eco-chic design

multi-functional bottle bags

What I love about these reusable bottle bags designed by the German company Reisenthel is that you can use them in many different ways. Not only are they an innovative solution for buying wine or soda bottles but they are also great for storing them at modern eco-homes. And best of all they are a practical yet chic solution for your glass recycling.

Each Reisenthel reusable bottle bag is made out of tough, tear-proof polyester and holds 9 bottles. They come in several different designs ranging from solid colors like kiwi green to floral patterns and look equally as great at the park or at home. Plus your bottles won’t tip over during any type of transport. All Reisenthel products are designed in Germany and responsibly made in China with fair wages and fair labor. What make these fun and modern looking bottle bags sustainable? Simple think about all the plastic bags and cardboard wine boxes you’ll be keeping out of landfills.

a modern take on sustainable Italian cuisine

Instead of just recycling kitchen waste you can now even recycle your kitchen design thanks to the new base unit system INVITRUM by Valcucine. Its structure is made of drawn, recycled aluminium that requires only 5% of the energy needed to obtain primary aluminium. You can recycle 100% of the unit through the exclusive use of glass. It’s easy to assemble and disassemble while eliminating glue and formaldehyde emissions. Valcucine’s philosophy of dematerialization takes shape in the replacement of traditional double side panels with single 10mm glass panels. And yes, the design is as gorgeous and sleek as you would expect it from the Italian kitchen maker.

I’ve always loved Valcucine’s stylish designs ranging from their Free Play kitchen that can double as a workspace to the Hability kitchen that’s wheelchair-accessible. Valcucine supports Bioforest, an organization that’s committed to environmental preservation.

saves space and the planet

A few weeks ago I had to visualize a future commute as sustainable as possible without petroleum or other fossil fuels being burned in my class for sustainable design at MCAD. The exercise was quite simple because 82% of Manhattanites like myself go to work by public transportation, by bike, or on foot as per “The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook”. Since I love great modern eco-design I chose to commute on the very cool Strida 5.0 folding bike.

What I love about the Strida 5.0 as a space deprived New Yorker is that it’s perfect to be stored in small apartments. Its triangular frame of lightweight, rustproof aluminum lets you fold it in 5 seconds. You can’t beat that. If you go to Strida’s homepage there’s a cute little animation that quickly shows you how it works. The Strida 5.0 weighs only 22 pounds and can be rolled once folded. You can easily carry it inside an office or take it on a train since it’s about the size of a stroller. I really love the idea that I could take it anywhere, since I had my bike stolen once before here in the city. And best of all it would help me stay in shape with green style.

sporty green bottle design

This weekend I rediscovered my CamelBak Better Bottle that I had received as a promotional gift from google last year. Being a devoted Sigg fan I haven’t used it since, but I decided to give it a try at the gym and really liked it.

The CamelBak Better Bottle is spill-proof thanks to its innovative “flip, bite-N-sip” design. It’s made out of Eastman Tritan copolyester and completely BPA-free. In case you’re a creature of habit and can’t let go of lifting and tipping the bottle, simply remove the straw on the inside. Or get the Better Bottle with a classic cap. The opening is big enough for ice cubes during the summer. My CamelBak Better Bottle is a gorgeous blue, but they come in many vibrant colors. If you’re looking for attitude check out the stylish designs ranging from graffiti to houndstooth. Either way I love that you can see what’s on the inside. You won’t have any excuse anymore to not hydrate at the gym or hikes since it comes with a loop that easily clips to a backpack with a carabiner. And think about all the disposable water bottles that you’ll keep out of landfills while exercising. I can finally say: thank you google.

green skincare from Greece

Every March I dread daylight saving time since I really miss the extra hour in the morning. Coincidentially I had bought the evening primrose eye cream from Korres last week. It comes really handy these days since it brightens up the eye area and is based on natural ingredients. I’ve always been curious about Korres since I absolutely love the packaging designed by K2 design in Athens.

Korres started out in the oldest homeopathic pharmacy in Athens, Greece, in 1989. Since then it developed natural skin, hair, and personal care products using essential oils, high quality herbs, and plant extracts. What you won’t find are mineral oil and its derivatives, propylene glycol or silicones that are synthetic. Instead they are replaced with naturally derived ingredients such as vegetable oils. In fact most of their packaging has a “Yes” and “No” ingredients list that states exactly what’s in the Korres products. I love the transparency and I hope more manufacturers will follow. All packaging components are recyclable. To me this is a Greek myth come true in the shape of a green skincare line.

recycled plastic with a close shave

What if the yogurt cups that you consume would actually help you shave in the morning? And what if disposable razors would come in sexy yet unisex colors? Well, the Preserve Triple Razor does just that. I’ve written about Preserve's success of combining modern design and eco-friendliness for everyday objects before. All their products are from 100% recycled materials and produced in the USA to save energy and natural resources.

