Goodlifer

Trash Becomes Energy at a Small New York Landfill

Johanna Björk — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:05:44 +0000

It’s time to think differently about garbage. The United States produces 390 billion pounds of garbage every year, and finding places to dispose of it is a serious environmental and economic challenge. We need to not only work toward producing less waste, but change the way we think about garbage. Instead of something that needs to be disposed of, what if it could be thought of something that could profitably be harvested?

The short film THE LANDFILL by Gary Hustwit and Jessica Edwards profiles a small county landfill in Upstate New York which uses a system of composting, recycling, and methane capture technology to operate sustainably while producing electricity for 5,000 homes in their area. By focusing on the people and ideas behind this innovative waste-to-energy initiative, THE LANDFILL shows the beauty and potential of the stuff we throw “away” (we all know by now there’s no “away,” right?).

Jessica Edwards is the award-winning director of Seltzer Works and Gary Hustwit is known worldwide for his design trilogy Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized. Starting tomorrow, you can buy a beautifully designed limited-edition box set of these three films. Out of the 1,000 copies produced most have been reserved for backers of Urbanized’s Kickstarter campaign, but 250 copies are still available to the public.

THE LANDFILL (watch above or click here)
DIRECTED BY – Jessica Edwards, Gary Hustwit
PRODUCED BY – David Scott
EDITED BY – Amir Husak
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY- Ben Wolf
MUSIC BY – Do Make Say Think “A Tender History in Rust” Courtesy of Constellation Records/Rough Trade Publishing

Good Stuff: Neutrals & Blues

Johanna Björk — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:28:09 +0000

Neutrals and blues go so well together, it would be a shame not to mix them. Good stuff that we are craving right now includes a belted trench, classic in shape but with unexpected detailing, a tin candle made from a very unexpected recycled substance, sustainable house slippers made with upcycled salmon leather, a timelessly elegant iPhone wallet, a bag that helps clean our oceans, stylish earrings made from factory waste, and thank-you cards that do good.

Edun Belted Trench Coat With Quilted Sleeves
Trench coats just never go out of style. This one is classic enough to be good for many years yet features edgy details that make it unique. By Edun, a fashion line started by Ali Hewson, wife of U2 frontman Bono, with a mission to develop sustainable trade with factories in developing countries such as Africa and China.
on sale for $299, Edun

Further Tin Candle
From the first time I smelled this signature fragrance made from the oils of bergamot, olive and exotic grasses, I was kind of obsessed. If you care about where the things you buy comes from and what they are made of, you will be amused by the fact that Further candles are made from purified waste grease from Mario Batali’s MOZZA restaurant. Thankfully they smell nothing like cooking oil.
$28, Further

Sustainable House Shoes
Maybe it’s because the floors in my house are still freezing, but I’ve been obsessed with slippers lately. These elfin-like ones are 100% handmade in Chile with natural free-range Patagonian wool and upcycled and repurposed Salmon Leather. Each pair comes in a recycled cardboard tube and has a QR code that gives you information about the artisans that made them and where they were made.
$59.99, Kellygreen Home

Ribandhull Bridle Wallet / iPhone Case
This gorgeous bridle wallet not only stashes your cash and cards, it also works double duty as an iPhone case. Handmade from premium Italian vegetable tanned bridle leather it will only grow more beautiful with age. If only the same was true for my phone.
$95, Etsy/ribandhull

United by Blue Signature Organic Bag
Made from 100% organic cotton canvas with an adjustable strap and brass hardware, this versatile bag will go anywhere with you. By organizing cleanups United by Blue removes one pound of trash from the oceans for every product you buy. Every little bit helps.
$53.00, United by Blue

Muan Earrings by DLC Brooklyn
These stunning brass beads earrings by DLC Brooklyn (previously Dirty Librarian Chains) are upcycled from deadstock pieces that were rescued from shuttered jewelry factories in the North East United States. Like all of DLC jewelry’s, it is made by hand in their Brooklyn studio.
$85, DLC Brooklyn

Raven + Lily Uzma Notecard Set
These beautiful notecards are made with 100% recycled cotton paper and unique eco-friendly designs with handmade envelopes by marginalized Muslim women in Northern India. Perfect for all those thank-you cards you probably still have to write after the holidays. Proceeds from the collection go to fund literacy programs for the women artisans and children in the community.
On sale for $9, Raven & Lily

This article is a collaboration between Goodlifer & Coco Eco Magazine

Quinn Popcorn – Microwave Popcorn Without the Chemicals

Stephanie Zonis — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:35:16 +0000

Popcorn is a comfort food for many of us. My family made countless batches of the stuff on top of the stove, and, later, in our popcorn machine (remember those?). Then, microwave popcorn came along. There’s no denying the convenience factor of the microwave version, but I was never that comfortable eating it, given the ingredients.

