Its GreenerOffice Delivery Service program was a huge hit – with 90 percent of eligible customers voluntarily opting in. The company says it will be able to replace around 4.5 million pounds of cardboard boxes with approximately 0.9 million pounds of paper in the first 12 months of the program based on the test rates – saving roughly 20,000 trees! The switch from boxes to bags will also reduce the company’s use of plastic air pillows, a petroleum intensive and hard-to-recycle filler. To boot, the bags used will contain 40 percent post consumer recycled materials. “Office Depot’s material footprint from cardboard use is significant,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, director of environmental strategy for Office Depot. “This program, championed very effectively by our Supply Chain team, delivers a triple win: our customers win because the paper bags are more convenient to open and recycle; Office Depot wins because we continue to enhance our environmental leadership; and the ecosystem benefits because fewer materials are needed, and less waste ends up in our landfills.”

Despite Claims, Bioresin-Based Packaging Does Not Degrade Over Time-

With all the deceptive marketing schemes out there today, we really should be wary and do our research before accepting the claims businesses make about their products. Hearing that companies like PepsiCo and Coca Cola have begun using biodegradable plant materials in their bottles has really given them a boost in consumer confidence, but the problem is that these companies are, in reality, selling a false sense of security. According to an article by Slate Magazine, these bottles are not biodegradable at all, but instead continue to “pollute the world’s oceans and soils, and still leach potentially harmful chemicals into our food.” Marcus Eriksen, founder of the 5 Gyres project that monitors plastic pollution in oceans, says that plants are being used alright, but companies using these materials in their bottles are making polymers identical to that found in conventional plastic bottles. So while bioresins do use much less energy to produce, the end result still causes pollution and maybe moreso since its marketed as biodegradable. “As a recycler, I’m much happier with the bioresins that we’re able to recycle, but I don’t want it to turn into something where people think because they’re buying a plant bottle, they can be wasteful,” says Gerry Fishbeck, vice president of the United Resource Recovery Corp., a large recycling company that has a partnership with Coca-Cola. To its credit, Coca Cola started using 10 percent recycled plastic in its PET bottles back in 2005. But with its new plant based bottle, it seems that the company has taken a few steps back rather than moving forward in its environmental conservation efforts. It may be more costly to use 100 percent recycled materials in plastic-based products, but large companies like Naya Water, Naked Juice and Eldorado Water have all managed to achieve that standard with much success.

Creative and Cheap Easter Craft Ideas to Bring Your Family Together and Encourage Sustainable Living-

Holidays like Easter and Christmas can often be a time of rejuvenation in the normally busy lives of American families, promoting togetherness and creating memories that will remain for a lifetime. Yet another, not so positive aspect, of the holiday season that is usually overlooked is the waste involved. Wrapping paper from loads of Christmas presents, old Easter baskets (along with the paper trim and frills) that get tossed away into landfills are detrimental to a healthy planet. The good news, though, is that little changes — like simply making your own Easter basket, or using old newspaper to wrap presents — can make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. Here are a few of our “green” Easter crafts that we hope you will enjoy doing with your family and friends.

1. Take a page out of the White House sustainability book. The White House recently announced that their annual Egg Roll celebration will use eggs made entirely of certified sustainable wood. So not only is the wood derived from eco-friendly sources, but the eggs can also be reused year after year by simply painting them a solid base color and re-decorating them. Be sure to find non-toxic paints — and if you cannot find it in your local craft shops, you still have some time to order over the web. In choosing to purchase sustainable products over the standard, you will help promote a healthy environment and, hopefully, encourage more companies to sell those products as well.

2. Make your own egg dyes using God-given resources. Arguably, the best foods, drinks and even dyes come straight from our own backyard. For instance, to create pink and red colored eggs, all you need is a bit of juice from cranberries, beets, raspberries or strawberries. For yellow eggs, use some tumeric or orange peels. For purple, use some red wine. For blue eggs, use red cabbage or canned blueberries. For brown eggs, use coffee grounds. For orange coloring, use the skins of a yellow onion. What you will want to do first is boil the desired amount of eggs, and once they are cooled, wipe them clean so that they will take the color better. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar to boiling water, which will further improve uptake of the color. Boil eggs for fifteen minutes longer, or up to an hour depending on desired color, with any of the foods listed above (Note- if you are going to be working with sustainably harvested wooden eggs, these dyes will probably not cut it for the job, so the best bet is to purchase non-toxic paint). Why make the effort when you can just go buy some bottled dyes or paints at the market? Well, to start, synthetic paints and dyes use toxic chemicals that are not good for environment, and definitely not safe to be handled by children…. despite what the EPA may say. To boot, its just a waste of plastic — another man-made product that is continuing to flood our landfills, which will eventually melt and pollute the air we breathe. If we want to stay healthy, we must to learn to make better, more educated choices ourselves — not just listen to what our government (or anyone else for that matter) tells us. A more in-depth guide on making your own Easter egg dyes can be found at WhatsCookingAmerica.net.

