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From TED.com

In graphic design, Marian Bantjes says, throwing your individuality into a project is heresy. She explains how she built her career doing just that, bringing her signature delicate illustrations to storefronts, valentines and even genetic diagrams.

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Evelyn – Unfortunately, e-books are not available. You can get a copy of the book from Book Depository or Amazon.com.

1. PlantLove™ Lipstick by Cargo Cosmetics

A lipstick tube made entirely from corn. PlantLove lipsticks are certified by ECOCERT for being environmentally friendly in Product, Packaging, and Process. An eco-friendly innovation, the lipstick tube is made entirely from NatureWorks® biopolymer, a revolutionary new material made from corn. Unlike petroleum-based plastic, it is made from a renewable and abundant resource and can be composted1. Even the outer box is made from an eco-friendly biodegradable paper embedded with real flower seeds. Simply moisten and plant to grow a wildflower garden.

2. Good Water by The Goodwater Company

The nonprofit organization Good Water was judged as offering the Best Beverage at the Auckland nite:life awards last year. Good Water strives to make every aspect of its packaging beneficial for the environment.

The bottle is made from Ingeo™ bioresin, the label is made from biaxially oriented Ingeo™ film and the adhesive is water based. Good Water also contributed to the establishment of Greenplastics Inc., a stewardship organization dedicated to developing, promoting, and securing options for post-consumer uses of bioresins. Best of all, Good Water is a hit in New Zealand.

3. Papcorn by Crafts Collection 8

PAPCoRN is a compostable dinner set for the light meal. The products are made of compostable bioplast, which is produced from the starch of potatoes, maize and wheat. PAPCoRN is design for the new culture of food and eating and comes in sets both for everyday and festive occasions. The series includes everything from sushi sets to reception plates and everyday dinner sets with a spork. PAPCoRN consists of Anne Bannick MDD and Lene Vad Jensen MDD. The Danish design duo has created and put into production an environmentally-friendly com-postable dinner set that raises the aesthetic experience of eating to a new level.

4. Earth First PLA Film by Earth First

EarthFirst® Films bring excellent technical and print qualities to the table. Whether it’s a packaging application or a shrink sleeve label application, they have a responsible film to fit your needs. These are just the few applications that have successfully utilized EarthFirst: Shrink Sleeve Film, Window Carton Film, Flexible Packaging Film, Pulpable Matte Film and Lamination Film.

5. Ecocards by Ecocards

Ecocards is a company that offers practical and sustainable card solutions for more responsible businesses. Having invested heavily in research and development ensures that every ecocard™ offers real benefits to their customers. Ecocard™ products are verified by Din Certco and WRAP, and every single order is posted with a certificate of authenticity.

The Natural Step Framework and Creative Tension
Lecture by Sustainability Advisor Cyrille Jegu (France)
Green Ambassador at Energy Saving Trust and Natural Step Framework practitioner
http://www.thenaturalstep.org/en

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The fourth Eco Design Fair will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 to bring together a growing eco-conscious community in Shanghai. We aim to collectively turn ideas into ACTION through a full day of educational workshops, prominent speakers, exchanges with eco-conscious designers and service providers. A fun filled day is planned for families and friends to also relax and enjoy live music, BBQ, activities for kids whilst browsing the latest products from eco-conscious designers and companies in Shanghai.

The Eco Design Fair exists to advance the sustainable design movement in Shanghai and build community awareness and action around environmental issues as well as provide solutions for healthy sustainable lifestyle. The Eco Design Fair is the original bi-annual fair providing the community the opportunity to network, exchange ideas and be part of a growing eco-conscious movement in Shanghai.

Net proceeds from this event will benefit Shanghai Roots & Shoots and their Million Tree Project in Ku Lun Qi, Tong Liao municipality in Inner Mongolia. The proceeds from previous events have resulted in donating over 270 trees to this program.

1. Viewing Compliance as Opportunity – Most companies start with compliance. All must comply with legal regulations that can vary based on region. And in addition, some choose to follow voluntary, sector-specific codes of conduct.  Rather than viewing compliance as a burden and doing as little as possible, the authors suggest complying with the most stringent rules and doing so before they become mandatory.  This first-mover approach provides a competitive advantage as well as efficiencies of scale.  Staying ahead of regulation can also put companies in a position to shape future legislation.

2. Making Value Chains Sustainable – Keeping pace with regulation makes companies more environmentally aware and more attentive to their resource consumption habits. They will look inward to reduce consumption and waste in their operations and workplace environments; and then outward to their supply chain and other external partners to drive efficiency through every link in the value chain. This forces companies to become more adept with new tools like life cycle assessments, energy footprint calculators and carbon management protocols that can lead to future innovation especially in the design of new products and businesses. Driving sustainability through the supply chain compounds the positive effect by requiring suppliers, typically small to medium businesses, to improve their environmental and labor practices.