I’m not afraid of “popcorn lung” from the buttery-flavor-ingredient diacetyl; I don’t know anyone who eats that much popcorn. But some of the other ingredients in many microwave popcorn varieties should give pause to anyone. If only there was a company who made microwave popcorn with less junk… oh, wait a minute, there is — Quinn Popcorn.

The "pure-pop" bag is compostable and recyclable.

Billing their product as “microwave popcorn reinvented”, Quinn Popcorn eschews the use of hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and diacetyl. Other microwave popcorns can contain PFOAs, also called C8, used in the lining of the bags. PFOA is also used to make stain-resistant and stick-resistant coating materials, such as Teflon. Problem is, it’s been shown to cause tumors and birth defects in animals.

Quinn Popcorn bags contain none of the nasty chemicals (found in most other kinds of microwave pop) that leaches into your popcorn.

You’ll find none of that in this popcorn, either, nor will you find a susceptor — according to the Quinn website, this is “paper coated with aluminum flake (or metalized film, or graphite) and PET (Polyethylene terephthalate — the same plastic use for most soft drink bottles). It gets incredibly hot so the chemicals in the paper, plastic, glues, and metal are more likely to be released. Also, the heat often causes the plastic and metal to burn off or delaminate.” When this happens, all of that goes straight into your popcorn. (Susceptors are used in other microwave popcorns to get the corn — a low-moisture ingredient, even when sitting in a pool of oil — to pop, as the waves in a microwave heat only water.)

Quinn popcorn only contains simple ingredients that you can actually pronounce.

So what will you find in Quinn Popcorn? Simple ingredients you can pronounce. I have a box of their Vermont Maple & Sea Salt in front of me, and there are four ingredients: organic popcorn, non-GMO canola oil, maple sugar, and sea salt. The popping bag is compostable; the box is recyclable.

Quinn Popcorn currently comes in three different flavors — Parmesan & Rosemary, Vermont Maple & Sea Salt, and Lemon & Sea Salt.

You’ll find intriguing flavor blends, as well. In addition to the Vermont Maple & Sea Salt, you can choose from Lemon & Sea Salt or Parmesan & Rosemary (if I had to choose just one, it would be the Parmesan & Rosemary, but they’re all very tasty).

Kristy and Coulter Lewis, Founders of Quinn Popcorn. The company is named after their son.

Quinn Popcorn was started by Kristy and Coulter Lewis, right after their son — named Quinn — was born. They are still in the start-up stages (the growing pains of which are humorously detailed on the company’s blog) of the business but successfully secured funding through Kickstarter and won Daily Candy’s Start Small Go Big competition. The popcorn is available in a limited number of stores in New England. But thanks to the glories of technology, you can also purchase these products online. Move night at home just got a whole lot better.

Philanthroper – A Daily Deal Site for Giving

Johanna Björk — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:10:59 +0000

About a year ago, Mark Wilson launched Philanthroper, a site that has been dubbed the “Groupon for Good.” Like other daily deal sites, Philanthroper sends out a daily email featuring a charity and their mission. But instead of asking you to buy something, they ask you to simply donate a dollar or more to the featured cause.

The founders say that people were initially skeptical toward this business model — how much difference could a dollar really make? A lot, it turns out. At the end of last year, Philanthroper reached $100K in donations and has featured over 100 charities.

