InnovateUs Magazine July 2013

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July 2013July 2013

Green

Lifesty leSpec ia l


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Contents COVER STORY

PRODUCT NEWS

INTERVIEW

Eco Beauty7 Beautifying You - The Rustic WayBringing safest organic body care

products

Lifestyle9 A Wash In Time, Saves LaundryFrom Grime

Eco-friendly launderette services

14Would you like some OldWood, Sir?Waste woodinto beautiful eco-furniture26 Rope in a Handy LifestyleGreen lifestyle embracing livelihood

sustainability

Food & Drinks11 Send Your Food Scraps toVokashi

From kitchen waste to organic fertilizer

22Lets Not Whine Over WineAll about recycling leftoverwine bot-tles

Energy24Use Me : Oppa Solar Style!Solar-poweredtrash compactors

Fashion17A Greener Podium For FashionPromoting sustainable fabrics3 Starlight WoodsAn creative epitome of tree branch up

cycling effort

20 I Say Organic!Redefining sustainable fresh organicproducesupply chain

29 Because Plastic is Bamboozling

31 Sewage To See Through Your

Wages

33 Wasting Water? You Must Be Fish

35 Charging Up Just Turned Fiery

37 This Goat Churns Out Toilet Pape


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Innovation and Information for Sustainable L

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From the Editors DeskHello InnovateUs Readers:

InnovateUs is all set and ready to wish you a jolly July with its treasure trove of practical

sustainable tips on holistic living. It is the month of the famous July Revolution and togeth-

er well make it special with altogether a different kind of crusade against lifestyle that

brings harm to the environment. Recent, devastating floods in Uttarakhand (India), Cana-

da and Germany bluntly points out our induced failure to maintain balance with nature.

Awareness is our only arsenal in this battle to save our planet, making it a safe abode for

the generations yet to come. Our July edition green lifestyle special is a fresh new

breeze that provides us with necessary insight as to how we could lead our lives in an

environmentally responsible manner.

Today with huge number of trees being felled, alarming rise in all kind of wastes and

growing pollution in the seas, it is absolutely essential to know the right use of nature for

our own survival. We often fail to realize that waste management is not the sole preroga-

tive of some high & mighty centralized body rather the onus is on each one of us to bring

about some change. You dont have to be solitary in wilderness to respect & retain envi-

ronment but could very well do so within the confines of your own house.

Our July issue comes handy with practical tips of adopting green ways of living. Go ahead

and transform your home with style into a zero wastage hub now, spreading a powerful

social message for all and sundry.

Be it Vokashi system of kitchen management, charcoal charging of cells phonesor a

huge goat that gobbles down toilet papers, we have a real crazy mix for you. You, our

readers, are the true green ambassadors upholding the dream for a better tomorrow. The

effort that our team has put into this edition shall be deemed worthwhile only when you

find it to your liking.

As always, send your comments. Like us on Facebook (facebook.com/innovateus)

and follow us on Twitter(twitter.com/innovateus).

Happy Reading.

Sharmistha

[email protected]

Whos behind?

Chief Editor

Arathi Singh

Managing Editor

Sharmistha

Contributing Authors

Avik Bhattacharya

Souvik Maity

Saswati Kar

Design

Panchami Roy

Sharmistha


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Q: Whats the story behind Starlight Woods.

Starlight Woods was started in the summer of 2011. After

many crazy storms there was an abundance of fallen trees

and branches. The trees got cut up for fire wood, but that left aon of branches. I love to create and repurpose using found

objects and I have always had an obsession with wood. The

grain, the smell, the color, just the act of taking something that

would be left to decompose and turning it into something

beautiful inspires me. My family and I hauled back all the

branches, got our chop saw out and started cutting. What

started out as a fun craft that my girls and I could do together

turned into a life changing business. Starlight Woods.

story behind the name, well, when I met the love of my life,

now father to my children, we used to lay out under the s

and talk for hours, neither one of us wanted to go to sleep,

didnt want to miss any moments together.

When we bought our first home, the street we now live

Starlight Drive, we all laid out in the backyard together and

daughters saw their first shooting stars that very ni

Throughout our life the stars have had a lot of meaning for

so the name just felt natural. With our name picked out,

business began, we started by making key chains, it wa

The woods are lovely dark and deep - Robert Frost

You must have seen numerous archetype men proposing marriage sequenc

The Tuxedo clad knight bends low and smacks the ladies hand. Pat comes outwedding ring with the background music breaking into a crescendo. Tears of

finally complete the melodrama leaving us spellbound.

Want to do something extra that could pep up the clich when you are the Knig

How about getting her a ring carved from tree?

If you think thats a good idea its time to contact Lisa Disciascio; the Godmothe

Starlight Woods that gives exotic shapes to felled tree branches.

Youll be stunned by the virgin beauty of rings, pendants and earrings carved

of tree branches that had fallen in storm.

An epitome of upcycling effort, Starlight Woods, is natures own closet that h

startling beauty in its chamber. Lisa describes herself as cup half full kind pers

with an eye for beauty. It all happened very quickly for her. She recognized the immense possibility behind scattered t

branches broken by a storm, started working with a saw and in no time made a dream come true. Starlight Woods is an exam

where creation has surpassed the creator. Her jewelries are pure works of art and a sheer delight to look at. The key cha

necklaces and cuff links display rarest of the rare aesthetic quality wrapped in green. In an email interview, Lisa talks about

dreams and aspirations revolving around her brand that goes on getting bigger.


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un, silly creative journey that took off faster than we could

magine. We started listing our key chains on Etsy, an amaz-

ng market place for creative entrepreneurs. They started

selling, so we brainstormed some more and came up with

rings, stud earrings, necklaces.the ideas just kept coming.

After about 6 months, we were contacted by Real SimpleMagazine about featuring one of our rings in a summer trend

story in their August 2012 issue. This feature was one of the

highlights of our journey, to be recognized so soon after we

started by a national publication was amazing. We were soon

contacted by retail stores both in the US and international

about selling our jewelry, we now sell to about 15 stores in the

US and 5 international as well as selling on our own online

store www.starlightwoods.etsy.com

Q: What drove you to start an eco-friendly jewelry and

accessories label?

My passion for repurposing drove me to start and eco friendly

business. I have always used found materials to create. One

of my favorite projects my daughters and I have done before

our business was our smashed up crayon starry night mosa-

c. We used all those ends of crayons that were just a little

oo small to color with and made a masterpiece. We are still

rying to figure out what to do with all that saw dust left behindafter cutting our wood, LOL. I thought about using it for pack-

aging but thought customers might not like to be covered in

saw dust as soon as they open their parcel :)

Q: Hardest challenge you encountered when you started

Starlight WoodsHow did you overcome it?

Hardest Challenge, well

there were many. There

is so much I did not know

about when I started this

business. Business itself

was a big one, how do

you run a business? So-

cial networking, promot-

ing, bloggers, tweet, what

s a tweet? There was a serious amount to learn, things I

knew nothing about. Creativity I knew, but that was about it.

So I researched and researched all hours of the night

weeks until I learned enough to move forward, I moved

ward until my next road block and again learned and pus

through that as well. I am not one that gives up in the face

a challenge, so in my mind all I had to do was climb

mountain and I would take off and I did. Of course therebe highs and lows that is to be expected. I am always learn

in this business and always growing and although sometim

I face road blocks, I never give up.
http://www.starlightwoods.etsy.com/http://www.starlightwoods.etsy.com/http://www.starlightwoods.etsy.com/


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The heat is scorching, you need a soap bath. Winters make

your bones shiver, you need moisturizers. Rains drench your

hair completely with water polluted with what not; you needshampoo and hair nourishing gel.

Now, what if you were informed that these self-care prod-

ucts you use do not care about your well-being? Human skin

s something which absorbs whatever comes in contact with

t. Chemicals like Propylene Glycol (PG), Polyethylene Glycol

PEG), Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Cocoamide, Lauramide DEA

present in your Beauty products seep in to your system to

get absorbed by your heart, lungs and brain even if you

wash them off immediately. Some of these are cancer caus-

ng deadly chemicals, while the others damage your organs

after regular use.

Yet, you unknowingly, lay your hands on every other cosmetic

product you come across, just to look younger, apparently.

