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October 2004

Biota Spring Water: Biodegradable Bottles

Biota is the first spring water to be packaged in a compostable bottle. The bottle is made of a corn-based bioplastic, which was exclusively created for Biota by Naturework PLA. The bioplastic is an alternative to PET which is the petroleum-based plastic commonly used to bottle beverages. PET takes about a thousand years to decompose. [...]

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Virgin Boomtube: Portable Speakers

We like the “Boomtube” portable speaker system from Virgin, because, unlike other portable units we have tried, this one is designed to be durable enough to carry in your backpack for years. The tube has an anodized aluminum housing which resists stains and scratches, but weighs in at only two pounds. The speakers are 2” [...]

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Whitepod: HyperEfficient Alpine Retreat

Whitepod is a zero-impact camp for ten guests situated over 1700m high in the Swiss Alps. It consists of five portable pods on platforms, which are removed in spring and leave absolutely no trace. The emphasis is on comfortable accomodation close to nature without negative environmental impacts. Access is by ski or snowshoes only. There [...]

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Expanko: Regenerative Flooring

Expanko makes flooring out of two regenerative materials: cork and rubber. They also make a unique product which combines both cork and rubber, called XCR3, an example of which is pictured here. To produce cork flooring, virgin cork bark and cork waste from the manufacturing of other cork products is recycled and ground into small [...]

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Patagonia: Effective Clothing

Patagonia is one of the more well-known environmentally conscious corporations, and rightly so. Not all their materials and processes are metaefficient, but they are definitely an example of a viable eco-effective company. Patagonia makes use of organic cotton, organic wool, cashmere, hemp and recycled plastic fleece in their clothing. They also have many environmental initiatives [...]

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American Apparel: Organic Cotton

American Apparel has a range of men’s and women’s organic cotton shirts and underwear at reasonable prices as part of their “Sustainable Edition” line. The clothing is made in California in sweatshop-free conditions. The jersey T pictured is available for $15. Web Site: American Apparel

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Icebreaker Jackets: Innovative Merino Wool

Icebreaker, a New Zealand company specializing in merino wool performance wear, has just introduced a new line of jackets named PurePlus. The jackets are constructed from two merino fabrics: a stretch knit interior laminated to a finely woven exterior. They are wind resistant, warm and highly breathable. We’ve noted the virtues of merino wool in [...]

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Soy Clothing: Neo-Metaefficient

Soy in clothing isn’t exactly new. Henry Ford first talked of it in the 1940s and was photographed wearing the first known soy suit and tie. Soy fibers largely disappeared though, until recent developments in China. Now, soybean protein fiber is being marketed as a “vegetable cashmere” — a new eco-friendly luxury textile. Those who’ve [...]

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ReAir Refillable Duster

This is a refillable, pressurized air duster, used for cleaning computers and other electronics. It can be refilled using a standard bike pump, by attaching the pump to the valve at the back of the can. This is more efficient and less wasteful than the conventional disposable air dusters. According Adam Fields, who tested the [...]

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Merino Wool Jackets by Ibex

Ibex makes a range of performance wear, using merino wool as their primary ingredient. Merino wool is much softer against the skin than regular wool. Pictured is their men’s “Full Zip” merino wool jacket, priced at $140. Let’s review why merino wool is hypereffective: it’s renewable, biodegradable, an excellent insulator, lightweight (warmest material by weight), [...]

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