3. Make your own Easter basket. Who says you have to buy a shoddy basket for 5 bucks from China when making your own is easy and fun?! Simply use an old milk jug (gallon sized, or half gallon will work too) and cut it in half. Not only will you be recycling, but its a really fun craft to do with your kids. You can get as creative with this one as you’d like. Use some cardboard from old appliance boxes and glue on white fabric or cotton balls to make the bunny ears. For the tail, you can use old cotton balls as well, or some fabric, whichever you prefer. Next, cut some pieces of fabric from old clothes to make the eyes, nose and mouth and glue em on. Finally, add some cut up newspaper or green construction paper (if you already have it) for the stuffing, and throw in some organic candies with home made basket “stuffers” and voila!… you have yourself an entirely sustainable Easter basket.

4. Make your own play-dough. This one will be a hit with the younger ones. It’s good to teach the kids about creating their own masterpiece. It will help them learn to work hard to get what they want and, more importantly, it will boost their confidence in seeing that they’ve made something from scratch. All you’ll need here is 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup salt, 2 tsp. cream of tartar, and some natural food coloring of their choice (Note- Items like flour, tartar and veggie oil should be organic so that this craft can be 100 percent sustainable). Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms. Knead until smooth. Home made play dough recipes and more can be found at NatureMoms.com.

5. Get crafty with some DIY Easter basket fillers. Another great, homemade eco-friendly craft is to sew your own stuffed rabbits or baby chicks. Your little ones can keep them for generations to come, and the best part is that it isn’t too expensive. All you need is some old fabric for the outer shell and stuffing — but if you don’t have too much of it, go out and purchase some organic cotton balls to use for the filling. The video below will show you how to make these cute “basket stuffers” in just a few easy steps.

Most of all, remember to savor each moment… life is but a breath and we must take in ALL the air we can for we do not know what tomorrow brings. Enjoy your holiday!

Celebs Lend their Voices & Urge Consumers to Refuse Disposable Plastics-

Benicio del Toro, Jack Johnson, Ed Begley Jr. and many other celebrities are speaking out against disposable plastics and the waste they cause around the planet. Each actor has created a unique viral video to encourage people around the world to drop the plastic habit and pick up reusable items such as reusable bags and canteens. This problem will continue to plague our generation and others to come if we do not reach a consensus to refuse plastic bottles that contribute to waste and senseless animal deaths throughout the world.

You can be part of this campaign by turning down disposable plastic items as much as possible, raising awareness for this vital issue, and by signing this important pledge petition to “Rise Above Plastics“. Please urge others to do the same! Videos below are courtesy of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, with more celebrity spots on their website and YouTube channel.

Germany-Based Company Creates Waterless Bath & Beauty Products-

Let’s face it: water has become a precious commodity. Humans need it to survive, and is gradually being depleted by the minute. Not to mention, out of the 75 percent of available water we do have on this planet, only 1 percent is safe for human consumption. Even that 1 percent is consumed via agriculture, dishwashing, showers, and other activities. To help prevent senseless water waste, Germany-based Stop the Water While Using Me! has created toothpaste, shampoo and shower gel products which require absolutely no water to use, and are just as effective as the standard. To boot, their products are created with environmentally-responsible manufacturing processes and use 100 percent biodegradable packaging. Visit Stop-the-Water-While-Using-Me.com for more information and to purchase these innovative water-conserving products.

Electronics Company Implements Comprehensive Sustainability Policies-

Last week, Panasonic unveiled its “Green Plan 2018”, which promises to boost sustainable business efforts through a comprehensive strategy geared toward environmental conservation. The strategy is inspired by the 100th anniversary of Panasonic’s founding, which the company will use as a target date to implement green practices spanning throughout each aspect of its business operations. While reducing carbon emissions and water consumption, Panasonic also plans on increasing the use of recycled materials to at least 16 percent, doubling the sales of earth friendly products, enhancing environmental contributions, better identifying impact on biodiversity, and minimizing hazardous chemical substances in products. “We are trying to offer a whole solution,” Fumio Ohtsubo, Panasonic’s president, told reporters at the Panasonic Center in Tokyo last week, according to Green Tech Media.”We needed to produce a new line of business,” he said, adding that energy provides “a lower risk of commoditization.” To boot, the company intends on entirely offsetting waste produced by all Panasonic manufacturing facilities.