Here are some ways these donations have helped make an impact so far:
- Fed people 54,347 meals (2800 were sent to Japan after the earthquake)
- 8925lbs of food rescued from the garbage
- $22,500 in medical supplies to Japan
- 14,460 trees planted
- 1770 diapers
- 2,461 people have a year of clean drinking water
- 2,294 hospital visits, 351 days of AIDS treatments and 7000 home visits for Ugandans with HIV
- 6900 minutes of talktime to troops calling home
- $21,900 in school supplies
- 526 endangered baby turtles rescued
- 2334 days of education for kids
- 200 pairs of pajamas and 607 pairs of socks
- 6900 minutes of art classes
- $2560 in books to children
- 11,385 immunizations (9650 children immunized against polio, 1675 other immunizations, 265 cats vaccinated against rabies, too)
- 569 sessions of therapy from women suffering from abuse
- 5775 women now have family planning options
- Offset the carbon of 598 iPhones

Philanthroper is turning out to be gamechanger in the future of online giving, attracting new small-scale Philanthropers every day and spreading awareness around a large variety of causes. What they are doing has never been done before, and figuring out how to make it possible for people to donate small amounts of money was not easy.

Founder Mark Wilson says: “For decades, groups like the Salvation Army have been able to leverage the power of tiny donations — just some pocket change here or there — that becomes incredibly powerful once all of those little red buckets are poured into a single pot. You’d think that, online, this idea would be even easier. But it’s actually far, far more challenging. Collecting small amounts of money is surprisingly expensive. And how do you make donating online feel just as impulsive as it is when you’re walking down the street? Make no mistake, it’s THE problem of our nonprofit generation. And I think that this first $100,000 proves that, yes, our system is a promising part of the solution. Giving on Philanthroper is incredibly addictive. And it scales.”

Philanthropy has traditionally been a pastime of the wealthiest 1%, but those tables seem to be turning. You don’t have to be rich to be a Philantropher.

“This isn’t about any one person,” says Wilson. “It’s not a celebrity’s charity (though plenty of celebrities have kindly tweeted about us). You don’t see our mugshots on the site, taking all the credit with a smug wink. Nothing about the site is about us; it’s about you and the groups you can discover who are doing extremely awesome things in the world, every single day.”

Mark Wilson, Founder of Philanthroper.com

Perhaps living in such a hyper-connected society has made us more aware of the challenges faced by people all over the world. Helping others makes us feel good about ourselves and gives us an increased sense of purpose. Giving, it seems, is far more rewarding than taking.

Wilson agrees and is very excited of the feedback he receives from his army of Philanthropers. “I’ve received letters from people thanking us because they’re unemployed in this economy, and while they don’t have much money, they still want to give back. Isn’t that incredible? They love that they can donate $1 and know it’s helping someone else, often in a very tangible way, like giving them fresh water for a year or buying them a critical vaccine.”

Perhaps it’s time to embrace your inner Philanthroper. Every little bit counts.

What I Made This Week: A Happy Initial

Johanna Björk — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:31:47 +0000

One of my resolutions for the new year is to make something, by hand, every week. And, in order to make good on that promise, I decided that I would share with you. This week, I made a super-easy original artwork to fill an empty picture frame on my wall — a happy inital. I chose to do the letter J (for, well, Johanna) but you can do whatever you like. Here’s how.

1. Find a nice, sturdy piece of paper. I used some recycled signage left over from a conference I worked on a long time ago. Get your art supplies out and set up a nice workspace.

2. Use a pencil to lightly draw the contour of the letter (or other shape) you want to use.

3. Start drawing shapes, scribbles, circles, lines, whatever comes to mind inside the lines, until you fill the entire outline. I used old-school pen and ink because I love drawing with it, but a delicate felt-tip pen or something similar would work just as well. Be careful to let your lines and shapes dry before touching them again (we don’t want smears here).

4. Fill in the shapes with colored pencils. (If you want a more monochromatic look, skip this step.)

5. Find a suitable frame — I used an old one from IKEA. Measure and cut the artwork to size. I neglected to leave enough room on the top and left side, but no worries, as long as you make it fit within the mat you’re good — just tape the artwork down and no one will ever know!

6. Hang it up!

On the Cutting Edge of Eco-Fashion: ULTRA

Johanna Björk — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:35:49 +0000

Ever since I added the word “eco-fashion” to my vocabulary, I have wished for a brand like ULTRA to come along. One that is as cutting edge and inspired as it is sexy and badass. Organic cotton and muted colors are great, but sometimes a girl just wants to feel like a vixen. There’s a tech nerd factor in the innovative use of materials and cuts that mixes very well with a sexy coolness that could be compared to Alexander Wang or Celine.