But the art of looking younger is something beyond chemi-

cals, something that Nature had provided us with, a long time

ago. Bringing back the age-old concepts of 100% natural

beauty products, sans all machines, artificial fragrances, ani-

mal testing, you have Rustic Art an Indian company to

make the eco-friendly phenomenon phenomenal. Rustic as

t is derived from where you actually belong and Art - as it de-

ines the process in a Greener way.

Rise of the eco-warriors

Forty three years old Sunita Jaju disliked the current cosmics market scenario where people couldnt differentiate be-

tween Bathing Bars and Soaps. (Learn the difference at

http://rusticart.in/difference -between-soap-and-bathing-bar

Utterly disgusted with the way some companies duped the

customers, the lady with a Masters Degree in Sustainable

Development from Manipal University along with her niece

25 years old Swati Maheshwari, a MBA graduate from the

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (Pune), form

the Satara (Maharashtra, India) based company in Decem

2010.

On a trip to Auroville in Pondicherry, the aunt-niece duo no

ticed the locals making high quality eco-friendly products.

Sadly, for money, such an art was being sold in foreign

countries while India got even more polluted. Out of the 12

women they first noticed, they hired 3 of them to make natu

ral, organic soap for them.

Finding the process unique and relatively unexplored, Su

invested 1 Lakh Rupees (Approximately $2000) and busin

began in January, 2011. Competition is something that Ru

Art doesnt fear. It has believed in sustainability and belie

having such a motto, the company is bound to excel. In

space, technically there are not many competitors. Rustic

is made of certified organic ingredients, which is our U

too. Not many have that to boast about. says Swati.

Beauty has no bounds, knows no

limits

Being a relatively new and unknown company, Rustic

found it difficult to launch their products. Bigger brands,

ready having established their hold over the marker with s

thetic cosmetics, Organic products were totally unheard

Yet, after quite some struggle, Sunita and Swati succeede

The Rustic Way
http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/http://rusticart.in/difference-between-soap-and-bathing-bars/


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marketing their products. They started off with one, single

store in Satara. In June, 2011 they received their first major

order, of Rs. 97,000 from an outlet in Pune. The best thing

about organic is that you get instant publicity and exposure

owing to your uniqueness in idea. The same happened with

Rustic Art. Word spread about the new range of skin soothingsoaps, hair nourishers and shampoos which had just hit the

markets. Soon, orders started pouring in and alone in 2011 -

12; the company earned 12 Lakh Rupees in sales. The

Natural Bug started going viral as Rustic Art started spread-

ng across India, conquering cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolka-

a, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai and Bangalore to name a few.

Such is the confidence in their business strategy and prod-

ucts quality that Swati says We have huge expansion

plans. We will be adding more products to our existing range

and even start in-house manufacturing here, in Maharashtra.

Since the market response has been good, we are quite con-

ident about the future.

Why Rustic Art?

Delivering basic needs without causing any environmental

damage is what Rustic Art has aimed at and achieved. Why

you must go for their products:

Promotes local skill / unskilled labour

Zero Carbon footprint (No machines used)

Use of original herbs and flowers for manufacturing

Better medicinal values

No animal fat and no animal testing

Free from carcinogenic ingredients

Zero child labour involved

Add to that, your organs are saved the pain of diseases. No

synthetic colours, no alcohol, everything you apply to your

body comes from where you originally belong. Covering al-

most every area of your skins needs, Rustic Art provides a

range of products like:

Baby Care

Home Care

Pet Care

Hair Care and

Body Care

You want to look beautiful. God has provided with you nat

beauty. Dont let these chemically doped cosmetics fool

the next time you shop.

Beauty does not come at the expense of Nature. Why d

age her beauty for your own? Living within Nature in harm

can make you interiors and exteriors divine at the same ti

That is what Rustic Art has just proven.

So, start getting back your good old days by logging

http://rusticart.in/and buy a product online!
http://rusticart.in/http://rusticart.in/http://rusticart.in/


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You all have busy lives, scurrying to work and getting sucked

nto corporate lives, that wears you out at the end of the day.

You hardly have time to give to your family, to your own self.

Chores at home turn into a big burden. Even the responsibility

of having to carry the garbage bag into the bin seems to be a

daunting task for you. All you do is earn money and plan to

ive a comfortable life. And the clothes you wear every day?

You dont wish to wear them again and again and at the same

ime, washing laundry has got no reservation in your tight

schedule. Trust me, you do not have enough time to take it to

Laundromat and again, hiring a maid means you have to stay

back at home, while he/she works.

That is where you find Philadelphia based Wash Cycle

Laundry coming to your rescue. With its home pick-up and

home delivery facilities, Was Cycle Laundry returns your

clothes, clean, folded and fresh, ready to be worn again. This

Green Company makes sure you dont end up joining the en-

vironment-vandalizing group and offers you completely Green

options to choose from.

Deliver on Cycles

Laundry Industry all over the country was growing big. Yes,

busy people have no time being the main reason. But a lot

was being compromised on nature - ranging from poor ma-

chinery, which consumes more power and results in thermal

waste, to using detergents and soaps that are an environment

hazard.

Gabriel Mandujano, a resident of Philadelphia, was search

for options. He knew the potential of the industry and yet

had nothing against nature. It was then that he came up Wash Cycle Laundry Inc. Mandujano observed cycles, t

benefits. In a market where motor-bikes generally did

trick, he involved bicycles. From collecting laundry to deli

ing them back, bicycles were all he needed. Delivery and p

-up - check. Up next was his biggest challenge Deterge

and soaps. Aiming at something that would easily seep

the Earth without causing any damage, Mandujano soon

a deal with Sun and Earth, a local company that would sup

him with bio-degradable, non

-allergic and no

-additional

grance solutions. And thus, was the beginning of what r

dents of Philadelphia call A miracle, a blessing!Growing up, getting big

When you start something new, the world starts noticing y

Wash Cycle Laundry was no different. With its much uni

and better solutions, residents of Philadelphia started tak

interest in this entrepreneurship. Orders started pouring f

scores of families and Wash Cycle Laundry took off to a g

start.

Now, there are many business groups in the market that g

erally have got no solution to their problems of washing

cleaning linen. They have employees for strategy, mana

ment and even have a janitor, but none for this probl

Wash Cycle Laundry soon started getting deals from s

corporate offices too. And presently, they have more tha

hundred of such clients.

Mandujanos company has helped Philadelphia by not

washing their laundry, but also by creating jobs for them

lot of ways by tying-up with Gearing Up and Career Wardr

2 non-profit companies. Right from cyclists, who collect

deliver laundry in trailers attached to their bicycles to peo

for business planning, Philadelphians have learned a

Apart from washing linens for restaurants, gyms and sp


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Wash cycle Laundry also rents linens to clients. Available on

a 5 day-week basis, they deliver fresh orders on demand. And

very soon, shall the cyclists deliver produce ranging from cof-

ee seeds to bread at your doorstep. Sun and Earth Wash

Cycles detergent suppliers- have also submitted a proposal

or them to deliver plant based offerings to the residents.Growing in the newly born Green market and bringing in inno-

vative ideas has brought in a variety of options for Wash Cy-

cle Laundry. Hoping to cash in on this never before explored

sector, the company just gets bigger every quarter.

What do they do?

Wash Cycle Laundry collect, wash and deliver laundry. The

company, as mentioned, has dedicated cyclists, who make

sure you never get delayed whatever the problem might be

whod collect laundry in trailers added to their bicycles. These

are then taken to the washing store, where they are cleaned

not in hot, but in cold water. This method is effective for the

biodegradable detergent they use. The machines are so de-

veloped that they minimize the time to be spent in a dryer.

Having folded the clothes, the same cyclists then deliver it to

your doorstep.

They charge according to the following chart

Basic ( Best for personal laundry, $18 per delivery) - In-

cludes 12lbs of laundry

Sweet Spot ( $24 per delivery) - Includes 18lbs of laundry

Big ( Best for corporate clients, $28 per delivery) - In-

cludes 24lbs of laundry. All the 3 plans charge an addi-

tional amount of $1.25 for every extra pound and they

guarantee washing, drying, folding and delivering within

24-hours of the next day!

Rent linens for business houses Wash Cycle Laundry

rents linen ranging from towels to aprons of different sizes

hat you order. They charge only for the part of the order that

you have used and the best part is that there is no surplus

charge for inventory, set-up, gas or delivery.

