Making Car Parts More Sustainable with Innovative Fruit-Based Plastic-

Brazilian scientists have discovered a way to use fruit fibers in the production of plastics for car parts. The plastic is both lightweight and durable and nearly as strong as Kevlar, the synthetic fiber used in bulletproof vests. “The properties of these plastics are incredible,” the leader of the project, Alcides Leão of Sao Paulo State University, said in a press release. “They are light, but very strong — 30 per cent lighter and three to four times stronger. We believe that a lot of car parts, including dashboards, bumpers, side panels, will be made of nano-sized fruit fibers in the future. For one thing, they will help reduce the weight of cars and that will improve fuel economy.” Scientists say that fibers from plant materials like coconut shells, pineapple leaves and stems, bananas, agave, as well as cattails can all be used in the production of this “super” bioplastic. Yet another benefit to these plastics when compared to the traditional products is their high resistance to heat, water and spilled gasoline. According to Leão, their brainchild could be used in new vehicles within the next two years.

Lower Your Footprint & Pledge to Cut One Piece of Trash Each Day-

It is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used annually, which calculates to over one million consumed every minute. To make matters worse, one measly plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to break down. And whats more, only around 1 to 3 percent of these bags are even recycled. Enter One Small Step, an online retailer that offers eco-friendly food containers, wraps, bags, napkins — basically everything the average consumer would use in their daily brown bag lunch. This environmentally-conscious company has started the “Boycott the Baggie” campaign to show consumers that one small change can make a monumental impact. By pledging to eliminate one piece of trash every day, you will join thousands of others to support and make a change in this wasteful and largely inconsiderate world. One Small Step’s video below, entitled “Who Needs the Junk”, shows that the average child can generate up to 67 pounds of trash, from lunch waste alone! Visit BoyCottTheBaggie.com to sign up and learn how to reduce your consumption and promote a healthier planet for generations to come.

Environmentally-Friendly, Reusable Shopping Bags are Anything But Green-

Reusable shopping totes can be very affordable and make environmental sense, however a new report has revealed that the marketing behind this “green” alternative is extremely deceptive. Earlier this year, reusable bags sold at CVS pharmacies and Wegman’s grocery stores were found to contain alarming levels of lead, which can potentially leach into food products and endanger health. Not to mention, if the bags are tossed away into landfills or littered onto streets, they also run the risk of polluting local groundwater sources. Since the discovery, recalls have been made and an investigation is pending. While some shoppers have become more leery of using the bags because of health concerns, there are many who would rather run the risk to help save the environment from mounting plastic bag waste. New York Times writer Michael M. Grynbaum reports, “Many shoppers said they would continue relying on the bags until more information came out. The bags are usable for years, they said, and any long-term effects of lead may be offset by the environmental benefits gained by not using regular plastic bags.” It seems like almost everything is made in China these days, and the majority of these products are carelessly manufactured with dangerous elements like lead. This should be the final warning to all Americans that locally-made products are much more trustworthy than the alternative, and definitely worth spending the extra money on.

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.

Handcrafted Soaps with Seeded Paper is Sustainable & Affordable-

Bambu Earth offers earth friendly soap and beauty products made of 100 percent natural ingredients, with no artificial fragrances or harmful colorants. Each bar of soap is handmade with naturally-derived glycerine, as well as pure essential oils, and comes packaged with plantable paper that will grow either basil or wildflowers! To boot, all the labels used are printed on recycled cereal boxes. Soaps come in a variety of scents, from natural oatmeal cookie and berry cupcake, to almond milk and rosewood coconut. For more information and to order, visit BambuEarth.com.

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.

Ground-Breaking Invention May Replace Conventional Plastic-

Arboform, an innovative liquid wood material invented by a German scientist, may completely eliminate the need for energy-intensive plastic products in the future. The ground-breaking invention uses an otherwise useless element of actual wood, lignin, which is then combined with natural resins, flax and fibers. The end product can be infused into molds to form intricate, precision-shaped objects usually made with environmentally hazardous petroleum-based plastics. Arboform, just like wood, is completely biodegradable and will break down quickly into harmless by-products like water and carbon dioxide. Virtually anything produced with conventional wood or plastic can be made with Arboform, such as toys, electronics, cups, automotive parts, helmets, furniture, guns, even jewelry. This novel creation will not only make use of the often discarded element of wood in the papermaking process, but will also help to offset tons of carbon emissions if mass produced as a bio-plastic.

FTC Adds Restrictions to Improve Accountability over Green Certification Standards-

Informed consumers have begun to advance toward healthier, more conscious decisions concerning what products they use, wear, and eat. However, many people probably aren’t aware that there is little to no supervision over the integrity of these company labels. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began the original Guides for Use of Environmental Marketing Claims in the 90’s and, in light of these labeling issues, is presently revising the guide to put a halt on product marketing deception and create more stringent accountability.

According to the latest survey released by the Boston Consulting Group, around 17 percent of U.S. consumers are willing to pay top value for green products – a 10 percent rise since last fall. Several of these labels, however, are printed and endorsed by companies who are supplying extremely deceptive information. For example, textile manufacturers have been mislabeling rayon as bamboo, since a insubstantial quantity of bamboo was used in the creation process. The FTC states that “rayon is a man-made fiber created from the cellulose found in plants and trees and processed with harsh chemicals that release hazardous air pollution. Any plant or tree – including bamboo – could be used as the cellulose source, but the fiber that is created is rayon.” The FTC has already notified 78 various retailers, such as Macy’s, Amazon and Walmart, that they must retract their false labeling of “bamboo” in their products. The FTC guide restrictions will effect more than just companies that mislabel rayon, it could terminate roughly 300 environmental “seals of approval” now in use. With the new potential restrictions, companies who display seals of approval must provide in-depth information verifying such claims. Third party approvals must also support that the certifying party is independent from the advertiser and must possess expertise in the field of certification. These regulations will strengthen criterion for packaging claims such as “recyclable” and “biodegradable”, and will help to confront the problem of company “greenwashing”. The FTC plans to finish the adjustments by the end of summer 2010.