I don't know about you, but MY favorite childhood memories involve toys that were creative, used imagination, and allowed for multiple uses in a variety of ways.  Now you can combat the explosion of static, unimaginative plastic toys with sustainable cardboard kits that are easy to use, kid-friendly and eco-friendly!

CardboardDesign uses 100% recycled cardboard sourced in the USA that is much thicker than standard shipping boxes to make their fun play sets so they hold up to kid-play.  No glue, tape or other fasteners are used, only a tab and slot system that allows playsets to be reconfigured and reused again and again.  They are completely chemical-free as well.

    

Today is Blog Action Day 2009, and this year’s topic, selected by popular vote, is climate change. 

If you haven’t heard by now, there is a lot of scientific evidence that the earth’s atmosphere is changing due to man-made side effects of the consumption of fossil fuels.  Along with the atmospheric changes come weather and elemental changes such as melting glaciers and loss of habitat, rising oceans, droughts and loss of potable drinking water, tsunamis and hurricanes.  There is a tipping point, beyond which we cannot stop the mounting effects that will destroy much of the life on this planet.  It’s probably the single biggest challenge of our generation, and may be the defining act of humankind, how we respond to this self-created crisis.  So what can we, as designers, do to positively affect climate change?

Live, work and design sustainably.  Take a serious look at your workplace, your home, and your designs.  Do they incorporate sustainable principles?  Are you taking every possible measure to reduce your consumption, reuse what you have already and recycle anything else in a responsible manner?  Are you considering environmental and chemical factors when selecting products and finishes?  Do you provide a transparent service to your clients and educate them?  Are you educating yourself with the latest information on products, services and eco-design techniques?  (Furnicology.com can help you here!)

 

We all know the importance of recycling and also the use of salvage materials to reduce waste, save resources and prevent materials from going to landfills. The United States generates over 200 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) every year. According to data from the EPA, 28% of the MSW waste is recycled or composted, 15% burned at combustion facilities, and the remaining 57% disposed of in landfills.

We need to change these numbers to prevent material from going to landfills. There are over 5000 reuse groups in the world. You can find them at your area through your zip code in this great website that I came across. Start helping the environment by joining and making part of this great community.

http://green.yahoo.com/earth-day/find-a-group.html

Waste Management's ThinkGreen site, found at http://www.thinkgreen.com/, has a couple of interesting calculators that help you rethink waste.  

 One calculator asks you what you've recycled --> I put in the two cans, 1 glass bottle, 2 plastic bottles and a stack of paper and the calculator says I "saved 1.65 kw/hr or enough to watch 8 movies." 

Yes, a lot of what this website is all about is Waste Management (WM) giving itself a pat on the back... maybe a bit of greenwashing too.