Shellfish Inspire Self-Repairing Paint

I am continually amazed by new discoveries in biomimicry and the many applications that these technologies inspire. One of the more fascinating developments I've seen is the self-repairing paint surface that is inspired by shellfish.

A group of University of Mississippi scientists recently completed research on a self-healing coating that can actually repair itself after a scratch occurs. After being exposed to sunlight, this amazing surface repairs small scratches in less than an hour.

So what is this miracle material made of? According to Greener Design, it’s a combination of polyurethane paint, chitosan molecules and a ring-shaped molecule called oxetane. The chitosan molecules are the same molecules found in shells of lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans.

When a small scratch occurs in the surface of the paint, the oxetane rings are split and left with loose ends. The sunlight causes the chitosan molecules to react with split oxetane rings, which in turn closes the split, essentially healing the surface.

The only catch to this amazing material is that a scratch can only be repaired in the same spot once. So if you scratch the paint in the same spot again, the scratch will stay. But that is a small price to pay for a surface coating that could have incredible applications.

Target Goes Green With Mio

Good news for all lovers of affordable sustainable design... Coming in April, Target will be offering eco-friendly products for the home designed by none other than the design duo from Mio.

Isaac and Jaime Salm, the sustainable design team behind Mio, have designed Mio for Target, an affordable line of green outdoor products. The line of green outdoor products will include a little of everything… solar outdoor lighting, a sleek watering can, an organic hammock that stows neatly in a tote, a composter.

The eight Mio-designed eco-friendly products feature clean lines with a slight minimalist feel that all of Mio's products possess. The outdoor products represent a mix of recycled plastic, sustainable materials and energy efficiency.

According to Interior Design, the eco-friendly home products will be available at Target from April 12 to May 10.

Eco-Friendly Art Is Larger Than Life

The California artist Jim Denevan is reinventing sand art as the ultimate form of eco-friendly art. Using only natural materials in their native environment, he creates large-scale, contemporary works of art on California beaches.

Denevan's art consists of freehand drawings that he creates directly in the sand. He draws his eco-friendly artwork with sticks that he finds washed up on the beaches. According to his site, he often walks up to 30 miles and works up to 7 hours straight in the course of creating a new eco-friendly work of art.

Up close, the drawings offer a new environment to explore and natural details to appreciate. However, the sheer size of the sand art can be best appreciated from high above, where the drawings take on a life of their own.

Given the size and precision of his work, it's hard to believe that the sand art is drawn completely by hand and created by just one individual. What's even harder to imagine is that none of the artwork is lasting - all of his eco-friendly art is slowly erased by nature when the tide comes in.

Via PSFK

Sustainable Office Design Comes in Cardboard

Just when I think I've seen it all, I come across a brand new approach to sustainable design that shows anything is possible. This office interior, constructed entirely out of cardboard, is just one of those sustainable design marvels.

An Amsterdam designer, Joost van Bleiswijk, created a cardboard office interior for the local ad agency Nothing. The stylish office is constructed from 1,500 pieces of interconnecting pieces of cardboard. Amazingly, the sustainable design uses no glue or nails to hold the cardboard together, allowing for easy dismantling and recycling when the time comes.

The gorgeous sustainable design includes all of the amenities you would associate with a design savvy ad agency. The multi-level design features clean lines and architectural details on everything from a conference room to individual cubicles. And the cardboard provides the perfect backdrop for anyone to leave their mark on the office space.

Be sure to check out the other photos of this amazing sustainable office design. Cardboard has definitely never looked this good!

Via Sustainable Life Media

Energy Efficient Appliances Earn Big Tax Savings

Tired of running out of hot water for your morning shower? Or paying a fortune to heat your home with your outdated furnace? It may not seem like a smart time to buy new appliances, but with the new tax credits, timing couldn't be better.

New tax changes will benefit homeowners who choose to purchase energy efficient appliances this year. In fact, homeowners who purchase high efficiency appliances will receive a tax credit of 30% of the entire cost, including installation and labor.