Lead by Tengku Jamidah and Anita Hawkins, We Are Ultra is a creative collective based in Malaysia. They started in 2009, with a blog where the group shared ideas about innovation that got them all excited. From the start they have been driven by sustainable design and now collaborate with artists, designers, companies and organisations “to create meaningful products, experiences and workshops from our own innovation-minded point of view.”

ULTRA Co-Founders Tengku Jamidah & Anita Hawkins

The collective currently also includes Malaysian designers Jonathan Liang and Tengku Syahmi. ULTRA is just one of their projects. “ULTRA started of as a blog on all things sustainably related,” says Co-Founder Tengku Jamidah. “Blogging about it kept us inspired and informed, then Anita (the other Co-Founder) and I felt a little brave and decided to launch our little organic Bathcare range and sell a selection of eco-friendly lifestyle products that we felt was lacking in the market. It then evolved into a fashion line with Jonathan and Syahmi joining the team. ULTRA was always about passionate people doing their bit for the future, keeping it fun, happy and hip!”

When it comes to creativity, it’s sometimes good to surround yourself with like-minded, equally driven creative thinkers. “I feel that working as a creative collective gives us more room to explore and experiment with sustainability in a way that no one else has,” says Jamidah. “Anita and I always like to say that we work on projects that are fun and capture our interest. We do whatever we love. Without defining ourselves and being multi-disciplinary it attracts collaborators and gives us room to grow.”

Now in their third season, ULTRA uses innovative materials like tencel, recycled PET, recycled polyester, organic wool, discarded tuxedos and salmon skin to create high fashion with a sustainable core. They also work with local tailors and support ethical production standards.

So where do the people behind ULTRA look for inspiration? ”Everywhere,” says Jamidah. “Life experiences, my travels… usually coming from immersing ourselves into different cultures and keeping it an adventure. The arts has had a major impact on ULTRA from Antioni films, Wang Qingsong photos, our ULTRA music contributors to She-Ra — princess of power.”

The brand successfully funded its Fall 2011 collection through Kickstarter and has already showcased at major fashion weeks in Paris, London and Asia. In October of this year they won the Ethical Fashion Forum’s Innovation in Design and Sourcing Award.

When visiting We Are Ultra’s website, it’s easy to be confused, because these creative minds have many irons in the fire. Instead of going with the regular seasonal collection schedule, they work on specific projects. A recent one that stands out is ULTRA 10, a capsule collection containing ten highly versatile, modular pieces that can be combined infinitely. For example, there’s the 4-1 coat that can be worn as a shirt, a dress, or a skirt, and the 2-1 jacket that changes into a waist coat.

The idea is that these are all the pieces of clothing you need to create enough unique looks for a whole year. Pieces can be sent in any time for mending, and after those 365 days have passed, you can even return your ten garments to be recycled in exchange for a discount on new wardrobe pieces. ULTRA has encouraged fans of their clothing to take the challenge of not wearing anything (except accessories) that is not from the ULTRA 10 collection. Photos of challengers and their outfits can be seen on ULTRA’s Flickr page.

As Kuala Lumpur Design Week came to a close, ULTRA and their extended collective decided to get a group of friends together — designers, musicians, entrepreneurs and stylists — deck them out in top to toe ULTRA wan take them it out onto the streets of Changkat Bukit Bintang for an ULTRA Flashmob, another We Are ULTRA project. The mobbers stayed out Into the wee hours of the morning. “It was such a joy to see the happy people enjoying the ULTRA work,” says the team.

At Kuala Lumpur Design Week, ULTRA gathered a group of friends, decked them out in top to toe ULTRA and took it to the streets for a flashmob.

ULTRA’s designs would look right at home in the closet of even the most painfully trendy fashionista. They’re very now. But what about the future of eco-fashion? “I’d like to see it grow in a way that it becomes more affordable and accessible to people.” says Jamidah. “Also I’m interested to see technology develop based on this movement, there’s pineapple fiber and milk fabric, how amazing is that? Also, the use of more ethical practices by bigger manufacturers. Garments without guilt is a good model, one that the corporations should emulate.”