A Reason to Envy Philadelphia

The company is based in Philadelphia and currently, takes

orders and supplies within the region. The residents have

benefitted a lot as their clothes have increased longevity ow

ing to the non-bleaching and mild detergents used by Was

Cycle Laundry.

While other cities get polluted immenselyas a result of Lau

dromats, Philadelphia has achieved all of this at no environ

ment damage and sees a great bloom in this industry in the

years to come. They select their partners with care, they d

liver and collect free of cost, they do everything causing mi

mal, rather no harm to the residents and most of all, they

solve Philadelphias laundry problems Wash Cycle Laun

is something Philadelphia is proud of.

To know more about them

visit www.washcyclelaundry.com
http://www.washcyclelaundry.com/http://www.washcyclelaundry.com/http://www.washcyclelaundry.com/


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At the end of every meal consumed by us, food scraps and wastes are bound to adorn our waste-bins. They are then carried

to landfills, where they decompose in the open. Alone in 2010, 34 Million tonnes of food waste had been generated in the Un

States of America that draws the rate at 1.3 pounds per day

person.

Think of the stench, the emission of greenhouse gases like Meth

(CH4) having 21 times the potential of causing Global Warmin

that of CO2 - caused due to involuntary anaerobic conditions

costs undertaken to manage these wastes. All of it just because

either couldnt finish your food or the waste was inevitable.

Again, at the same time, the thought of carrying your waste-bin

to empty the contents in the local garbage collecting bin looks li

filthy job to you. Vokashi Kitchen Waste Services, based in Brlyn, magically solves this petty issue for you. With its solutio

providing you with a waste bucket and special bran that assists

mentation of the waste, collecting kitchen waste from your doorstep and scientifically treating and burying them at their own l

tions to yield fresh fertilizers - kitchen wastes have a vacation at hand for a better purpose!

All she needed was an idea!

Vandra Thorburn was sick of her roommates compost bin. The stink was unbearable to her. As the mind starts working mir

ously in times of desperation and distress, Vandra started thinking of ways to relieve herself from the odour. She knew mana

rotting food and wastes would be impossible for her. It was then that she stumbled upon Bokashi a Japanese method of

mentation.

It was in the early 1960s that a Japanese scientist had invented a bacterial agent EM-1. This bacterium was mixed with ye

fungi and molasses to create bran used in fermentation. Other varieties of the bacteria can also be used for making human di

tive aids and cleaning agents. A friend of Vandras suggested that she might contact TeraGanix the main distributor of the E

bacterium in USA for further supply. After incorporating the idea herself, she realized there were no rats around and no bad o

at all. In 2009, she finally chalked out the plan for Vokashi Kitchen Waste Solution. Next year, she was given an Excelle

Award for her ideas and she won a $5000 grant from Brooklyn Public Librarys PowerUp Business Plan Competition to start

business.

Bucket and channel your food wastes to a newer, better and sustainable direction.

How to Vokashi?

A very common pre-conceived notion informs us of the terrible stench that follows anaerobic fermentation of wastes. But u

the bran delivered by Vokashi shall change your mind forever. What you need to do is

1. Sprinkle a layer of bran on the base of the bucket provided by Vokashi. On top of it let the kitchen waste pile up to 3 -4 inc


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2. Again on top of the waste, sprinkle some more bran. Now, using toilet paper or waste cloth, press the waste down so

there are no air pockets between the waste layers.

3. Do not go miserly on the bran. 1 lb of bran is enough for a 5 gallon bucket!

4. Repeat the procedure till the bin is full.

5.

Make sure that the lid is always tightly closed.

6. If already full, you need not worry as the bucket can be kept in the same condition for full 14 days before its contents ar

be blended into fertilizers.

7. When the bucket gets almost filled, pour the remaining bran on it and place a sheet of biodegradable towel or paper on it.

Your Green Bucket is now ready to be taken away by Vokashis clean-up and collecting team. After collecting these wastes,

eral trenches are dug in the soil behind an apartment building on Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn or at a site near the Marine Park

Course. The waste from the buckets are poured at a time and then covered with soil and sawdust. This process is repeated

the trench is covered up. The buckets are washed and this water is then splashed over these waste -filled trenches. Wetting

sists in breaking down of the wastes. To prevent any smell, yard waste is used to seal the area. Within a few months, fertil

are ready! Either customers can buy it directly from Vandra or she transports it to East New York Farms. 1 round of Vokashi

s successfully completed!

What not to do

Most of the citys drop-off locations dont allow cooked meat and large

chunks of pizzas. Vokashi handles all of them with great ease. Just make

sure that you dont stuff the Green buckets with

Liquids, including milk, juices, water or any other beverage.

Plastic bags or wraps.

Wax papers

Rubber bands

Large meat bones and shells from sea-food.

Market: Meter up or Meter down?

Having a capacity to accommodate kitchen wastes ranging from eggs to wilted flowers to tea-bags to rice to bio

-degradable

per products, Vokashi comes of great benefit to Natures cause. Add to that the buckets being delivered at your doorstep

made of recycled plastic.

Owing to low operational costs, the company charges a mere $40 per month per apartment for all of this, which includes the

and 2 buckets. An initial deposit of$15 is charged initially. If multiple apartments from the same building opt for this service,

monthly charges come down to $30 per apartment (2-9 building opt for this service, the monthly charges come down to $30

apartment (2-9 apartments) and $20 per apartment (10 and more apartments).

Being a new company, Vokashi has only 50 customers from apartments and around 10-15 business houses as her clients, a


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whom are based in Brooklyn or Manhattan. Now that both, quality and service have been appreciated, Vandra and her team

currently working on expanding their base and reach. The methodology is unique, the idea is green, the products used are n

ral and organic and the solution is like nectar to the soil and a boon to the environment. If you can afford a family pizza e

weekend and meat once in every 3 days, $20-$40 per month is a meagre amount indeed.

Shun that old kitchen waste-bin of yours and visit www.vokashi.com or dial 718-623-1911 for a brand new EcoSmart G

Bucket and channel your food wastes to a newer, better and sustainable direction.
http://www.vokashi.com/http://www.vokashi.com/http://www.vokashi.com/


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How much wood could a woodchuck chuck,If a woodchuck could chuck wood?As much wood as a woodchuck could chuck,If a woodchuck could chuck wood.Now, the answer to the above rhyme is Twenty Nine Million Eight Hundred Thousand trees (29,800,000), everyday around

world, that is a decrease of 89,000 acres of forest area daily! And most of these go to the furniture industry. So, you must h

realized by now, the total contribution of your sofas or tables or beds and other furniture to this massacre. What else do you n

for furniture? Textiles. A few million tonnes of textiles are used every year, again for furniture making. When used for a coup

years, these adorn the landfills and finally are disposed of in incinerators. Imagine the tremendous amount of heat generated

pollution caused as a result of this. Yet, every year, we keep repeating the same old cycle.

Saddening and disheartening. Young Jeremy Pickett, a Brooklyn based carpenter-

designer has come up with something thatminimize both the above mentioned issues. With his company Pickett Furniture, he aims at building new pieces of furnitur

ighting with wood that has gone waste with the help of vintage textiles that he has collected from around the world.

How did Pickett pick it?

Back home from college, in the 1990s, Jeremy Pickett was ushered into carpentering and furniture -making by his father,

arranged for him a job with a millwork company based in Indiana

ter his marriage, he had to restore his wifes newly purchased to

house in Manhattan. It was then that he found his coming to this

dustry. Soon, he indulged in apprenticeship in an architectural w

working shop in New Jersey City, New Jersey. He then went o

become the shop manager cum designer for an outlet in Broo

Pickett slowly reached higher levels of design -making, when the c

pany he worked for moved its manufacturing unit to China. It

then that Jeremy Pickett finally desired to start his own compan

year-long world tour introduced him and his family to the different

tures around the world. Especially, it was the use of Bamboo in A

its tensile strength and rigidity that drew his attention. Use of vin

textiles in Mongolia, Russia and erstwhile Scandinavia was i

duced him as he was then inspired by the ancient temples in Ja

Pickett realized the solution to the world-wide problem of forest

ting and textile wastage. He finally picked up these learning to start off with Pickett Furniture.

