Tiks cuffs aim to break the plastic waste circle

Companies around the globe looking for ways to battle plastic waste are coming up with innovative ways to tackle the issue. Cape Clasp, based out of Falmouth, Massachusetts, is an example of a business putting the health of the ocean front and center with the release of Tikós— a line of bracelets made from recycled plastic.

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While each bracelet, or cuff, represents 100 plastic bottles removed from the ocean, the message goes well beyond simply recycling plastic. The leaders at Cape Clasp believe that education is a more powerful tool than recycling. After all, the only way we will ever solve the massive single-use plastic problem is to change the habits of those causing the issue in the first place.

Related: Surfing trip leads to 4Ocean cleaning coastlines around the world

“Creating a new market for ocean plastic will drive its removal, but that won’t be enough to protect marine life,” says Patrick Clarke, founder of Cape Clasp. “No matter how much plastic we remove from the water, there will always be more flowing in unless we change our habits.”

So while the company turns post-consumer plastic into products, diverting that waste from landfills, their mission is to change the behaviors that produce the plastic waste currently endangering marine animals. With that in mind, each cuff stands as a reminder to the wearer. Color coded to represent different challenges, consumers can choose one or collect them all.

Blue: “Bring a Bag” reminds consumers to tote your own reusable shopping bag to help conserve natural resources like petroleum (plastic) and trees (paper), plus eliminate the plastic bags tumbling down the coastline. Black: “Skip the Straw” by either asking your server to hold it when you order or by bringing your own reusable straw. Plastic straws are one of the top waste materials clogging beaches and endangering ocean wildlife. Teal: “Keep the Cup” your morning coffee comes in and find a way to reuse it. Better yet, bring your own cup in for refills and skip the single use altogether. Tan: “Clean the Coast” with every trip to the beach. Bring along a garbage bag and pick up debris as you stroll, or think big and organize a beach clean up event.

With a purpose-driven mission to clean up the ocean and protect the animals, Cape Clasp has joined forces with myriad similar-minded organizations to further their goal. Donating 15 percent of their profits, the company has raised over $35,000 in the past two years, which has helped fund partners working to protect the dolphins, whales, sea turtles, sharks and the Cape Cod coastline.

+ Cape Clasp

Images via Cape Clasp

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This unique eco home was designed to reduce energy use

Located in Toronto, Canada, this eco home by Craig Race Architecture was built entirely with sustainability in mind. The 1,800-square-foot house was a passion project for the architect, who wanted to use the space to test high-performing methods for the outer elements that facilitate climate control within the house.

The highlight of the home is its high-quality insulation. Superior insulation in a structure design can maintain a dry, hot or cold temperature inside by creating a barrier between exterior and interior environments. In the Curvy Eco Home’s case, a majority of the insulation was installed as a continuous, unbroken layer on the outside of the building, which greatly reduced the number of localized areas with low thermal resistance.

Related: This family-friendly home is a beacon of modern energy-efficient design in Calgary

In combination with the insulation, the home is also almost completely airtight. According to the architects’ energy modeling, they were able to reduce the heating energy in the home by 40 percent by using $1,500 worth of tape to ensure exceptional airtightness. Not only will this dramatically reduce the owner’s electricity bill, but the home itself will be much more comfortable no matter the season.

A large amount of glass on the south side of the home allows for passive heating. To reduce energy needs, an in-floor radiant system was installed with separate thermostats for either side of the home. This way, when the passive heating is being utilized on the south side, the owner can turn off half the electric heat, maintaining a comfortable temperature throughout.

There is an air conditioner in the house for the hottest days of summer; however, it rarely needs to be used thanks to the skylight purposely placed to move air in and out of the house for natural ventilation.

The curvature in the exterior design of the home was intended to follow the same pattern as the street and to maximize space. All of the materials used for cladding are either recycled and/or sustainable, including the cedar shingles. The roof, side walls and south wall were made with standing-seam galvalume panels, which are long-lasting and maintenance-free. The panels are also untreated — meaning no toxic paint or coating — and can be recycled in the future.

Inside, the eco home features a rather minimalist design. Each room benefits from a bright, airy atmosphere thanks to natural light, white walls and light wood accents. The kitchen boasts marble countertops and backsplash, while the bedrooms earn extra charm from exposed wood ceiling beams.

+ Craig Race Architecture

Via ArchDaily

Photography via Robert Watson via Craig Race Architecture

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This minimalist prefab playhouse features locally sourced timber, recycled rubber flooring and all-natural finishes

While many children’s playhouses might be filled with overly complicated bells and whistles, sometimes the minimalist route is the best way to go when it comes to connecting young minds with nature. Already known for its exquisite minimalist prefab structures, Japanese firm Koto Design has unveiled the Ilo Playhouse, a tiny prefabricated cabin made out of sustainable materials.

