Don’t toss reusable stuff into the trash. Donating or selling used items in good condition helps those in need, provides a source of revenue for charitable organizations or yourself, and may even give you a tax deduction. Purchasing used goods can also save you some money.Fundraising for charity is difficult enough in the best of times, but during a recession it's much more harder to persuade potential donors to part with their hard-won cash. Enter Kidonaki, a Belgian site that has ... Read Full Story

Paving stones which generate electricity simply by being stepped on could soon be powering their way on the the high street. The green slabs, which contain a light that gets brighter according to how much energy is stored, are designed to ‘flex’ less that 5mm when walked over. Although this movement cannot be detected by pedestrians, it is enough to generate electricity.so imagine if you could take all that foot traffic and turn it into useful energy. A new product designed by Lau... Read Full Story

What are some of the most interesting abandoned things you have found driving around?. It could be houses, buildings or whatever! Industrial & abandoned stuff sits everywhere and they have been used by designers and artist all around the world. It's not uncommon to find museums dedicated to showcasing local history; what's less common is to find a city museum constructed almost entirely of locally found abandoned objects. Sure enough, though, that's just the premise behind St.... Read Full Story

Re-purposing objects, recycled and/or found, can be a tricky business. Making objects that are as aesthetically appealing and functional as the aforementioned Hangelier isn’t simply a matter of gleaning trash from laneways. Waste is the most abundant local resource our cities have to offer. Often free or inexpensive, waste is a seemingly endless supply, always providing new and exciting design possibilities.We’ve recently stumble into a couple of designers who have been developing... Read Full Story

Rather than selling products individually, a subscription sells periodic use or access to a product or service and at the same time become a recurring sale and can build brand loyalty. Subscription/membership model used by industries such as video rentals and magazines is a great way for fledgling entrepreneurs to get a foothold in the food business, creating a steady income and a client base.Cases in point:Milk Made is offering New Yorkers the chance to have a pint of freshly-made ice cream ... Read Full Story

Traditional outdoor and athletic apparel is made from virgin, non-renewable materials, contains questionable chemical treatments, and usually finds its ultimate home in a landfill. This Sports apparel is a huge industry worth billions and is dominated by a few giant brands. A small company from Arlington, Virginia is gathering support across the United States. Which is probably due to their unique angle: its athletic clothing is made from trash. Atayne uses recycled polyester (from post-consu... Read Full Story

There are countless brands of jeans in the market, most of them manufactured all over the world, with components sourced from multiple countries and assembly done in others. If you wear them, chances are, they were made in a sweatshop in China, Mexico or another third world country.In order to compete in the global economy, factory owners agree to produce goods at the low prices demanded by overseas clients. Factory elites and multinational corporations reap the profits, and shoppers around t... Read Full Story

Several studies have shown that children living in households that received plain soap and hand washing educational materials had a 50% lower incidence of pneumonia, a 53% lower incidence of diarrhea and a 34% lower incidence of impetigo.Because of these and other significant findings, it has been proven that hand washing with soap prevents the two diseases that cause the largest number of childhood deaths globally - diarrheal illness and acute lower respiratory infection. Also, hand washing ... Read Full Story

Every year, an estimated 400 million units of obsolete electronics are scrapped. By 2010, this figure will rise to three billion units. While advances in technology continue to improve and enrich our lives, product lifecycles are getting shorter and shorter. And that means an increasing stockpile of end-of-life equipment that needs to be managed. When discarded, much of this equipment ends up in landfills in the US, or is exported to third world countries.Whether ignorant or just plain lazy, ... Read Full Story

What chemicals are in your baby shampoo? Was sweatshop labor used to make your t-shirt? What products are the best, and what products should you avoid? Increasingly, you want to know about the impacts of the products you buy. On your health. On the environment. On society. But unless you’ve got a Ph.D, it is almost impossible to find out the impacts of the products you buy. Until now… GoodGuide is an information clearinghouse for green consumers, integrating hundreds of databases... Read Full Story