Doors open to the woods

It was during The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in 2009 that Pickett Furniture was launched and made av


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ble to the public. The companys first studio was on Van Brunt Street, Red Hoo

Brooklyn. Soon, within a year, the company debuted at three more of such Furn

Fairs. This gave them the limelight, the push they needed and now, they are based

Civil War era brick house in Brooklyn.

Pickett Furniture started gaining popularity and soon its customer based increamagnificently. In 2011, it hired its first full time employee. The companys first produ

Custom Audio Electronics MorktSamfunn Console, a throwback to the 1940s

introduced in 2012 at Dwell on Design in Los Angeles and at Model Citizens in

York. Expansion became the key as the company then focussed on developing bic

frames made of Bamboo, in 2012. Modern-day home furniture was Picketts are

expertise as business started blooming by leaps and bounds.

What, where and how?

The process starts from

Bringing in wood and timber for the furniture. Bamboo is generally bought from Maryland while Teak and Mahoany come f

California, where the harvesting is sustainably done. Walnut, Cherry and Maple wood are purchased from a family based m

the Delaware/Pennsylvania Border. Orders are made beforehand as the mill hand-picks the wood required accordingly.G

ideas have been implemented as Pickett Furniture obtains old wood from fallen trees in Westchester County and Staten Isla

Such wood is also obtained from fallen property and old mansions. These types of wood are properly aired to achieve the

sired quantity of moisture and this also results in preservation of colour of the wood.

The furniture made is not joined by any type of screw or nuts or bolts. The company aims at making their products lo

lasting. They use the old Japanese technique of Hand-Cut Joinery, where the parts are joined manually. Such a techn

was used in Japanese Temples, which as mentioned earlier, have been Picketts inspiration.

Finishing is either done manually or by spray in spray booths. Hand finishing is generally done for the furniture, which is

handled. For those with allergies or for children, upon being requested, the company allows milk and collagen based fin

ing as well. Most of the textiles used in this process are vintage textile collected from places across the state.

The textiles he has collected from Finland, Uzbekistan and other nations have been introduced to fresher ventures as

have been put together to make pillows and cushions.

Whats in store?

From Makulere Skateboards to Butcher Blocks to Bolsters to Hanging Lamps to Tripod Lamps to Orkan Stools to Helvete Di

Tables, name the piece of furniture or lighting or textile or accessory you need, Pickett Furniture has it ready for you. Add to

ist, custom work on your bedroom or living room, Pickett has provided you with options to do -over your home. One of Pick

wonderful creations is the Bataljon Robots made of 6-piece rotatable, removable magnetic parts. These are availab


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many colours and finishing is done with organic inks and waterborne Urethane Clear Lacquer, making it environment-friendly

So, when you plan to visit furniture shops the next time, remember that you can actually adorn your home with something b

which serves a cause protects our environment, saves trees from being felled and prevents wastage of old fabric.. So, simu

neously browse through Pickett Furnitures range of products and look up if they can satisfy your demands. Give it a thou

Your new furniture might get a bit loose at the joints, but Pickett Furniture wont. Your new furniture is bound to have had a torigin felled trees, Pickett Furniture has greener beginnings.

For the sake of the world you live in and without compromising the beauty of your house, to purchase new furniture or lightin

accessories, you must visit http://www.pickettfurniture.com/.
http://www.pickettfurniture.com/http://www.pickettfurniture.com/http://www.pickettfurniture.com/


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Tired of wearing the same jacket that you put on every day to office? Those pair of Jeans surely looks outdated as well. Sh

tops, skirts made from the same old traditional fabrics must have bored your skin for quite some time. You look out for fas

that is trendy, sexy, sassy, something that shall draw the attention of the crowd.

Your eco-conscience again pleads you to buy something that is sustainable and has an environment-friendly background.

talk about your favourite pick - Cotton something you regularly wear makes up for just 3% of the total crop production aro

the world. Annually, approximately $2.6 Billion are spent bu

pesticides and insecticides to protect Cotton plants i.e. 10%

the worlds total pesticides and 25% of the worlds total ins

cides used. In countries like Pakistan (the Worlds 5 th largest

ton producing nation), 50% of such insecticides go waste du

improper application. And all the time you have been thin

what you are wearing now has a hazard-free past!

It was then that fashion called for something new, somet

green. The market needed new fabrics, which would not mak

eco-shopper hesitate before making an expensive purch

Australians, Kelli Donovan and Sean Watson came up wit

idea of their own to solve the matter. Keeping their motto

to Frock the couple provided us with sustainable fabrics like Organic Cotton, Pure Merino Wool, Bamboo, Soy, Hemp

Lyocel to name a few. They have named their Brand Pure Pod. Eco-Revolution in Fashion had just begun.

Meet Australias first eco-fashion couple

For a man who thought the fabrics used in this century were too mainstream and for a lady who wanted to be her own bo

thinking out of the box was no exception. Having studied at TAFE, it was in 1993 -1994 that Kelli decided to enter the fashio

dustry and begin her own eco-fashion label.

The lady, from Canberra, aims at making the industry real and pure to the fullest possible commercial extent. She believes m

ern day designers must return to Nature what they have taken from her; else it is the next generation which is bound to su

Ethical fashion was her aim in life and she achieved it with her man. The man in the spotlight Sean is a photographer byfession. From shooting fashion to selling fashion, it has been a wonderful and exciting transition says the man. It has b

the mans duty to make sure that Pure Pods technology is up-to-date and is as sustainable as his wifes designs. After muc

search work on textiles since 2005, Pure Pod was finally launched in 2007. At present, the companys clients are spread ac

Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States of America as well as Asia. Pure Pod was gifted its slogan - Be awar

what you wear by Sean himself, in 2007.

A Greener Podium For Fashion


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Pure-ing needs no prodding

The first thing Pure Pod made sure was that the products need to be 100% Australian and 100% local. This included purchasi

raw materials from the local markets to hiring local des

ers and workers to employing local people on board. T

step benefitted them in 3 different ways

Supervision over the work process became easy, e

suring quality and comfort of products.

Reducing Carbon Footprint (Transportation appro

mately is nil).

Upgrading the face of Australian Fashion Industry.

Kelli and Sean have ensured that the whole working gr

of Pure Pod remains a closely knit family. They have s

employed machinists, who decide their own working h

and charge accordingly. Payment is done fairly and everything is open to any person, something they call Ethical Business.

Makers, cutters, printers, administrators, pattern makers all of them love interacting within themselves. This makes the work

ambience special and homely.

Letting the Pod sprout

Ranging from Hand-made Soaps for $3.85 to ear-rings for $12.60 to designer eco-wear ranging from $53.90 to $245.00, Pure

Pod offers you dresses and accessories over a wide range of collections ( Summer, Winter and Spring).

The Green Symptoms

Dyeing of cloth is done by using low impact dyeing processes. It is free from use of extensive chemicals and heavy m

als. The only chemicals used are salt and soda ash.

Many of the designs are made of naturally obtained or self grown wood, shell, bamboo and coconut.

Total number of trims per product has been reduced by a great margin.

Using non bio-degradable inks is a strict no-no as the company makes use of water based inks for printing processes

The Pure Pod studio runs entirely on solar, hydro and wind energies, thus nullifying the use of electricity and carbon fprint at the same time.

Office and Studio junk paper, fabric, trims, cuts, plastic and glasses are recycled by the company itself into reus

products for the market.

Fabric secrets

The fabrics used by Pure Pod have a different beginning, a greener middle and the same end trendy fashionable outwears.


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The Organic Cotton differs from Natural Cotton in ways like Organic cotton grows without any insecticides p

cides. Annually, 6,368 metric tonnes of Organic Cotton is manufactured, all without any chemical. Additional to this,

ganic Cotton is more economical for cotton growers than Natural Cotton.

Wool for Pure Pod comes from New Zealand and is ZQUE certified. This variety of Merino wool is preferred over Aus

ian Wool as sheep are allowed to graze over free pastures in New Zealand and the climatic conditions enhance the q

ty of wool. The Merino Wool so obtained is free from Mulesing.

Bamboo, being a very fine fabric, is used for baby -clothes and fleece bath-robes. The fabric obtained is silky and is i

to be draped as it doesnt stick to the skin in hotter climates. Add to that, Bamboo is available naturally at no cost

doesnt need to be mercerized. Bamboo proves to be more sustainable than Cotton for Pure Pod.