The Preserve Triple Razor is made from 100% recycled plastic including Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups and is fully recyclable. Each Triple Razor package comes with two of Preserve's titanium-coated blades that are easy to replace. The ergonomic design of the handle with contours and gripping regions enhances performance and control. I love that the packaging doubles as a reusable travel case that’s recyclable which makes it perfect to be carried around in my gym or travel bag. And now I’ve a little confession to make. In my ongoing effort to green my life I enrolled in a online certificate for sustainable design at MCAD earlier this year. This week is all about analyzing my plastic consumption. I can’t believe I didn’t replace my disposable razors earlier and I deeply apologize to you and the planet.

a recycling bin that’s actually recycled

Currently I’m researching recycling bins with three compartments made of eco-friendly materials for my own kitchenette. To my big surprise there are many great, modern designs out there but most are made out of plastic. How come trash bins that are designed to sort your recyclables are not recyclable themselves? That doesn’t make any sense. 

Hence I was really glad to discover the Ovetto Recycling Bin designed by Italian architect, designer and art director Gianluca Soldi. The look is very organic yet futuristic with its egg-shaped design. Best of all it’s made from recycled polypropylene. The recycling bin has three compartments and a central bottle and can crusher to compress the waste. It’s also great for small spaces or even corners since the design rotates around its central axis. It comes in white (made from 40% – 70% recycled plastic), black (made from 100% recycled plastic) and color. It’s perfect for modern homes or offices that want to make a future forward statement about their green commitment. Unfortunately the Ovetto is a bit too modern for my current home even that I love the design. Please let me know if you know of other modern eco-designs for recycling bins preferably for small spaces.

eco-friendly hangers for toddlers

I’ve declared my love for monkeys once before, so that I was super excited to see these Apehangers by Our Children’s Gorilla for modern eco-toddlers. They are fun to look at and teach your kids to hang up their clothes in an entertaining way while respecting the environment.

Our Children’s Gorilla was founded in 2002 in Sweden with the goal to produce timeless classics with a good sense of humor for home accessories, children’s deco and toys. It would say mission accomplished, since the Apehangers made me instantly smile. These cute Apehangers are functional yet decorative and come in red, black, brown and yellow. They are made of the wood fiber board Valchromat that is made of waste from other manufacturers and thin, otherwise useless, pine branches. Valchromat is environmentally friendly, with no water waste or dangerous fumes. It is dyed with eco-friendly organic dyes and fully recyclable. All products by Our Children’s Gorilla are produced locally, preferably by businesses with green ethics close to Stockholm. The packaging facility works with people in rehabilitation programs on their way back into employment.

lights up modern eco-homes

At NYIGF this year I felt instantly attracted (or forgive me if say electrified) by these gorgeous Electric Firefly lightshades introduced by Design Abroad. Australian based Simon Goldstein is the brainchild behind Electric Firefly Design & Creation. His geometric designs are in its 3rd year. Now he teamed up with Melbourne-based Friendly Savage for his first edition using recycled materials.

The Electric Firefly series consists of the Nimbus, the Orbital, the Sol and the Daisy lightshade. All lampshades use Australian made heat-consistent polymer plastic that is 30-50% recycled. It’s biologically inert (non-reactive) and non-toxic. No plasticisers, chlorine, leachable components or heavy metals are used. The factories that produce the Electric Firefly lightshades recycle their own waste and that of their costumers. The lightshades arrive flat-packed in recycled packaging and are easy to assemble. You can use them as pendants, table lamps or put them on a floor or shelf. They are great for any home or office with their nature inspired designs. The standard color is white, but other color options are available. Please don’t forget to buy matching energy saving CFLs.

more than a green gadget

Expecting to see the latest eco-friendly gadgets at the Greener Gadgets conference in New York last Friday I was pleasantly surprised to leave with a wealth of information about personal energy consumption instead. Dr. Saul Griffith gave a brilliant speech about his own energy consumption that you can view in more detail at inhabitat’s coverage. As a designer I loved when he mentioned, that “climate change is an aesthetic change.” Voltaic’s solar bags are one way to reduce energy consumption, which were given away during speeches. You can walk around in style while promoting clean energy. They come as backpacks or laptop bags and function as solar chargers for all handheld electronics.

The most powerful design is the Voltaic Generator. It looks like a laptop bag and is powerful enough to charge a laptop. In fact the solar panel generates up to 15 watts using 20% efficient cells, which is enough to charge the Voltaic battery in about 5 hours. I still love the simple Voltaic Converter that looks like a backpack. It only generates 4 watts of solar power, which is plenty for cell phones or i-pods. All bags use fabrics made from recycled PET. Inspired to take more responsibility for my energy consumption I added a few eco-chic tools to my sidebar that will allow you find out about yours.