The idea behind the ULTRA 10 collection is that these are all the pieces of clothing you need to create enough unique looks for a whole year.

In order to produce less waste, ULTRA produces everything on a made-to-order basis. They are looking into exploring alternate applications such as 3D-printing tailoring, kinetic harvesting and modular open-sourced designs, and are also currently working with UNHCR to provide production opportunities to refugees.

Assuming you don’t have an aversion to the colors black or white, what’s not to love about this brand? We’re not sure, but we do know that you will be seeing a lot more of ULTRA in the upcoming year.

weareultra.com

The Nicest Place on the Internet

Johanna Björk — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:30:42 +0000

Even though most of us are far better connected these days than we’ve ever been before, thanks to social networks, email and video calling, we tend to see less actual people (online shopping is so convenient, right?). Still, human kindness warms our hearts in ways that few other things can, and sometimes nothing else can make us feel better.

Feeling down about not being able to keep your New Years resolutions, about a job you didn’t get or something you lost? A hug and a smile can be the best remedy to help us overcome those blues. This is the idea behind The Nicest Place on the Internet, a site that delivers nothing else but hugs, happiness and music:

Having one of those days? Yeah, we’ve been there too. And sometimes, a little pick-me-up is hard to come by. So come on by to turn the sad into happy and the happy into a celebration. Cause this is a nice place to visit on days like today.

Even though there’s no replacement for a real hug, spending a few minutes on The Nicest Place on the Internet will be sure to warm your heart and put a smile back on your face. You can also help spread the love by recording your own hug-video, uploading it to YouTube and emailing a link to the people behind the site. How nice is that?

No related posts.

My Goals & Intentions for the New Year

Johanna Björk — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:07:46 +0000

Here we are again, at the dawn of a new year. No matter what kind of year 2011 was for you, the new year is a chance to start fresh and do things right. Last year, I gave you tips on how to make the year ahead your best ever. Those did and hopefully still do work. So, instead of repeating myself, I thought I would give you an idea of the goals and intentions I have set for 2012.

Getting Organized
My level of organization is usually hovering closer to chaos than decent order. This year I will move toward perfect domination of occurrences. I will use all those cute note pads I have laying around to write things down. I will make To-Do lists and take pleasure in checking them off. I will finish everything I need to do at least a day before it’s due. I will arrive five minutes early to all meetings. And, I will even try to write weekly food menus and shopping lists. It will be great.

Getting Back in Serious Shape
I used to be the kind of person who would run 25 miles a week, get up before work to bike half an hour to the gym for an hour-long workout and wake up early on Saturdays for a grueling boot camp class. Even though I am still decently fit, I miss that girl. She’s going to make a comeback this year, by way of a workout routine that includes a combination of trail running, biking, strenuous yoga practice and kettlebells. When moving from New York earlier this year, one of the saddest things for me was that I had to give up my long-time Crunch membership (I had such a good rate!). I can’t quite afford a gym membership in my new town, so doing all this all on my own will be the biggest challenge — I really love going to workout classes, being surrounded by sweaty people and good energy. Occasionally, I will splurge on a really good yoga or zumba class, but otherwise it’s just me and the great outdoors. I’m so excited I want to go swing some kettlebells around right now.

Taking Control Over my Career
Many of us have a backlog of ideas that we swear to get to one day, “when we have more time.” Unless you actually take it upon yourself to create this time by making changes to your life, this will most likely never happen. Taking a leap of faith and putting your effort into something new but uncertain is scary. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but you still owe it to yourself to try. You’ll be happier to know that you tried and failed than to regret never trying at all. Last year, I left a comfortable, secure job and a city I adore to embark on a new life and career on the West Coast. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that this will be the year when many of my dormant creative endeavors will come alive. Life is just too short to do something you don’t enjoy.

Making Something Every Week
My life has always been filled with creativity, to the point where I have made a career out of it. I love creating things and even though most of my work is done on a computer there is something very fulfilling about making things by hand. This year, I will make a point of making something new every week, be it a drawing, a DIY project, a knitted scarf, a bracelet or something I just never thought of before. I may even get so excited about this that I start doing weekly posts about it.