Inspired by the simplicity of Scandinavian log cabins, the Ilo Playhouse was designed to create a space where kids could be inspired by nature. The tiny cabin is an angular volume with a sloped roof, adding a geometric aesthetic to the interior and exterior. Three walls envelope the interior with the fourth wall left entirely open to create a seamless connection between the indoors and outdoors.

Related: BIG and WeWork design a nature-inspired school for kids in NYC

According to the architects, the openness of the design, enhanced by additional cutouts in the walls, was intentional so that the space could be open just enough to not feel isolated. It also makes the structure a fun place to play in inclement weather, providing shelter from light rain, for example. The minimalist layout on the interior allows for children to make the space their own, with furniture, toys, art and craft tables, or to simply take in the fresh air during a good old-fashioned game of tag.

In addition to being a nature-inspired design, the cabin is also entirely constructed out of sustainable materials chosen for their durability. The playhouse is clad in an attractive, locally sourced larch wood, and the flooring is made out of recycled rubber. Additionally, all of the paints and finishes used in the cabin’s construction were all sourced from natural products. The structures are prefabricated in the U.K. and can be delivered to nearly any location.

+ Koto Design

Photography by Tracey Hosey via Koto Design

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U.S. produces more waste and recycles less than other developed countries

Compared to the rest of the world, the waste and recycling stats in the U.S. just can’t compete. Although the U.S. is just 4 percent of the world’s total population, the country produces 12 percent of the total solid waste of 2.1 billion tons per year. When researchers from the global risk firm Verisk Maplecroft compared the numbers, they found that the U.S. lags behind other developed nations in terms of its capacity to handle and recycle waste.

The average American generates 1,700 pounds of trash every year, including 234 pounds of plastic waste. That’s three times more than what the Chinese produce and seven times more than Ethiopians. But the problem isn’t just waste generation — what happens to all the waste is where the U.S. is embarrassingly behind the times.

Related: Even the most remote islands are victims of plastic pollution

“Where the U.S. is doing badly is the relationship between what it generates and its capacity to recycle,” said study author Niall Smith. “And relative to it’s high income peers, that’s where it is performing poorly.”

On average, the U.S. is able to recycle 35 percent of all solid waste produced. Germany, in the lead for recycling efficiency, is able to recycle 68 percent of all waste.

According to the researchers, the U.S. lacks the proper infrastructure to sustainably handle the waste and process the recycling and needs to find new places to send its plastic waste, with China refusing to accept more and the Philippines sending waste ships back at its shores. Much of the plastic in the U.S. is still burned in incinerators rather than recycled.

While increased recycling and recycling infrastructure is paramount, Smith argues that there is already enough plastic in the world to cause a massive crisis for human and ecological health and that recycling is not enough.

“There’s too much focus on recycling being the kind of silver bullet solution, which it is not,” Smith said. Instead, Americans need to focus on transforming into a zero-waste culture.

Via BBC and The Guardian

Image via Pexels

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This summer sneaker is completely biodegradable

Earlier this month, Native Shoes showed its true sustainability colors with the unveiling of 100 percent biodegradable, plant-based shoes that are completely free of animal products, not to mention stylish and perfect for wearing all summer long.

The natural-tone sneaker is a culmination of plant materials including a midsole composed of 90 percent cork and 10 percent sisal backing. The outsole material is produced from natural lactae hevea through a 50-stage process that takes up to two weeks to complete. An organic linen sockliner with kenaf originating in Africa and corn felt make up the insole.

Rather than the toxic glues that hold together most shoes, the Plant Shoe is held together with olive oil-soaked jute thread and natural, latex-based glue. For the main upper, the material is formed from otherwise discarded pineapple husks along with eucalyptus and organic cotton fibers. The laces are 100 percent organic cotton as well.

Related: SAOLA offers sustainable sneakers sourced from algae and recycled plastic

This plant-based and biodegradable design is in sharp, and much-needed, contrast to typical sneakers made from petroleum-based products, plastic, leather and other chemical-laden fabrics. Americans alone dump more than 300 million shoes into landfills every year, almost none of which will break down in a timely manner. Aimed at a completely sustainable model for shoe manufacturing, use and disposal, now and in the future, the Plant Shoe can be commercially composted at the end of its lifecycle.

“The Plant Shoe was inspired by Native Shoes’ mission to become 100 percent lifecycle managed by 2023,” said Michael Belgue, creative director of Native Shoes. “The next step beyond our current recycling initiative was to create something that wouldn’t need to be reused or recycled but instead generates zero waste. Something that was born from the earth and could go back into it.”

