Introducing the ecoPrinter of the future.

Introducing Prepeat, an inkless and tonerless rewritable printer! While Sanwa website's the Japanese to English translation may not be the best, the device itself is most definitely ecoInnovative! Plus I love their "Use example" graphics, as shown below:

But in all serious, this printer is literally inkless and tonerless... Instead it uses a "special-purpose thermal head." I'm guessing it's similar to many of the receipts we get at stores. You know the ones that usually fade into nothing?

Which has me wondering will the text/graphics fade of pages printed from the RP-3100? Perhaps since the printer only uses "special-purpose rewritable paper made of PET plastic" it won't fade. By the way, after a bit of googling, I learned PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic resin and a form of polyester, and can typically be recycled (Yay!)

That's right, I said rewritable! As in "if the documents aren't needed any longer, they can be erased by inserting them into the printer. Then the sheets can be used again, as if by magic."

But didn't let me ruin the ecoFun and innovation by transcribing this great video demonstration:

By the way, the video mentions that the printer is priced at about 500,000 Yen. In case you're wondering that is equivalent to CAD$5,782.13! One PET paper sheet costs about 300 Yen. That's CAD$3.47 a pop. While it's pricey, I gotta say it excites me to see these type of ecoTechonological advances!

For now, I'll stick to my ecojot notebooks and occasionally using my big brother's printer when necessary ;)

Happy Wednesday!

xo,
ej

PS - Just 7 more days till my February Giveaway: Giving is LOVE! As is sharing it :) ends on Tuesday, February 23, 2010! So be sure to enter :)

Luvmud: the perfect way to say "I love you and the earth!"

Still looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for your eco-loving special someone? Well you're in luck... Introducing, Luvmud!

"Luvmud, by [architecture firm] super-interesting!, is a heart-shaped gift item that also functions as an educational tool, communication strategy, and community builder. Luvmud is made from soil, worm castings, cow manure, clay, and coconut coir, embedded with herb or vegetable seeds for germination, and decorated with a message written in baker’s icing."

Not yet available in stores or to purchase online, however if you live in NYC that you're in even more luck because starting today 'til Valentine's Day, super-interesting! is giving away their Luvmuds for free at Spring + Art Design: 126a Front Street, Brooklyn (DUMBO).

"Stop by, say hi, get Luvmud!

Limited supply. First come, first serve."

Otherwise, I suspect it's not too hard to make, in fact, according to their website, "NYC kitchen scraps digested by worms help make Luvmud rich in nutrients. Vermicomposting is fun and easy. You can make your own worm compost in a bin under your kitchen sink.

The smart folks at the Lower East Side Ecological Center host workshops, and also sell worm condos and live worms."

So why not try googling "vermicomposting" in your neck of the woods? Check out butternut squash Luvmud below. Shots taken in a three day span!

Whatever you do or don't do this Valentine's Day Weekend may it be eco and wonderful!

xo,

ej

PS - Just a friendly reminder my February/Valentine's Giveaway runs until Tuesday, February. 23, 2010. Click here to enter :)

From clothes hangers to hangeliers!

What are hangeliers, you ask? Clothes hanger chandeliers of course! Having just blogged about how to make expensive clothes hangers out of plastic bottles, blogging about hangeliers next couldn't seem more appropriate! Thanks for the lead, Pat!







My only criticism is the designers at Organelle Design made the above hangeliers from off-the-shelf plastic and wood hangers rather than finding old, used ones. According to Inhabitat where they were featured last year, "clothes hangers are clogging our landfills at a rate of nearly 8 billion per year." That's a whole lot of hangers! They should have tried and used some of those 8 million!

My compliment is that other materials designers Alex Witko and Courtney Hunt used to make their eye catching hangeliers are salvaged repurposed found objects such as bike rims, chainrings, and zipties.

Even more inspiring was Organelle Design's BYO_ event as in "build your own ____!" event. Their slogan: "resist consumerism.... by reusing it's wasteful by-products!" Check out how it went here. Below is a shot of one of the event's results... a snazzy coffee table 100% made from salvaged repurposed found objects!

xo,
ej

PS - 3 more days till my special ecojot ecard January giveaway ends, so keep sending those ecards for your chance to win ;D

A novel use for plastic bottles... A clothes hanger!

Discovered via my Uncle M, and dvice.com, I bring you the very green, but unfortunately also very expensive... Rethink Hanger!





At 8 bucks a pop, it's definitely a tad on the costly side... However, I certainly do think it's a pretty ecoCool idea!

"Conceived by designer Xuan Yu, it's basically a hook with two holes that hold empty bottles. Once you've polished off a couple of Sprites, screw the bottles into the holes and you've got a deliciously convenient place to hang your shirt — without the awful flatness of a wire hanger."

What do you think? Would you use Rethink Hangers?