Reading Before Bed Every Night
I want to do this for two reasons. First, there are so many books in my house that I haven’t read, and even more at the library that I am dying to check out. Second, spending the last hours of the day in front of a bright screen, like I tend to — working on the computer or watching something on Netflix — tricks your body into thinking that it should still be active. To ensure that you get quality sleep and that your body gets a chance to unwind, the hour before you go to sleep should be spent away from screens. Turning the lights down low, maybe lighting some candles and drinking a cup of (caffeine-free) tea while reading a book is the perfect way to end the day. This year, I will make this the rule instead of the exception.

Not Buying Anything I Don’t Need
These are interesting times we live in; for the first time in history people — rich or poor — have more stuff than they know what to do with. We all dream of downsizing and finally being able to get rid of those storage units we pay too much money for. Before moving, I sold or gave away a lot of my stuff. I still have too much, especially clothes, shoes and books, but it’s all a bit more manageable and I will continue to ruthlessly get rid of things that I don’t use or need. (Besides food, there are very few things one actually needs). Quality over quantity will be my motto this year — with everything from clothes to food. I will buy less and I will buy smarter.

Will I do all these things successfully in 2012? Only time will tell, but I am so ready to embark on this journey toward a better me. My ultimate goal is simply to be the best person I can possibly be.

Happy New Year.

Resolution Wrap Bracelets – Reminding You of Your Goals for the New Year

Johanna Björk — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:47:19 +0000

With only a few days left of the year, many of us are contemplating that age-old question: ‘what’s my New Years resolution?’ If you are like most people, yours will most likely revolve around eating better, exercising more, improving your career, cutting down on stress or spending more time doing what really matters to you (like hanging out with family and friends). Regardless, chances are you will need help when it comes to sticking to your goals.

Research shows that even though 52% of participants were confident in their ability to achieve success with their goals, only 12% actually did. Another study made by Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol showed that 78% of New Year resolutions fail, and that people who actually succeed have a few traits in common. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they set small measurable goals, like losing a pound a week (instead of just saying “I want to lose weight”), while women had a 10% higher success rate when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.

Another helpful thing may be to carry a reminder around your wrist. The resolution wrap bracelet is made by the same folks who brought us the peaceBOMB bracelet and is meant to help you achieve those goals you are about to set for the year to come.

Besides helping you reach your personal goal, these bracelet also help us move toward a common goal: a more peaceful world. One meter of bomb littered land is cleared for every peaceBOMB resolution wrap bracelet you buy. It also helps create a much needed source of income in war-ravaged areas of Laos.

Each resolution wrap bracelet is made with vintage silk string from France and features a hand cast tag. It comes wrapped around a resolution card which you or the person you give it to can write this day, month or year’s resolution. It’s never too late or early to make one!

DIY Xmas – Make a Tree Topper From an Old Magazine & Tape

Johanna Björk — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:46:31 +0000

When I set up my Christmas tree this year I noticed that my tree topper was nowhere to be found. Not feeling like buying one, I started thinking about how I could easily make one. The answer came to me as I was cleaning out one of my magazine piles — a star made from nothing but tape and and old magazine (which, ironically, happened to be an old DIY issue of The L Magazine).

Not only do you not need any fancy supplies to make this tree topper, it’s also super fast.

Step 1:
Carefully tear off the pages of the magazine and tear or cut them in half. I used a smaller size magazine, but any size should work just fine, you’ll just end up with a bigger tree topper. I chose to do four mostly white pages and one colored page, if you want your topper to have a more uniform color, choose pages that are similar in hue.

Step 2:
Shape the magazine pages into cones and tape them so they hold together. Make five paper cones.

Step 3:
Place the cones into a star shape, so they line up in the front (which will be facing down, toward your work surface). Start taping them together, one to the other. Do the top one last, as the tip of this one should go in front of the others to keep them in place.

Step 4:
If needed, use more tape to create the right structure and shape.

Step 5:
Put the top cone of your star over the top of your tree. Done!

It won’t be completely straight and symmetrical, but isn’t true beauty always about slight imperfection?

What I Made This Week: A Happy Initial