Thinking Out of the Box

Literally, that is. Products have taken a whole new art form with their packaging, from innovative outer materials used, to bizarre and wonderfully delightful textures. Yet in this day and age of eco-awareness, we encourage you to re-think this design conceptualization with another factor: is it eco-friendly?

While it serves a multitude of purposes (primary cover/safety of product, marketing tool, etc.), product packaging, especially ones made of non-recyclable materials, pose a grave threat to the environment, and if not disposed properly, can do more damage that we would have thought. So what can we do?

For consumers, think out of the box. Choose products which have little or no packaging, or use recyclable packaging (tetra-paks, boxes made of cardboard/recycled paper are examples). For designers/creators, find ways to reduce plastics into your packaging (like, is there a better way to bundle items other than burning plastics!??!!!)

Give to charity. The best form of recycling is giving things, clothes, items we don't need to someone who needs it. Consider your items before you throw them away --- can they be reused by somebody? Can they be mended? Are they still able to function? If so, donate them or reuse them.

The choice to change and make a change is in our hands. As Gadhi said, "you must be the change you wish to see in the world"

Just Say NO

Just Say No to Plastic Bags
The plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket probably end up in a landfill. Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases. Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag (or one made of biodegradable plant-based materials) instead of wasting plastic ones. For your next trip to the grocery store, BYOB.

for more ideas on how to save the planet, please go check out http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/