Well that's it for me this week.... I gotta say it's great to be back blogging again. Oh and keep those Ecojot Ecard January 2010 Giveaway entries coming! You've got nine more days to send ecojot ecards for a chance to win!

Bon weekend !

xo,

ej

Fun Theory Tuesday

Have you heard of the fun theory? What's the fun theory, you ask... Simple!

"The thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

I couldn't agree more. Check these ideas out... The third one, the Bottle Bank Arcade is my favourite, likely for obvious reasons ;)

Do you have a simple clever idea that exemplifies the fun theory? You could win the fun theory award and 2500 Euros! But you must act fast, the deadline is November 15, 2009. Full details available here.

Here's hoping the fun theory and the three examples above provided some fun inspiration!

xo,

ej

Can you tell what this lamp is made from?

Can you tell what this lamp is made from? Old keyboard parts!

Nifty, huh? "The keyboard is one such essential computer accessory which is extremely affordable and easy to replace with than repaired."

"Designer Nolan Herbut has meticulously removed and rearranged all the keys and wrapped the whole thing up to create this awesome Keyboard Parts Lamp. The light permeating through the gaps between keys creates an awesome surreal effect and it almost deceives one to believe that lamp is made of sophisticated cut glass, and unless specifically told no one will believe that good old humble boring keyboard has been transformed into an aesthetically beautiful lamp." -walyou.com

If only more designers could reuse material like that!

Here's hoping you had a terrific weekend. I sure did... Had loads of fun on a mini road trip to Stratford with my brother G, friends Aaron and Ana to meet up with my sister Pat, her host mum Lori, host sister Eleanor and friends Daniel and Adarsh. Good times coupled with lovely weather.

Macbeth turned out to be a contemporary production. I forgot how dark this play by the Bard of Avon is. All in all, I was impressed, especially considering it turns out actor Colm Feore is currently playing the leads in Macbeth and Cyrano.

Happy Monday!

xo,

ej

A Perfect Flush Friday... Plus a SUPERCRAWL in Hamilton!

When I lived in France last year all the toilets I came across always had two flushing options... I've noticed since coming back to Canada that newer toilets have the dual-flush option. But how about those who rent an apartment (like myself) or who just can't afford to buy a new toilet?

Well I just came across this terrific eco-invention on ecofriend called the Brondell Perfect Flush

Did you know...?

• 55 billion gallons of drinkable water are flushed everyday.
• 8 out of 10 bathroom visits don't require a full flush.

See their brief less than two-minute video on how it works. In a nutshell, "The system installs in less than 30 minutes and cuts water use by 30 to 50%, which the company claims will save an average home up to $100 annually in water use, thereby recouping its cost of $99 in just one year."

I'm certainly going to try and convince my landlady to give it a try for all the toilets in the building, and consider it as a Christmas present to my homeowner friends and family.

Every little bit counts, right? Oh and if you live in Toronto and are considering purchasing a new toilet, and didn't know... "The City of Toronto offers residents a $60 or $75 cash incentive to replace a water-guzzling toilet with a City-selected water-efficient model!" Full details available here.

Here's to being truly green. And in case I hadn't mentioned it, if you live in the Hamilton area... ecojot is making an appearance at Mixed Media at 154 James Street North.

If you need help getting to the exact location, see below. Have you tested out Google Street View, yet? It's so much fun, not to mention a super convenient way to know where you're going!

View Larger Map

But I digress, Mark of ecojot, unfortunately not along with me this time around, will be checking out the James Street North Supercrawl tomorrow night... Lot's of music, plus the usual ecojot Fan appreciation fair... dollar-off coupons, gourmet jellybeans and of course a free raffle to win some of your favourite 100% recycled stationery! Please check it out if you're nearby!

Have a fabulous weekend... Oh and advanced Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians out there! Gobble gobble!

xo,

ej

A Very ecoCLEVER Science Project: A Solar Panel Made from Human Hair.

My Uncle M forwarded this article to me yesterday from DVICE with the message:

"With your longer hair I think you could power a city!"

My hair is at its longest these days. Part laziness for booking a haircut, part economical and well a much bigger part that I have become quite fond of long hair :) But back to the topic at hand.... Full excerpt from DVICE article:

A schoolboy from Nepal has come up with a recession-busting new solar panel which replaces the silicon component with human hair. Milan Karki, an 18-year-old student from the region of Khotang, devised the idea after discovering that hair pigment Melanin acts as an energy converter.

Each panel, which is around 15 inches square, produces 9 Volts (18 Watts) of energy, and costs $38 to make. This, it has to be said, is mainly due to the price of the raw materials: half a kilo of human hair costs around 25¢ in Nepal. Karki is hoping to commercialize his invention, which can charge a cellphone or power batteries to provide an evening's worth of light, and eventually mass produce it.