Green Business Conference Provided Networking Opportunities for Entrepreneurs-


The 4th Annual Opportunity Green Business Conference was this year’s top green social networking event, linking Fortune 500 companies, exhibitors and entrepreneurs to green industry professionals with the goal of cultivating better, more sustainable business practices. The conference took place September 22nd-24th at Los Angeles Center Studios, and featured keynote lectures, innovative exhibitions, as well as competitions to award the most innovative green products and startup businesses. “Opportunity Green has become a trusted launch pad for new ‘green’ companies and programs. We’re seeing hundreds of companies entering the market, and many come to us to present themselves and their innovative solutions to the wider business community,” said Karen Solomon, Co-Founder and CEO of Opportunity Green. “It’s awe inspiring to see first hand, the innovative new ideas, models and product solutions that are at the forefront, and could potentially be the next big thing.” Selected by attendees via text and twitter votes, Life Box – a company focused on seeded and biodegradable packaging materials – was the OG25 Innovative Product Design award winner. Zimride, a sustainable rideshare service, won the Innovative Eco Startup Award, receiving more than $26,000 in marketing and business services from BBMG and Office Depot. Lisa Galido, Account Executive at Zimride, explained, “We came to Opportunity Green to collaborate with other credible companies who are focused on sustainable business and solutions and we’re honored to receive this award to further our goal in informing the market that we have this great and impactful social network platform which large corporations and universities can use to really make a difference.”

Other event highlights included:

➢ Gensler Architects’ design experience featuring iOS Lighting, Kimball Office presenting Interstuhl, Knoll, Coalesse and Room & Board’s networking lounges that resemble Hollywood film Sets

➢ Art Center School of Design Sustainability Sustainable product exhibit featured in a central Geodesic dome

➢ LACCD’s NEXTREND Transportation Pavilion with prototypes from the X-Prize winners and other leading transportation and mobility exhibits

➢ The three automotive X-Prize winners presented how it is possible for cars to get 100 MPG/MPG-equivalent

➢ Real time crowd sourcing and feedback for 7th Generations scalability dilemma regarding distributing with large scale retailers

Nominations for the Eco Startup Award were determined through Opportunity Green’s staff and expert consultants, with focus in water conservation, waste management, product design, transportation and mobility, food systems, social innovation, and resources conservation. Most companies nominated have been in business less than five years, have fewer than 50 employees and earn less than $5 million in revenue. This year’s partners and sponsors included Gensler, BMW Group, OgilvyEarth, NBC-Universal/Green is Universal, The Coca-Cola Company, Los Angeles Community College District NexTrendinLA2010, Eastman, GfK, BBMG, Classic Party Green Zone, Fast Company, Newsweek and Dwell. For more information, please visit OpportunityGreen.com.

Ecological Footprint Quiz Will Estimate Total Environmental Impact-

Curious about the ecological “footprint” you’ll leave behind on this planet? Want to be more environmentally conscious? By answering a few simple questions, the handy Ecological Footprint Quiz will estimate the impact you will leave behind for later generations. Afterward, you can learn how to minimize your consumption by using more sustainable products, housing, foods, services, and transportation. To take the quiz, visit MyFootprint.Org and please share with your friends and family! Educate those around you, in your city and work environment, about the countless benefits of going green.

Eco-Friendly Polystyrene Alternative to Revolutionize Packaging Industry-

Ecovative Design, a NY-based company, has created a biodegradable alternative to conventional polystyrene (or Styrofoam) using agricultural by-products like seed husks and mushroom roots. Polystyrene is a weightless material with good insulation properties, and has a wide array of uses — from cups to packaging materials. The only drawback is that polystyrene is made with petroleum, a non-biodegradable and polluting substance. According to Ecovative Design’s website, their patented “EcoCradle” packaging “performs similarly to synthetic foams, but it takes far less energy to produce, is made of natural materials and is eco-friendly every step of the way.” The “EcoCradle” is produced without fossil fuels or light, requires little heat, is less expensive to produce than foam, and is hypoallergenic. The video below highlights the company’s goal to stop global warming by growing polystyrene with raw, renewable materials.