Although each component was scrutinized for the most sustainable options, the sneaker was designed to be stylish yet classic enough to outlast short-term trends. Unisex by design, Plant Shoes can be ordered directly from the company online or found at a brick and mortar location. They retail for $200 and are available in sizes 8-13 for men and 5-10 for women.

Founded in 2009, Native Shoes is a footwear company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with the goal of producing shoes that are light on you and the environment. Taking charge in the fight against post-consumer shoe waste, “Live Lightly” is the company motto and the Plant Shoe is here to prove Native Shoes’ dedication to that mindset.

+ Native Shoes

Images via Native Shoes

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Prym Fashion unveils eco-friendly clothing snaps made from plants and recycled bottles

The fashion industry is well-known for wasteful practices in manufacturing, including excessive water consumption and chemical run-off. The fast fashion trend has lead to massive amounts of clothing waste that are not worthy of donating or recycling. In many cases, sourcing materials is a matter of finding what is cheap regardless of the effect on the planet. However, Prym Fashion takes materials seriously with a laser focus on every detail, right down to the snap on your favorite shirt.

While we are seeing a trend toward incorporating more sustainable fabrics into clothing, the smaller details such as snaps can have just as large of a manufacturing and waste impact as larger fashion components. But sustainable materials can sometimes be difficult to find. The Prym Fashion L.I.F.E (Low Impact Fastener Ensemble)-certified snaps offer clothing manufacturers a solution to this problem.

Related: This backpack is made from locally sourced cork and recycled materials

“We understand that today’s consumers expect brands to offer products that are completely sustainable, including the fabric and the trim,” said Brian Moore, chief executive officer of Prym Fashion. “These eco-friendly snaps allow our customers to consider every detail and increase the overall sustainability of their products.”

The snaps, available in EcoWhite or EcoGreen, offer earth-friendly solutions for sportswear, outdoor performance apparel and children’s and babies’ wear manufacturers. The EcoWhite snaps are made from recycled water bottles to eliminate the use of crude oil used in the production of virgin products, a process that also diverts single-use plastic from the waste stream. A single water bottle can produce 13 snaps.

The EcoGreen snap is green in color but also green because it is sourced from plant materials, such as potato starch. As a result, this snap is both biodegradable and recyclable. An EcoBlue snap is on the horizon, which will source recycled ocean plastic for production.

“As brands and retailers in the textile industry continue to raise their sustainability goals, details like trim will become increasingly important,” added Moore. “Prym Fashion is committed to making snaps that make a difference.”

+ Prym Fashion

Images via Prym Fashion

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Restored Bristol Hotel celebrates Appalachia

The Bristol, a newly opened boutique hotel that straddles the Virginia/Tennessee line, is a restored 1925 architectural landmark. Opened last October, the boutique hotel embraces both the musical and industrial roots of Appalachia. Visitors come to Bristol to explore the town known as the “Birthplace of Country Music.”

Design elements in the 65-room property include exposed brick walls, a former hand-crank elevator on display and entryways resembling Roman arches. Visitors can join local herbalists for wildcrafting classes, or take a banjo lesson. Lumac, the hotel bar, offers panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Vivian’s Table, the hotel restaurant, features scratch-made regional cuisine made with local ingredients. Other historic/sustainable elements include a lobby front desk made of recycled glass and a hanging glass sculpture composed of vintage soda bottles.

Related: Meet Maya Ka’an: Mexico’s newest ecotourism destination

The Bristol’s Discarded Denim program celebrates the town’s rich denim history. Guests can leave their unwanted denim at checkout and the hotel will donate it to the local Valley Institute Elementary School for its annual recycled textiles fashion show. Any excess denim will be sent to Blue Jeans Go Green.

The town takes pride in its denim company, L.C. King Denim Manufacturing, the oldest cut and sew factory in the U.S. In the early 1900s, Landon Clayton King was raising champion bird dogs at his home in the Appalachian Mountains. He needed tougher clothes to withstand the demands of farming and hunting, which inspired the denim line in the factory he opened in 1913. Today, his great-grandson Jack King runs the company, which has partnered with the Bristol Hotel to provide many of the design elements. Hotel restaurant, Vivian’s Table, uses L.C. King’s striped cloth on its chair seats. Hotel guests can even book behind the scenes factory tours to learn about denim manufacturing.

The Bristol’s denim recycling program is part of a much bigger movement. Since real denim is made mostly from cotton, it can be broken down and recycled into something new. Blue Jeans Go Green collects denim to upcycle into insulation. If you want to recycle your denim without going all the way to Bristol, Blue Jeans Go Green’s website lists drop off sites and ways to host your own collection party.

+ Bristol

Images via Bristol Hotel

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