"First I wanted to provide electricity for my home, then my village," says Karki, who was inspired by British physicist Stephen Hawking. "Now I am thinking for the whole world. We have begun the long walk to save the planet." Catch a shot of the teenager's invention below.

I love stories like this. So inspiring. An 18-year old how was simply inspired to provide electricity for his home and then his village! I certainly hope that Milan Karki is able to parlay this into something amazing for him and his village... And hopefully the world!

xo,

ej

PS - A more in depth article posted by my bro on Daily Mail here.

design • style • recycled

I quite like these "Clever Lids" by Jack Bresnahan (as seen on InHabitat) that convert tin cans into stylish containers. Jack is a recent graduate of Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK and showcased his designs at the New Designers exhibition in London.

As Bresnahan points out "Bresnahan says that “concentration should be given to a product’s life from birth to death and designers should take responsibility for their products when they eventually need to be disposed of.” The standard “tin” can was patented in 1810, but since the 1960’s they have been made primarily with aluminum, making them entirely recyclable, corrosion resistant, and durable."

Speaking of recycled design... How's this...?


An entire kitchen made of recycled material by Milestone (as seen on EcoFriend). Also in the UK... Is it just me or the British trying to lead the way for green design?

"Classed as a ‘hard & rigid’ plastic, the board material for the unit doors shown here is made from factory reject and post consumer waste… yoghurt pots!
It takes 700 yoghurt pots to make 1 sanded unit door!"

As I happen to own a great "bazura bag" (pictured on the stairs above) made entirely of recycled material (juice packs that would otherwise end up in the landfill). Therefore, I think a whole kitchen would be fabulous! My mum gave me my bazura bag which looks very similar to the one pictured below that I just adore, especially for my grocery shopping trips! They're made in my home country of the Philippines!

Till tomorrow when I announce my Flickr Photo Contest Winners... So be sure to stay tuned, especially if you participated! Happy Thursday!

xo,

ej

green energy, green bikes and green buses

Happy Monday Everyone ! Bon Lundi Tout Le Monde !

Yesterday, D'Angelo left me a comment asking how green hydroelectricity is... From what I know, it's renewable energy source which uses sand to generate electricity, usually falling over a dam. The electricity is generated from the movement of water and it is therefore a non-polluting energy source ("no direct waste.") Therefore, it's pretty green :)

That's the extent of my knowledge on that area, but speaking of energy, kinetic energy specifically (such as "hydroelectricity") you've got a check out this very green bike that produces kinetic energy to help run the hybrid buses of London. This is only a prototype at this point, but WOW, très cool to say the least! The idea is one rents the bike, uses it, and any energy that is made when braking is stored for London's hybrid buses. Plus you get a credit towards your bus pass for the energy you helped create. How ecoAwesome is that?


In fact, also according to InHabitat (where I learned about the "Ingenious Energy-Generating Bike Rental System") London has already rolled out six of their Hybrid Double Decker Volvo Buses, and will roll out more if successful!

"London’s iconic double-decker buses recently received an eco update as six highly efficient hybrid Volvo vehicles hit the streets for the first time. The new B5L two-story buses retain their classic red color, but under the hood a hybrid drivetrain saves 25% on fuel consumption while significantly reducing emissions and noise. "

Needless to say London certainly appears dedicated to being in the forefront of sustainability. Kudos London!

That's my ecoInspiration for you today :) Here's to GREEN ENERGY =)

Thanks for asking your question, D'Angelo!

xo,
ej

sensored, timed and on call... lights!

I was inspired by the flowers I'd added to my pulling the February Giveaway Winner out of my bright pink beret, that I drew the green light bulb above. Whatcha think? Okay, perhaps I should leave the art to Designerjots ;)

By now you may have guessed, today's post is brought to you by light bulbs! How's this for an innovative idea, a light bulb with a built in sensor? As dvice points out "there are plenty of motion-sensing outdoor light, but about inside your home?" Hallways for example do not need to be let all the time.
"The Smarthome Screw-in Motion Sensing Light Adapter, as the name applies, screws into a typical bulb socket — no screwdrivers required. Turn on the light switch and the bulb will turn on only when it detects motion, then shuts off automatically when there's no movement within a 16-foot range. The length of time it stays on is adjustable from 5 to 100 seconds. It retails for $25, but who knows how much you'll save in energy costs?" Available at Amazon.

Also on dvice, I came across another cool light-related feature, this time regarding lighting whole street blocks... On call! That's right "on call." Cities are no exception to the need to save on green (cash variety) and so it's no surprise that "towns all over the work have started turning off their street lighting to save money."

However what about safety, or as dvice points out "when Grandma's pooch needs to go walkies at 2 AM?" Well a few German towns have come up with an on call solution... literally, called Dial4Light. Local residents can call up to selectively light up street by street. After 15 minutes a times reverts the street back into darkness. Thus far, participating towns have benefited from a 25 percent savings in their street lighting bills. For a more complete article check out Treehugger.

