OK, I know this isn’t strictly the type of car that you’re used to hearing about on Gas 2.0. For starters, you can’t even drive it. But, with Christmas looming just around the corner, I couldn’t resist writing about this funky little hydrogen fuel cell-powered remote-control car.

Called the H2Go, this is a toy car aimed at teaching kids about alternative energy in a fun and exciting way. Forget falling for the classic disappointment of (duh) forgetting the batteries and having to wait till the shops open, this little number runs on a combination of solar and zero-emission hydrogen.

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I have written before that Proforma Simonetta Freelance will be attending a number of Earth Day events this year, including the Live Green in Plano Expo.

We like events like Live Green in Plano because they give us a chance to take our eco-friendly marketing message out to the public.

Well the other day I got a call from Shirley Lee of Kanata Blankets based in British Columbia. The philosophy of Kanata Blankets is rooted in the traditional craft of blanket making and they serve both the retail and gifts markets in Canada and the USA. Established in 1993 Kanata is known for make exceptionally high quality promotional gifts.

Shirley asked what we were up to and when I mention the Live Green Expo she said she had something neat to show me. Apparently Shirley is a master of the understatement.

What I got was a sample of Kanata’s new blanket made from Repreve, a 100% recycled nylon material. Like the E.C.O fleece items from AshCity, this material feels amazing, like a cross between cotton and wool.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/24/kanata-blanket-co-great-for-green-style/feed/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/06/green-gifts-ideas-from-an-ecopreneurist-2/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/06/green-gifts-ideas-from-an-ecopreneurist-2/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:50:01 +0000 John Simonetta http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/06/green-gifts-ideas-from-an-ecopreneurist-2/ This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

Ecopreneurist.com asked me to post a few more ideas on what an Ecopreneurist might give for the holidays.

I wanted to approach the idea from two points. First, I am in the promotional items business. For our industry the main purpose of gift giving is to say thank you to the clients you have done business with in the past year, and to keep your name in front of those clients so that they do business with you next year.

Second, as an Econpreneurist gift giving gives my business a chance to show off our green credentials but also - maybe - influence our clients, not all of whom are green, about becoming more green in their own businesses.

In this article I want to point out two everyday items your clients likely already use that are now being produced with eco-friendly materials and that would make great end of the year client gifts.

Day-Timer® Eco Zippered Portable Planner - Did you know that Day-Timer now makes an eco version of their most popular portable planner? The Day-Timer® Eco Zippered Portable Planner from Leed’s is an example of a very useful, very popular and well regarded brand that is now available in a new green formula.

The rich bonded leather cover is made from recycled leather fibers and natural latex and includes nickel-free rings and zipper pulls. Recycled paper used in the planner is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Other than that it is a standard Day-Timer® featuring two-page-per week format, with each day’s space including areas for to do list, appointments, diary, monthly tabbed calendar/dividers, loose-leaf address and phone directory, monthly planning pages, set of reference sheets, etc.

The usefulness of the Day-Timer® Eco Zippered Portable Planner makes it a great gift because people will use it and hang on to it, plus in 2009 you can send your client a refill of the inside planner pages, giving you both an opportunity to touch your client again and promote a core green idea of reuse. Day-Timer® Eco Zippered Portable Planner runs about $39 including your organization or company logo.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/06/green-gifts-ideas-from-an-ecopreneurist-2/feed/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/01/blue-planet-run-encourages-group-holiday-gift-of-water/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/01/blue-planet-run-encourages-group-holiday-gift-of-water/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:49:09 +0000 Blue Planet Run http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/01/blue-planet-run-encourages-group-holiday-gift-of-water/

Many of us have a large circle of friends, coworkers and family members that seems to grow wider each year. As our gift list grows longer, holiday time can bring with it a sense of environmental dread. The excess packaging, wrapping paper, bows, tape, and whatnots. The time spent searching for the perfect gift for folks who likely have just about everything they need or want. (How many re-giftable items do you receive each year?) Then you buy a couple of extra gifts just in case there is somebody you might have forgotten and you want to avoid that awkward moment of the one-sided gift exchange! Ugh.

Consider making this holiday season low impact and no-stress by joining the Blue Planet Run Holiday Gift of Water program.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/01/blue-planet-run-encourages-group-holiday-gift-of-water/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/great-organic-cotton-t-shirts-onesies-for-kids/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/great-organic-cotton-t-shirts-onesies-for-kids/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:33:31 +0000 Skye Kilaen http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/great-organic-cotton-t-shirts-onesies-for-kids/ Jennifer wrote about Kee Ka yesterday here on Eco Child’s Play, and I thought I would add a few more kids clothing ideas to the mix.  The monkey ensemble she highlighted was actually one of our favorite outfits we received as a gift for our son when he was born last fall.  It was a true breath of fresh air.  You see, here in Texas, we like our boys dressed in clothes that reflect real manly values.  Tools, trucks, sports logos, and cowboy gear abound on clothes for our sons, and that’s as it should be…

…unless you’re a parent that hates looking at tools, trucks, sports logos, and cowboy gear, in which case you’re up a creek.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for all of the hand-me-downs we’ve received since our son was born last fall.  Passing clothing down from kid to kid is an American tradition that’s thrifty and environmentally responsible at the same time.  I’ve also had a great time going through resale shops and thrift stores and I’ve found some good stuff.  Blue jean shorts for $1?  Sold!

However,  since kiddo isn’t old enough to care about his own clothes yet, we are actually the primary viewers of his wardrobe and we are starting to get a bit tired of all the “All Boy All The Time” look - and it is darn difficult to find anything else unless you buy new.  I know it isn’t any easier on the other side. Announcing “it’s a girl!” seems to trigger a pink clothing avalanche.  (Also see Amy’s post on GirlMogul for some alternatives.)

So if you’re on the hunt for something to break the mold and liven up your babe’s couture, here’s a list of 20 eco-friendly shirts that don’t scream boy or girl (or cowboy).  Use the money you saved on the jean shorts to splurge a little, or drop a few hints to the grandparents.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/great-organic-cotton-t-shirts-onesies-for-kids/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/06/10/fabulous-recycled-fabric-paper-from-soolip/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/06/10/fabulous-recycled-fabric-paper-from-soolip/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:11:04 +0000 Skye Kilaen http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/06/10/fabulous-recycled-fabric-paper-from-soolip/ This week in Fabulous Fabrics, I’m venturing a little outside the normal to include a recycled fabric product that’s halfway between fabric and paper. On Kim Kight’s yummy fabric blog True Up, I saw this recycled paper/fabric hybrid from a company called Soolip. It’s a wallpaper weight paper made out of “recycled cotton rag that comes from unused off cuts of clothing from India’s garment district.” Kim speculates that it might be good for sewing projects as well as the gift wrap that Soolip suggests.

You can see all of the patterns here - but make sure you notice there’s a page two, navigation is in the upper right. Most of them come in additional colorways and you have to click through to see them. Each sheet is about 22×30, and they sell for $6 or you can get 3 sheets of the same pattern for $12.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/06/10/fabulous-recycled-fabric-paper-from-soolip/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/04/09/wallpaper-journals/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/04/09/wallpaper-journals/#comments Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:32:15 +0000 Tara Hogan http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/04/09/wallpaper-journals/

My friend, Nicole, from Freshly Blended Press, is amazing with recycling wallpaper. She uses all those old wallpaper swatchbooks for material that would otherwise be thrown away . All of the wallpaper is used exquisitely for the covers of her wallpaper journals.

So, next time you come across wallpaper scraps think twice before tossing them out.

Nicole also donates part of her profits to The Humane Society.

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