3. Designing Sustainable Products and Services – With an increased focus on efficiency and newly acquired skills like life cycle assessments, companies can redesign their offerings and tap into growing consumer demand for more eco-friendly products and packaging. But this is more than just a PR exercise.  Through this process, management also learns how to scale new sources of supply and distribution, as well as gain expertise in new manufacturing techniques. The skills learned today provide the foundation for developing tomorrow’s products.

4. Developing New Business Models – As companies view current business models through the lens of sustainability, they will inevitably rethink these models, especially with the advent of new technologies and the shifting landscape of customer expectations. New models have already started to emerge emphasizing the delivery of value through services rather than products, and the combination of digital with physical infrastructures.

5. Creating Next-Practice Platforms – A sustainability focus also allows companies to build on their existing competencies to develop next-practice platforms and new paradigms. Can we imagine products like waterless detergents, or crops that grow without water, or biodegradable packaging that plants seeds as it decomposes? Can we imagine a national energy system that uses digital technology to manage power generation, transmission, distribution and consumer demand all via the Internet?  Innovators like Cisco, HP, Dell and IBM can. They call it the smart grid.
Embracing Change

Growing concerns over climate change, stricter government regulations, pressures from NGOs and shifting consumer expectations will force businesses to change. There is little disagreement on this point. Knowing that change is inevitable, smart executives are embracing the sustainability agenda and rethinking long-held axioms. The transformation will take committed leadership at the top levels and a motivated, talented workforce in order to execute this agenda. Are you ready?

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Aveda uses mostly organic ingredients. Its products are not tested on animals.

Aveda’s product portfolio:
Haircare – Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatment, Styling and Accessories
Styling – Gels, Pre-style and Hairspray
Skincare – Cleaner, Toner, Moisturisers
Perfume
Full-range of make-up

Ingredients
Natural ingredients.
Harnesses the wind as an alternative energy source for manufacturing through partnership with Native Energy which is an organisation that supports and builds renewable energy products.
Against animal testing on the products
Sources sustainable, organic ingredients at fair prices in a way that is harmonious with indigenous practices and takes steps to improve the environmental quality and health of the community.

Packaging
Aveda, reduce waste by printing product information directly on bottles and boxes rather than on separate sheets of paper.
Bottles and jars are 80% PCR, made from HDPE #2, PET #1 or Glass, and can be recycled through most municipal recycling programs.
Works with suppliers who manufacture our packaging materials using renewable energy.
All folding cartons can also be recycled as paper board.

Support programs & Corporate Contributions
Recycle Caps Program – Plastic bottle caps will be collected at stores and schools and then sent by Aveda to a recycling company so that the caps can be made into new caps and containers.
Breast Cancer Awareness – Every October, we donate a portion of proceeds from our Pink Ribbon Hand Relief to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Since 2005, they’ve contributed nearly $1 million.

Accolades
Awarded the prestigious Corporate Achievement Award at the Smithsonian-Hewitt National Design Museum
PETA – “Best Cruelty-Free Spa Treatments” in the sixth Annual Proggy Awards (Proggy is for “progress”).
Aveda was one of the first beauty companies to endorse a set of principles designed to encourage greater environmental responsibility in business known as The Ceres Principles.
The first beauty company to achieve a Cradle to Cradle sustainability endorsement.

“Made from 80 percent recyclable materials, Samsung Reclaim is a feature-rich messaging phone that offers environmentally conscious customers a perfect blend of responsibility without sacrificing the latest in network speeds and must-have features.

Its bio-plastic material, made from corn, makes up 40 percent of the Reclaim’s outer casing. Samsung Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, and nearly free of brominated flame retardants (BFR): three materials commonly targeted on green electronics guidelines.

The outer packaging and the phone tray inside the box are made from 70 percent recycled materials. The images and text on the box as well as the phone warranty information are printed with soy-based ink. The typical thick paper user manual has been replaced with a virtual manual that users can access online.”

Its environmental features include low embodied energy, reusability and it is unbrakable. Keep Cup comes with a one-year guarantee and a lifespan of four years. It is 100% recyclable – polypropylene #5.

60BAGs a breakthrough advance over the so-called “green bags” produced with polypropylene material, as well as the thick plastic bags given away by most clothing retailers. 60BAG is a great commercial opportunity for the companies committed to supporting an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Winner of GreenDot awards.