These two brilliant energy, pun intended ;) ideas got me thinking about my recent year in France. Whenever I visited an apartment building (large or small), and small office buildings, all light switches in hallways and stairwells were on a timer. I found this to be one of those obvious clever ideas, one I am surprised not to see this put into more practice in North America.

Well that's it for now. Clearly my absence last week has left me with lots to say 0;) Again, my apologies, here's hoping you're still reading... Please leave me a comment to relieve my fears *wink, wink, nudge, nudge.*

xo,
ej

Poo-powered public transit.

Yes, you read that headline correctly... I said "poo powered public transit," poo powered buses in Oslo to be exact. I originally discovered the headline "Transportation Tuesday: Oslo Buses to run on Poo Power!"at Inhabitat and couldn't help but read more at Wired and The Guardian. I particularly loved how The Guardian displayed a toilet handle with their headline "Flush hour: Oslo to run buses powered by biomethane from human sewage."

The concept is simple take all the waste from Oslo's sewer that already exists and turn it into biomethane fuel, or as Wired says, "poo-to-pump-fuel." It sounds gross but as the magazine points out, "Biomethane is produced during a four-phase process called anaerobic digestion that uses microorganisms to break down everything from human waste and leftover food to lawn clippings and stuff swept from the slaughterhouse floor."

My apologies to those who are visiting to find out who the ecoAgenda/ecoResolution winner is and instead discovered me talking about "number two." I will be announcing the winner this week (promise!) and announcing my February Giveaway next week :)

I just had to blog about this albeit gross-sounding but most certainly innovative idea by the City of Oslo. Kudos to them for literally turning poo into savings (twice over, economically and environmentally)! I wonder which cities will be inspired to follow suite...

Happy Wednesday!

xo,
ej

From Rice Terraces to Husks to Light.

Originally uploaded by hypocritic

Is it really the last week of January? Wow, time sure flies by. Only one more week to participate in this month's Giveaway.

How was your weekend? I was feeling under the weather, and spent most of my time in bed... Which makes the following stupendous video seem very appropriate. Although it sure looks like this girl's dreams were a whole lot more exciting than mine!



My little sister, Ticia shared the above video with me. And speaking of Ticia, it turns out she mentioned in me in a recent vlog of hers! Check it out below.

And finally, speaking of family... My mum's recent Facebook status (yes, my dear mother is on Facebook) revealed that a Mr. Alexis Belonio is a recipient of of the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise. Mr. Belonio is the first Filipino Associate Laureate to win Rolex's award recognizing "pioneering projects that demonstrate innovative thought and contribute to the betterment of humankind."

Turning waste into fuel, "Alexis Belonio has produced a simple, gas-fired stove powered by rice husks, one of Asian's most abundant farm wastes." My folks had the pleasure of meeting Alexis and his wife, and according to my mum, "His wife and he are so nice and cerebral yet very low-key." There's a great video explaining Belonio's award-winning work here. I'd have embedded it if I could.

I must admit, I was particularly excited to hear about this project since, I suspect the reason my parents had the pleasure of meeting the Associate Laureate was because my dad's work is along similar lines. Affectionately referred to as "the fart machine" by his children, my dad designed a small-scale biodigester a few years back. Another time, I'll have to tell you more. For now, in a nutshell, systems that turn waste into renewable energy, ie., biodigesters are large, my dad's design is small and can be used by small to medium sized farms.

Well that's it for now. Here's to making an ecoDifference big or small!

xo,
ej

Wow Inspiring Wednesday

day 337 - [remote] control freak
Originally uploaded by Amadika

So I have to admit, I am thrilled to see so many ecoResolutions posted in response to my January Giveaway. What an inspiration to see so many of you committed to giving back to our planet.

It's particularly inspiring to know that the desire to be eco-friendly encourages innovation and innovation encourages eco-friendliness.

What I clung to most in a recent NYTimes article "Design Loves a Depression," is the hope that the better design will result not only in more affordable, "but packaging and other everyday objects to be designed specifically for recycling so that their parts and materials are used and reused without waste."

From Eco•font, which *~Jackie~* mentioned and I touched upon on in a previous post, to low power radio technology.... There are exciting eco-innovations abound!

My Uncle Matt was kind enough to forward this article to me, "Low power radio technology means no more remote control batteries," that I somehow missed on DVice. Apparently

"Not only does this technology [by Green Peak] enable better remote controls - they'll work through walls up to nearly a hundred feet away - but could help eliminate the 8 billion dead remote control AA and AAA batteries that are tossed into the garbage each year."

If you hear of an exciting eco-innovation, please do share. Thanks for stopping by :)

xo,
ej