Hemp fibres, used by the company, are known for their durability and strength. Another naturally obtained fibre, this

tens with washing and turns out to be more comfortable with use. What works most is the fact that Hemp fabric is

proof!

Other than these, the soy, linen and silk are of market quality, though they turn out to be more sustainable in the long

Making the best use of eco-friendly and skin loving fabrics, Kelli and Sean have wonderful collections lined up for every b

(read Women!). Trendy, cool, modern, chic you get the exact kind of fabric you desire for your designer clothes. Ge

spired and inspire the mass. Discard those old sweaters and trousers that lie in your stuffed wardrobe. Hate them for

origin, for all the pollution that they have caused, for the diseases they have spread.

Visit www.purepod.comand cover yourself with something that shall make you feel proud, feel eco -conscious and save

Earth from another bout of Pesticides!
http://www.purepod.com/http://www.purepod.com/http://www.purepod.com/


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Ever been drunk with ecstasy at the sight of the first rose delivered by the erstwhile in

shrub planted by you in your kitchen garden? The joy of seeing your efforts coming to f

tion is divine indeed and Ashmeet Kapoor, the 27 years old budding youth from Delhi, is best person to give you a first hand account.

Amazing Ashmeet, the promising electrical engineering graduate from the Universit

British Columbia empowered with a master's degree in entrepreneurship from Brown U

versity, US, shunned his overseas comforts and came back to India without dilly dally

embark upon a noble mission as a powerful change agent. What was once a nascent i

started taking shape gradually with his start-up organic farming venture in a remote vill

in UP

Today he is the man behind Jagriti Agro Tech, a company that promotes organic farm

and I Say Organic, an online organic vegetable and fruits store that delivers farm fr

organic fruits, vegetables, pulses and lentils everyday to the doorstep of residents of D

& NCR. The highway to glory hasnt been particularly smooth and he had to carefully make his way among many a stumb

I SAY ORGANICRedefining Sustainable Fresh Organic Produce Supply ChainChain

Q: What inspired you to get involved into agriculture fo-

cused social enterprise?

'll answer that in 2 parts. One why social enterprise and and

then why agriculture.

ve been interested in the social enterprise space for a while.

4 years ago I started helping out a team working on a water

purification project in West Bengal as a side project. My inter-

est in the space grew, and I ended up being involved full time

with that group for a year. At that point there was no doubt in

my mind about where my career path was heading. I decided

to move back to India, and travel to and spend time in various

rural areas to figure out what it is that really needs to be done.

Though my interest initially was more in energy and water,

these initial few months of getting to know rural India really

changed my perspective of development. I felt that what rural

really needs are opportunities to enable a secure livelihood.

And this isn't something a lot of entrepreneurs, investors, gov-

ernment or other organizations are focusing on. When I

thought livelihoods, I thought agriculture - as everyone in

these areas is a farmer. But farming doesn't provide a sus-

tainable income anymore. And the reason is that farming itself

is highly unsustainable, both economically for the farmer

the environment. So on that note I thought I should do so

thing to change that I realized organic was the only model

addressed the issues holistically and within that the dome

market needs to really grow for it to make sense for farmto go organic. And that's how I Say Organic started a

some experiments of personally doing some farming and

teracting with the community in eastern UP.

Q: What major business challenges did you face w

starting your venture? How have you overcome them?

Starting out the biggest challenge was finding trustworthy

like-minded farmer groups who could be our suppliers. Th

groups had to be 100% authentic, so we had to filter out th

who we thought could be interested just to bank in on the

ganic premium. We needed farmers who, apart from see

market potential, truly believed in the concept of organic

we did. At the same time, these farmers needed to un

stand that this is a new market in India, and hence be wi

to sit across the table and draft a win -win agreement, so

both us and them can operate comfortably. It took a whil

find the suppliers who matched these criteria, specially


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cause there are very few organized groups cultivating vegeta-

bles..So it's hard to say how it was overcome. But it was nar-

rowing down on groups who were also truly passionate and

then drafting a win win agreement. Other than that, this being

a new market, the marketing/customer acquisition needs a lot

of work and effort.

Q: How has Delhi/ NCR market for organic food products

evolved since you started I Say Organic?

I mean the awareness is rising everyday. But it's only been 1

year, so it's hard to say any more than that.

Q: Certification is rapidly gaining importance, since it en-

sures that products/ process follow strict guidelines to

protect consumers health, environment as well as con-

serve the welfare of workers and local communities. Have

you undertaken any initiatives for your brand?

Clarification first - I'm not aware of any organic certification

which is checking for welfare of workers and communities.

You might be referring to fair trade, but there's very little activi-

ty in that for the domestic market. When it comes to organic

certification, yes, most of the farmers we work with are certi-

fied. That in itself is not enough I feel, there are loopholes in

the certification system, and for that and some other reason a

ot of people really dedicated to organic are actually against

certification. Anyway, the way we look at it, certification is im-

portant from customer trust point of view, but the customer is

not always convinced about how stringent it is. We also estab-

ish personal contacts with the farmers, and work through lo-

cal organizations who keep monitoring the farmers regularly.

Other than that, we do work with a few non certified farmers -

who we fully trust are as genuine as any certified farmer. For

some, the cost of certification is too high to bear, but they are

totally committed to organic.

Q: What differs I Say Organics from major hypermarket

chains?

Hypermarkets dont sell organic! Even if they do they carry

very few products, and hardly any fresh produce -

which is our main focus, as it is the most important part of an

organic diet.

Q: Agreed that fresh organic produces, cereals and p

es are healthy but generally more expensive than t

conventional cheaper rivals. Now, Indian consumers

price sensitive. What promotional strategies and mar

ing tools are you adapting for spreading awareness

optimizing higher customer conversion?

It's awareness in the end. Yes, they are more expensive

reason being that economies of scale haven't kicked in

But the premium is easily affordable for many household

you are able to afford an extra 3-4000 for a family of fou

your groceries a month (rupees 800 a person), and you t

that is a worthwhile investment in your family's health the

for it. The marketing has to convey that message. Other the fact that it is a convenient service, order anytime, get

livery anyday.

Q: Whats on the horizon for I Say Organic in the

10 years?

That's a long timeframe! Lot's I hope! All sorts of produ

Pan India presence.

Q: Have you adapted any eco-friendly/ green practic

terms of packaging ?

Minimal packaging!


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You love to party. And whenever there is a celebration, bottle

champagne and wine adorn your completely packed dining ta

By the time everyone drank to their hearts content, you find a

of empty bottles in front of you, which you dump in your garb

bin.

Now, what you need to know is such wine bottles make up

than 5% of our land-fills. Such glass bottles are not only an e

ronment hazard, but also are they used for wrong purposes if

recycled. Recycling is done hardly to one-third of the total num

of bottles thrown away. What is more astonishing is the fact

the total number of bottles disposed by Americans every m

shall be sufficient to fill a large sky-scraper!

This is a spot of bother as you dont know what to do with t

either. You have your own lives and cant afford to spend an

on these waste-bottles. Why not let Refresh Glass take t

from you? This Phoenix based company up-cycles such u

wine bottles and converts them into something that can be used for serving drinks, yet again. Ranging from glasses to s

candles, Refresh Glass shall make best use of those glass bottles and at the same time, ease the burden off Natures should

The wine starts blending

Having completed his BS and MS in Industrial Technology from Cal Poly SLO, Ray DelMuro was working as a manufactu

engineer for an aerospace company in Southern California. After 5 years of work, he decided to take a world tour. After vis

20 countries and 39 cities, when he returned home, a different man, he found a glass cutting tool that he had ordered be

eaving. The first piece of glass he tried his hands on took hours to get moulded into something he wanted to create. It was t

that he began searching for ideas to make this job easier, industrial, profitable and efficient. Ray decided to impart some o

Engineering knowledge into it. As ideas kept growing, he started looking for resources, sources for his enterprise. The compa

Refresh Glass was formed in 2009. Having done a nice piece of home work, it started collecting wine bottles from restaur

and other locations locally, within Phoenix. What follows collection is cleaning the bottles and making them germ -free. Then

abels are removed and using a cutting torch, it is given the outline of the shape it shall turn into. Depending on the type of gl

the bottle is either converted into another re-usable wine bottle or a flower vase.