A few important things to remember:

• The entire tax benefit is capped at $1,500 for energy efficient improvements for your home.

• If you previously received a tax credit for energy efficient home improvements, the new tax changes allow you to reset to zero and take full advantage of the new tax credit.

• The only catch is that you have to purchase your high efficiency appliances or make your energy efficient improvements between now and 2010.

• Almost any energy efficient improvements can qualify, from high efficiency water heaters to new, more efficient windows. Just be sure to check that the actual product you buy meets any minimum energy efficiency requirements.

While you're at it, you may as well get the maximum benefit from your high efficiency purchases. Be sure to check out DSIRE for any additional rebates or benefits from cities, states, utilities, etc.

Via Your Energy Forum

Eco-Innovations Let Town Quit Fossil Fuel

Kalmar, a small town in Sweden, has accomplished what some say is impossible. Through innovative thinking and sound sustainable resource planning, the town is about quit fossil fuels for good.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Kalmar has systematically eliminated its reliance on fossil fuel as it adopted various alternative biofuel sources to provide power. Currently the city and the surrounding region use an interesting combination of eco-friendly sources for electricity and gas, with an impressive 65% of power coming from sustainable sources.

The city now provides power to its 60,000 residents, as well as outlying areas, through the use of "district heat, " which is produced from burning both sawdust and wood waste that comes from the area's timber companies. Other sources of power for the area include hydropower, nuclear power and windmills, all of which account for 90% of the total electricity used in the area.

Even city vehicles are switching to eco-friendly sources of gas. Official city vehicles and many privately owned vehicles now use one of two sources of biofuel. The first comes from a combination of waste wood and chicken manure, while the other environmentally friendly option is an 85% ethanol blend.

According to residents, the move to more sustainable energy sources has not diminished their quality of life. If anything, life has improved thanks to lower fuel bills, tax incentives and a very healthy economy.

It's clear that Kalmar's businesses have also adopted a more sustainable approach. One Kalmar company moved from manufacturing oil boilers to renewable energy furnaces, which has more than doubled its sales.

Another company, a local wood pulp plant, devised a way to capture the steam and hot water that is released from their plant. Instead, the steam and hot water now create heat for an entire town and generate enough power for the plant to operate.

Kalmar's success at embracing sustainable energy sources is great motivation for the rest of the world. While a move away from fossil fuels certainly requires a change in thinking, it's obviously very achievable.

Via Building Design + Construction

iChange: Eco-Friendly Concept Car Changes Shape

The new concept car, the iChange, has the potential to change car design for good. With a flexible, streamlined design and environmentally friendly power, this sleek little car is one of the most intriguing electric cars I've seen.

While the iChange is designed for peak performance with just one passenger, the shape and size of the car change at the push of a button. The roof of the car then pops up just enough to make room for two passengers in the rear seats. When the sleek electric car expands, the aerodynamics change accordingly, which makes more efficient use of power and fuel depending on the needs of the driver.

In addition to the flexible design, the iChange uses an extremely efficient electric motor and lithium-ion batteries to store the energy. Amazingly, the concept car has no exhaust emissions and requires very little energy to run due to its lightweight build and aerodynamics.

Event the interior boasts eco-friendly, yet luxurious touches. The seats are covered in environmentally friendly wool that also helps warm the car, in turn requiring less power. Additionally, the electric car boasts a Harman/Kardon system that also minimizes energy usage.

The iChange makes a debut at the Geneva Auto Show this March. Even if it never catches on as a mainstream concept, this eco-friendly vehicle is one car you don't want to miss.

Via Sustainable Life Media

Ceramic Lighting Inspired By Nature

Green materials meet original, one-of-a-kind design in Lesley Anton's line of handcrafted ceramic green lighting. Equally at home in a contemporary loft or rustic cabin, these lovely ceramic lamps have a natural, modern feel.

Ranging from lean floor lamps to chunky, textured table lamps, the handmade ceramic lamps are often accented with natural turned wood bases and spacers. With organic shapes and vivid textures, the line of green lighting feels like it's inspired by nature.