Cheers!

Innovation is something that the world needs, and when the innovation is something green i n colour, something unique

something with great potential, it is sure to grab eye-balls. In 2010, within 1 year of its foundation, Refresh Glass has succes

y collected and up-cycled 60,000 wine bottles, all from different sources hotels, landfills, junk yards etc.


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Arizona Republic, in 2009 itself, selected Ray as one of the Top 35 Male Entrepreneurs under the age of 35, within the Stat

Arizona. In 2010 again, the company was selected as the Recycling Small Business of the Year by Arizona Recycling Coali

Refresh Glass, now aims at repurposing 10 Million bottles per year a target which shall change the face of landfills, given

fact that wine bottles shall take up to 4000 years to decompose in to the environment.

Wine bottles into ?

Having started off by manufacturing just wine or normal glasses, Refresh Glasses has expanded into other products:

Refresh Glasses

Uses: Perfect for serving water, wine or iced tea.

Availability: Variety of colours, with 3 differently coloured glasses

in each mixed set.

Sizes: 4 tall (12 oz) and 5.5 tall (16 oz).

Pocket Pinch: Prices range from $24 to $40 depending on thecolour chosen.

Refresh Bottles

Contains: 16 oz glass at the bottom and a separable top half.

Both halves can be used separately or together. 2 LED votives (Replaceable Batteries last 100 hours).

Pocket Pinch: Prices range from $30 to $32 depending on the colour chosen.

Refresh Carafes

Uses: Can be adopted as a carafe (to serve wine or drink from) as well as aflower vase.

Variety: Comes in 2 colours Amber and Green.

Pocket Pinch: The Amber and Green shades, both cost $15 each.

Refresh Planters

Contains: Comes with a 16 oz glass at the bottom and a top. 4 grommets and

1 screen. String, tape and the label are provided. Plants are not included in the package.

Pocket Pinch: The Amber and Green varieties come for $20 while the Antique variety comes for $22.

Refresh Soy Candles

Contains: Come in 9 oz containers. 40 hours burn time (average)

Variety:Available in 4 different fragrances Blood Orange, Red Currant, Eucalyptus and Green Tea

Pocket Pinch: Each candle comes for $25 each, irrespective of the fragrance you choose.

Do you know: Recycling 1 bottle of w

saves energy which can be used to ligh

up a 100 Watt bulb for 6 hours. On the baof this, Refresh Glass has already provid

15,000 days of bulb lighting, just in 2012

you are a person who can afford expens

wine, this is not something big for you. A

if you are not one of the very rich, sav

$40-50 shall not be a big issue for you non

theless.


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You drop the trash bag into the Garbage Bin every night. You wonder where all of this gets stored or disposed. It surely looks

a small volume, doesnt it? Think again!

The total amount of trash collected in the United States of America every ye

250 million tonnes (250,000,000,000Kgs)!

Imagine the area required to dump such a huge amount of weight. Imagine

total expenditure in terms of money, energy and time to break the bigger o

into fine pieces.

Times Square, alone, generates 15,300 pounds of trash every day, that is, 900 garbage bags. Now, even if you have score

Trash Bins in front of you, this huge quantity shall make them look meagre. So, the need of the hour is a trash collector and c

pactor. Sure, the market has them in plenty, but again, the Earth needs something that is sustainable, something that works w

out damaging natures beauty, without polluting the environment. Big Belly Solarcomes to our spot-light as it provides us

compacting trash receptacles which run entirely on Solar Energy. So, the next time you see the words Use Me, you know

beneficial to actually use it.

Waste, waste, waste everywhere

In places around the country, either the litter bins were overflowing; causing problems to commuters or Collection Vehicles w

responsible for a huge chunk of CO2 gas being released for extremely frequent trips.

The year 2003 saw the foundation of Big Belly Solar, a company based in Newtown, MA. It aimed at striking this area w

had been least explored waste collection. Eventually, it came up with a solution which the world has overlooked for a long,

time Solar Energy. Empowering this into its Waste-Collectors and Compactors, the company realized that it could not only s

garbage space but also do it for no electric cost.

The problem of public garbage disposal and recycling has been touched upon by Big Belly Solar as it has successfully ra

awareness in cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago.

Having raised its products to a newer level, the company, now, looks forward to compostable solutions of waste collection.

Big Belly Solar trash compactors have been a great hit in areas where they already have been implemented.

Raising the bar higher

Starting from its quality to its sustainability, Big Belly Solar has ticked all the boxes with perfection.

The company has won many awards for this innovation and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Best Practice. Black and w

boxes are too mainstream, arent they? Big Belly Solar allows you to personalize and wrap your stations according to your w

es. They even provide you with graphic designers, in case you are confused with the colour schemes. These stations can als

used for Advertisement purposes as posters or stickers can be put on them as well. Each station has 3 sections: Cans, Bot

Garbage and Paper.


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All the Big Belly stations are manufactured in Kentucky and Vermont, thereby keeping the idea national. The parts are mad

recycled steel and plastic (from different sources). There is solar panel attached, which charges the battery inside, for an em

gency use of 72 hours. This is why the stations keep churning and breaking down wastes even in the middle of the night

even on rainy or cloudy days.

Why feed this hungry Belly?Every time you see two garbage stations in front of you, go for Big Belly Solar, because

Volume efficient -They take up the same volume as any other station, but the power to compact garbage increases

total waste storage volume 5 times!

Fewer pick-ups Trash collection is generally done 16 times every week for normal bins. The Big Belly Solar stat

make sure that the clean-up and pick-up men dont have to work more than twice a week for every bin.

Reduces fuel consumption Point 2 insures that the pick-up vehicles use 80% lesser fuel and thus reduces emis

of Greenhouse Gases as well.

Electricity-free system 100% solar is the key to success for Big Belly Solar. Directly harnessing the Suns ene

these stations do not need any more power resource.

Animal and bird proof The stations are so designed that neither cats nor crows can feed on the leftovers, thus

venting a mess on the pavements. This also saves certain endangered species Personalization to suit your style

discussed earlier, you can use these not just for a single purpose. Add to that, special designs for home -fitted sta

are also available.

Pocket Pinch: Different designs come for different prices, which you can learn by contacting them at http://www.bigbelly.c

contact/.

If Mayor Bloomberg and Times Square Alliance can env

the Times Square adding a 1000 more of such stations in a

tion to the 30 (now), within a year, covering 5 boroughs,

should you be behind?

Awaken your locality, get all the people together, collect $4

approximately, and I believe that should be enough for you

your neighbours to purchase one big Belly Solar station. A

have we suffered from the pangs of pollution, a lot from the

around us. Make a change, be the

change. If no-one around seems

terested, get one for your kitchen, inspire others, inspire all.

Go green, go Big Belly Solar!

[Courtesy: Bu.edu]
http://www.bigbelly.com/contact/http://www.bigbelly.com/contact/http://www.bigbelly.com/contact/http://www.bigbelly.com/contact/http://www.bigbelly.com/contact/


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Love at first sight is what fits very well to describe the Home Dcor and Lifestyle products of ROPE.

They are amazing to behold, serene and pure in their look and exquisite in their designs. But, there are numerous beautiful th

that catch our eye and we go gaga with their beauty. So, what is so special about these products? These products are 100% e

friendly. They are uniquely designed, handmade or hand woven using eco -friendly materials and processes. Right from the se

tion of raw materials, colors, textures, pattern, and form everything is guided by nature. Apart from that, what qualifies the p

ucts from ROPE to become buyers choice is that, they reflect a beautiful synergy between the natural materials, global fas

trends, and utility aspect.

Twisting the strands to make the ROPE

ROPE (Rural Outsourced Production Enterprises), is a Chennai-based enterprise (Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu, In

which commenced operations in March 2007. Started with a mission to integrate domestic and international markets with the

organized sector of rural arts and handicrafts and help the artisans to get a fair valuation of their produce, ROPE has come a way.

Sreejith NN, chief executive of ROPE, has achieved remarkable success in his first entrepreneurial experience. Sreejith met

rick Fischer (co-founder and international development head at ROPE) and they decided to turn entrepreneurial partners

ROPE. The duo approached Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala who had started the Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTB

IIT (Madras).

ROPES start-up operations were funded by RTBI. RTBI not only provided the space but also bore the expenditures, inclu

employee salaries during the incubation phase. This association also lent it credibility while interacting with prospective clie

apart from attracting other investors. The gestation period was not very long and within a year of its operation, the organiza

became self- sufficient.

Twists, turns and lo! A new knot!When we think of Home, we think of people we love and our cozy corner that gives us the comfort of our cocoon, where we

ust ourselves. So when we close our eyes, we can see our special corner with our favorite table, pen holder, book rack, rugs

covers, folders, pouches, vases, decorative pieces and so on.

Rope caters to this need of love and cozy comfort by designing such life style products that not only adds to the aesthetics

also strengthens a bond of emotion with the products which are skillfully crafted and beautifully designed keeping in view

functionality aspect integral to the designs.

We can see innovation at its best in the products of ROPE. It has pioneered the use of agricultural waste materials for desig

beautiful home utility products. It is very refreshing to see hand woven and knitted products made from natural fibers like ban

rope; Sisal fiber; elephant grass; korai and sisal (types of reed); and jute. Their products use natural dyes and by using their p

ucts the buyers help in reducing the amount of harmful chemicals their happy cheerful homes. Their designs represent the

values of sustainability and responsibility.


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Drawing it longer and longer

The creative design team of ROPE is equipped with latest in software and hardware tools, and

a very efficient communication culture at ROPE motivates the design team to be constantly in

touch with the global buyers, specialists, consultant designers and retailers. This certainly helps

to meet the ever-changing customer tastes, stringent quality norms and sales targets from time

to time. This certainly indicates a seasoned design process.

Another remarkable feature that adds feathers to the cap of ROPE is that, they use the best

management practices along with cutting edge technology to constantly maintain a healthy

equilibrium among price, quality and social responsibility.

Home furnishing, lifestyle and storage accessories from ROPE are exquisitely handmade or

hand woven. The use of locally available natural raw materials, traditional skills of highly skilled workforce is the hallmar

ROPE products, (they are specially trained by ROPE) to maintain a high standard of quality

The very fact that ROPE products are awarded with the prestigious Craft mark certification say a great deal about the busin

ethics of ROPE. The key fair trade principles namely transparency and accountability is followed by ROPE in all manufactu

units. Be it payment of fair wages; ensuring no child labor and forced labor is used; or be it commitment to non -discriminatio

the basis of caste, language, or religion or gender, ROPE ensures that they are followed strictly. In addition, ROPE factories c

ply with the specific process and quality standards required by the buyers like the IWAY norms of IKEA.

Perfection achieved and how!

Responsibility of People & Environment is considered to be the most important core value for every kind of Business. RO

takes this from a mere concept to the core of their operating philosophy. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not just a

ture of this business model; its in the heart of ROPE. While making environment friendly products to enhance the lifestyle of

buyers is their motto, nurturing the initiatives to enhance the standard of living of people who make these products is the v

they live by. Responsibility towards society and environment can be seen across all the operations of ROPE, right from pro

design to raw material consumptions and management. ROPEs business model is customer driven as it functions on the bas

customers orders. This has helped ROPE to create a space for itself in this highly competitive market. Apart from that, it is

tainly technology that became a key component for ROPEs success. The recent spread of Internet and mobile phone acces

rural areas, an efficient supply chain management for geographically dispersed rural producers has been successfully create

ROPE. While ROPE operates from a central hub in Chennai in Tamil Nadu to oversee the logistics and impose quality check

trols on the handicrafts, the production groups work at the villages.

Is it strong enough to sustain the load, the tension?

After ROPEs intervention, the income levels of village artisans have almost tripled to an average annualized income o

36,000. Witnessing a higher standard of living in terms of housing, health and education, the artisans now have smiles on t

ips and hope in their eyes that they still can preserve the traditional handicrafts and other art forms.


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July 201

PRODUCT NEWS


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(Courtesy: Apartmenttherapy.com]We all love to go for picnics. But every time we do so, the spots are never left spotless. Ranging from paper plates to non

degradable Chinese dish containers and plastic glasses; we ruin the beauty of the place. By the time cleaning up is done, na

oses its precious moments of beauty and the environment experiences a sharp pinch.

You might be wondering paper plates are bio -degradable. But you forget the plastic coating on them and also the fact tha

every ton of paper plates used, the Earth ends up losing 12 trees. Imagine the number of picnic -goers every year and then im

ne the number of trees being felled for this luxury. Thousands!

EATware - Environment Appropriate Tableware has come up with a very natural solution to tackle this problem. With its p

aging products like tray, bowl, lunch box or containers made of Bamboo and Sugar-cane, you shall be surprised to know

these can be consumed as well (Which you must not, obviously!).

Fibre revolution to eradicate white pollution

In the 1990s, when White Pollution caused by non biodegradable one -time food containers was on the rise, EATware sta

Bamboozling


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researching on environmentally preferable products.

With 3.391 Billion units of plastic containers being used every year worldwide, which would take 200 -500 years to completely

solve into nature, EATware came up with a design which was 100% natural and at the same time, with no chemical additives.

The products are made of raw pulp fibres, agricultural by-product fibres, bamboos, sugar-canes, reeds, starch and finally, w

The additive used is pure organic and is called EATplus. This additive, using cross -linking mechanism, increases the mecha

properties of the fibres used for manufacturing. No chemicals are used to colour the products as they retain their natural br

hue.

This came as a boon when Extruded Polystyrene (EPS), generally used in containers, was banned in 100 cities in the Un

States of America owing to its negative environment effects. The EATware products are bleach-free and are compostable and

-degradable as well!

Is it durable? Is it usable?

When you first heard Bamboo and Sugar-cane being the ingredients, you must have wondered about the life of the contain

But there is lot more to it

100% decomposable Generally the plastic containers that you use take centuries to be broken down. These prod

on the other hand, decompose in soil in hardly 6 months and in 14 days in water! Go green!

Extreme condition resistant You can store oil or water in these containers and the temperature can be raised u

250 degree Celsius as well!

Durability With a tensile strength much greater than steel, EATware products are much more durable than the o

you use now. Bamboo being high on fibre content, it proves to be the most durable natural source.

Green Manufacturing While leading container manufacturing companies turn out immense amount to heat energ

a by-product, EATware manufacturing technology consumes much less power and maximises production.

Microwave Oven proof You might be sceptical about heating your food in those plastic containers, lest they melt.

EATware containers maintain their structure and can go for micro-wave cooking.

Easy refrigeration While juicy fruits can be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, dry food items can be stored in th

containers for as long as 3 months!

Multipurpose use After the containers are used, they can be used as fodder directly, without adding any further ch

icals. Deseret Ranches, you listening?

Competitive costs Availability of Bamboo and such fibres along with low cost production makes the price of th

containers extremely low and keeps them suitable for the market at the same time.

The environment friendliness and decomposability of EATware products are in accordance with European EN13432 stand

and have been approved by FDA for food contact.

Having debuted in International Expos in 2007, EATware products are marketed by Global Food Trades, Excellent Pack

BeNatural and others. The products have been internationally acclaimed and are in great demand.

So, throw away your plastic containers for one last time and get yourself an EATware product (tray or lid or lunch -box or con

er) easily, by visiting http://www.eatware.com/en/index.html .
http://www.eatware.com/en/index.htmlhttp://www.eatware.com/en/index.htmlhttp://www.eatware.com/en/index.html


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All of us grow up with the Great American Dream Big house, small and happy family. Most of our sources are limited, ye

ove to think. Expenditures come in unexpected ways in our lives. Such is the condition that even to dispose of sewage w

waste we need to shell out a lot of money every year, right from installation to maintenance. And at the end of the year,

think Did I just shell out a thousand dollars for cleaning up what I threw away? Add to that the sewage treatment plant in

neighbourhood releases a huge amount of CO2 a greenhouse gas that pollutes the air and provides you with poiso

breathe in.

Behold the rescuer BIOROCK an internationally acclaimed company, leading in sewage treatment technology that prov

you with electricity-free solutions!