The studio follows green practices, from the natural clay used to create the pottery bases to the sourcing of local materials. Shades are available in organic fabric to complement the intriguing ceramic bases. The wood stains and paints are water-based products with very low VOC's. The green lighting even comes in handmade felt bags that are made by the artist's mom.

The workshop itself is lit with skylights, reducing their power consumption considerably. Clay is recycled until it is used completely, as are the glazes for the green lamps. Lastly, they donate a portion of their proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council, in an effort to give back to the environment and offset their carbon footprint.

All in all, the studio and workshop have all their bases covered as they attempt to keep the business green. So if you are in the market for handcrafted green lighting to add that finishing touch to your home, this is definitely the place to look.

EcoGen Defines Biodegradable Bath Accessories

While surfing the web recently, I was completely intrigued with a line of new, biodegradable bath products made by Design Ideas. EcoGen is an innovative new biodegradable material that will probably redefine how we make any traditionally plastic homegoods, including bath products.

EcoGen is technically a polymer called PHBV. The biodegradable material is made by feeding sugar from corn starch to a naturally occurring bacteria. According to Design Ideas, the bacteria "digest the sugar and store the resulting PHBV much as a human body would store fat."

After being extracted from the bacteria, the PHBV is combined with other biodegradable materials that will allow it to be used effectively in injection molding machines. This new eco-friendly material is then molded into shape much like traditional plastic.

EcoGen products can be disposed of, knowing that they will biodegrade within six to nine months if composted or exposed to certain bacteria. Microorganisms that are found in compost or soil are responsible for breaking down the biodegradable material into carbon dioxide, water and biomass.

The bath products have clean, simple designs, contemporary shapes and very wallet-friendly prices. The new biodegradable bath line will be sold at the Container Store starting in April and other stores in June.

TerraCycle Wants To Upcycle Your Junk Everywhere

TerraCycle has been on the forefront of upcycling, reinventing everything from candy wrappers to yogurt containers as new, functional products. Now the company is escalating their upcycling efforts with a new program that will collect even more waste items from major chain stores everywhere.

According to GreenBiz, TerraCycle will placing bins in major chains like Petco, Home Depot and OfficeMax to collect used items that customers wish to recycle or dispose of. Each store will be collecting a different assortment of items that is relevant to that store and their clientele.

Petco bins will be used to collect pet food bags that will eventually be upcycled into tote bags . Home Depot bins will be used to recycle everything from old caulk containers to paint brushes and more. Old saw blades will get a second chance as recycled clocks. And those cheap, brittle flower pots that fall apart at the drop of a hat will be recycled into stronger, sturdier pots.

GreenBiz reports that TerraCycle hopes to have their collection bins in 10,000 stores by 2010. For now, however, the company will spend the next three months starting the collection program in New Jersey and New York area stores.

TerraCycle has been upcycling waste items into new, inspired products since 2001. they originally got their start with fertilizer made from worm poop and they've been creating clever new upcycled products ever since.

Fuzz That Wuzz Reinvents Recycled Bottles

These have to be the cutest plastic bottles I've ever seen. That's right - I said plastic bottles. These adorable Fuzz That Wuzz toys are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

Mary Meyers is launching this new line of recycled bottles - I mean stuffed animals - as the Fuzz That Wuzz line. The innovative line of stuffed animals gives plastic bottles new life as soft, cuddly loveys ranging in shape from traditional teddy bears to adorable moose and rabbits. Each one of the Fuzz That Wuzz animals brilliantly recycles over 10 bottles.

According to the Mary Meyers website, over 2 million plastic bottles are used in the US every ten minutes. And it takes 700 years for plastic bottles to decompose in landfills. Yikes! Thankfully, recycled plastic bottles have been popping up in the most unexpected places recently.

Looking at these stuffed animals, it's really hard to believe they were once PET bottles. If one company can create such a charming, cuddly product from recycled bottles, imagine how many more uses we can come up with for these bottles if we all put our minds to it collectively?