Cleaning up since 1988

Since its formation in 1988, BIOROCKhas progressed in design, technology and greener solutions to sewage water treatm

What stands out is the affordability of the products. It has a completely unique sewage treatment system, which does not

sume electricity, requires no air compressor and add to that, is free from moving parts. BIOROCKsewage treatment syst

range in sizes from a single house system to a multiple house system. They are also used in restaurants, hotels, schools, hol

chalets and shopping malls as well.

BIOROCK-S comes in 3 sizes again depending on person equivalence sizes being 5, 10 and 15. In case of a bigger dem


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they can be fitted in parallel, thus accommodating 30 or 45 or 60 people equivalents at a go. On the other hand, a BIOROC

has a maximum capacity of 300 people equivalents in a single tank.

The tanks can be fitted in new settlements and at the same time can be retrofitted to an existing septic tank. What the comp

guarantees is 99% reduction in pollutants and provides a lot better service than other leading sewage treatment solution plant

Why should I upgrade to BIOROCK tanks?

Save on electricity Every year, owing to the electric power supply, you are forced to shell out approximately $4

These tanks offer you sustainable solutions at low or zero running costs as electricity cost is $0!

No Breakdown problems The normal electric tanks require moving parts, rotating discs and air compressors. Y

BIOROCK tank needs none of these. Hence, no breakdown, no servicing. This results in zero harassment and saving

$480 every year.

De-Sludging costs While other electric tanks need to be de-sludged annually, BIOROCK tanks need that once in

ry 4-5 years. This again saves $400 approximately every year. Total annual savings (standard size BIOROC

$1280.

Reduces air pollution In comparison to other tanks, BIOROCKs sewage treatment plants emit up to 500Kgs le

Carbon Dioxide (CO2), yielding cleaner air to intake.

Extremely eco-friendly BIOROCK tanks have low carbon footprint and also come with solar power options. They

EN-12566-3:2005 certified and prEN12566-7:2006 tested. The working is completely silent and causes no noisy dist

ance.

Value for money You get up to 99% purification at extremely low costs. Thus, highly cost -effective.

Installation costs of these tanks are similar to any other tank in the market. But in the long run, they are the ones who shall s

your pockets. After all Every penny saved is a penny earned.

So, turn eco-friendly, turn environment conscious. Save your wallets and switch to BIOROCK. You can know more about t

products and procedure by visiting their official website -http://www.biorock.ie/.
http://www.biorock.ie/http://www.biorock.ie/http://www.biorock.ie/


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Every time you shave or apply soap while washing your hands, you leave the tap flowing. You forget that while water flows in

front of you endlessly; there are 780 Million people around the world (2.5 times the total population of the United States of Am

ca), for whom running taps are a pleasure unheard of. 3.4 Million People die every year owing to lack of proper water facilities

For every minute of flowing water you waste, they are deprived of a days quota of drinking. These facts leave you shaken up

you up with guilt. But even after all this; you are not able to reduce your share to this problem. The sole culprit - Out of sight, o

of mind.

But Yan Lu, designer of the 2012 London Olympics podiums, has come up with a measure to help you keep a check on the

amount of water you waste every time you use the sink. Using the help of just a fish, you could play a role in bringing down th

death toll every year. Behold the Poor Little Fishbowl Sink.

What the fish is this?A product/interaction designer by profession, London based Yan Lu has obviously studied human psychology to come up with

this new design. He has graduated from the Royal College of Art and Imperial Colleges double MA + M.Sc Innovation Design

Engineering Programme.

Studies show that man realizes his mistakes only when he finds someone in a state of bother for his deeds. So, Yans idea wa

to attach a fish bowl to the top of a sink. The bowl is filled with water and a fish in then dropped into it. Whenever water flows

the tap, the water level in the bowl lowers at the same rate. This shows the user the amount of water he/she wastes every tim

As conscience strikes, he/she is forced to close the tap to save the fish from getting an untimely farewell.


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The message: With no water, the fish is lifeless. And so are you.

Some of you must be disgusted at the thought of having to clean your hands using fish water. Lus solution makes sure tha

source of water for the faucet and the fish bowl are completely different. The level of water in the bowl is just an indication to

user, and it never completely drains out. As such, the fish shall never die but your emotions shall never let the bowl reach d

gerously low levels. As soon as you close the tap, the water level in the bowl reaches its actual level. Prodigious? Indigenous

Is it all a dream?

It makes the user save 3-4 litres of water every day. At this rate, if used globally, water scarcity shall be eradicated in 4 -5 ye

Increases awareness of water conservation among the people. More you learn, the more you apply. More you apply, the m

you save. But PETA has made sure that design must not materialize. All for the sake of the fish Though the bowl is ne

drained out, the frequent change in water levels disrupts the fishs living conditions and harms its growth. Fishes are smart c

tures and they turn dull when confined within bowls or sinks. It ceases their Independence. In a letter to Yan Lu, PETA

offered another solution of using fake fishes in place of real ones, if the design is commercialised some day. This shall surel

sult in water conservation without costing another creatures life and development.

This concept might turn real or it may just remain a concept. Whatever it is, Poor Little Fishbowl Sink is what the world ne

now. It is for us to rise, to realize, to remember that every time we use the sink, we must use it judiciously. The Poor Little F

bowl Sink is one such measure that would really serve the cause.


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Mans quest for knowledge and adventure takes him to places unheard of. Say, you are on a trip to a developing country a

world nation. To survive there, you need food, water, shelter and communication. Nature shall provide you with the first 3, bu

fourth option sometimes becomes unavailable as your cell -phone battery dies out in the time of isolation, when you are sudd

ost!

Especially in Africa - where more than 90% of the villages in 11 countries (including Liberia, Chad, Burundi, Rwanda and oth

and 95-97% of the population in 6 of them are electricity deprived you shall be in a spot of bother. You might also end up in

midst of the 1.5 Billion people in any part of the world who do not have the luxury to use Thomas Alva Edisons 130 year ol

vention electric lighting.

But at the same time, there are 2.5 Billion people worldwide including 90% of the population of 14 different countries - who

pend on wood and charcoal as their source of fuel as they cannot afford modern day LPG. Keeping all this in mind, Point So

Power Inc. has come up with VOTO Charger a device that converts firewood cooking into your phone charger and at the sa

time, provides LED lighting. Talk of striking 2 birds with the same stone!


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Vote for VOTO 2008 was the founding year of Point Source Power, a company based in Alameda, CA. It aimed at develo

and commercialising biomass fuel power generation systems in a world reeling under power crisis. The founders Craig Ja

son (CEO) and Michael Tucker (CTO) came up with a unique process Votosynthesis. This includes converting of Car

compounds (from plants or biomass) and Oxygen into electricity, heat and water. This includes converting of Carbon compo(from plants or biomass) and Oxygen into electricity, heat and water. Around the world, a tremendous amount of heat energ

wasted while cooking with wood or charcoal. The founders incorporated the method of Votosynthesis in these areas and ficame up with VOTO low-cost biomass-fuelled cell phone charger and LED light.

As you cook, their fuel cell stores the heat energy and then converts into chemical energy, which in turn is used up your

phone and the Light Emitting Diode. The best part? It just takes 3 -4 hours to fully charge your VOTO and cell phone and pro

you with 30 hours of lighting at the same time!

Why should VOTO be vetoed?You must be wondering Why should I bother to purchase one if I dont go out for tours?

For both hikers and non-hikers VOTO charger is beneficial for not just one specific reason

Reduces energy loss -50% of the energy obtained from wood or charcoal is wasted as heat energy. This escapes

in turn causes suffocation. A VOTO charger use up this part of the energy and thus minimizes the loss.

Provides easier source to charge Of the 1.5 Billion people living in places with no electricity, many of them poss

cell phones. They have to travel to far off places to get them charged. A VOTO provides you with an in -home solution

Reduces electricity consumption For those non-hikers and non-adventurous people out there, VOTO helps you

a few dollars from your electricity bill!

Quick Solution VOTOs 4000 mAh battery can be charged completely in just 2 cooking sessions, which is quicker

most electric chargers.

Free lighting Other than just charging your cell phone, at the cost of nothing, a VOTO charger gives out 25 lumen

light (enough for personal use) for up to 30 hours. Electricity bill goes down again!

Suitable for campers If you love camping, cooking in firewood shall leave you with light for your tent as well as cha

your cell phone for

Documents

InnovateUs Magazine July 2013