Somehow, I think that the US Department of Transportation, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would not be the first in line to approve this one. Our friends at Japan’s biggest toilet maker, TOTO, have taken the idea of renewable energy to a whole new level of… I don’t know how you say… ‘freshness’ with their invention of the first bike that’s powered entirely by human waste. Yes, you read that right. You can now poo and drive in Japan.

The Toilet Bike Neo runs using biogas converted from the feces of the rider, collected on the rider’s own personal bike toilet seat. No, you can’t poop and drive. But you can pull over, do your duty, and be on your way. Add to that, the Toilet Bike plays music, displays messages via light imagery, and talks. I don’t think you can bridge nature and technology any better than that, although I’m sure there’s a decency law keeping the Toilet Bike from coming to our shores.

Check out the Toilet Bike in its inaugural run to an buttocks-shaped boulder here, and more info on the bike itself here.

It seems as if Oscar the Grouch was ahead of his time when it comes to recession-proof housing. In today’s day and age, when money is tight and rooms even tighter, people are finding every which way they can to live affordably. The gentleman in the video above has made the best out of next to nothing, creating what seems to be a sustainable living arrangement in none other than a garbage dumpster. As menial as the abode seems, it’s actually somewhat comfy given the small space, and has a lot of amenities to make it environment friendly. Now, if only Greg could get people to stop tossing bottles and old newspapers into his living room…

The ZeroWater pitcher is by far my new best friend.¬† After watching a special on tap water that was on the Dr. Oz show, I went on a search for the cleanest way to filter the water in my home. ¬† The ZeroWater pitcher won hands down, providing a way to clear almost every, single last contaminant from the water.¬† Here’s the lowdown on the system:

Zero Technologies LLC is the only gravity fed filteration system that meets the FDA standards for bottled water.  Using a 5 stage, ion-exchange filteration system that is guaranteed to bring your level of dissolved solids to zero, you will finally know the true beauty of clean, crisp and worry free water.  Why do you want a zero you ask?

Meter readings for tap water average between 75 and 300 and can go even higher. Conventional water filters only take out a small portion of these dissolved solids which can cause bad tastes.¬† If you don’t believe me, get your own water tester, or use the one provided by ZeroWater to not only test your filtered water, but your tap water and the bottled water you have stored in the garage.¬† After receiving the ZeroWater Pitcher and the enclosed tester, I went test crazy…and finally realized that my gut was right all along; the Brita was worthless.

If you can read that little water tester in the cup, you can see that my bottled water logged in at 190. According to the enclosed water cheat sheet, 190 is within range for bottled water, but once again, it ain’t zero.¬† After testing the bottled, I tested my Brita water filter, which logged in at a little over 250, which was shocking to me.¬† It was in the national range of tap water!

So, I decided to break out my ZeroWater Pitcher and filter the water, to see if I could first get a zero, and then…find out what a zero tasted like.¬† After the easy assembly and passing the water through a couple of times to filter the water, I was ready.

One big thing to know as you are filtering the water is that good water takes time. The water passes through the top trough and through the filter at a slower rate than your average filter, but then again…this isn’t your average water it’s producing. Once filled, the pitcher can hold about twice as much as your typical pitcher, and also comes with two separate ways to get the water out.¬† One, you can pour it, or two, there is a spout located at the base.

The spout has been a huge help with my sons, who can now easily fill their stainless steel bottles up with water straight from the fridge, as opposed to trying to carry the big pitcher.

All in all, I definitely recommend the ZeroWater system to anyone looking to not only drink cleaner water, but save money.¬† It is estimated that by investing $30 in a water-filtering, reusable pitcher or faucet attachment, you’ll save about $300 a year on bottled water.

Pick one up here for $35, and sign up for the coupons, trust me, they are worth it!

While some may find it kooky, there are millions of people out there that believe that everything you touch effects your energy.  Hence, where the Love Bottle was born.  A nutrition consultant in San Francisco looked at the emotional and physical health of our country and wondered what she could do to improve it. Because water is our most fundamental need, improving its quality became the obvious answer. Water in a great looking, earth-friendly bottle supercharged with a little love seemed the perfect answer to helping many people in a simple and easy way.

Love Bottles are made from reusable glass [partially recyclable]. They have a ceramic swing top lid, similar to an old school milk bottle,¬† that creates a water-tight seal.¬† Every printed bottle has the word “love” on it, charging your water with the energy of love.¬† They also let you express yourself, with a portion of the design allowing you to write and draw on the printed areas of the bottle.

Love Bottle wants to give you the bottle of your choice [18.00 value!]

Here’s How to Enter: (this entry is mandatory)

• Browse the Love Bottles and let us know which one you would choose if you won!
  

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The giveaway winner is Fionen, congrats!

Jamie Story, Robbie Gangemi and Gio Estevez are the minds behind Vehicle Skateboards, a skateboarding company that will give us the first ever recycled decks.  According the Pop Master Innovations:

“products are extremely environmentally friendly and can be made from an assortment of recycled Hard Rock Maple products and by-products, including used skateboard decks. With our Patent Pending Method, high quality maple can be continuously reused for skateboard manufacturing and other applications.”

via High Snobiety

Have you ever wondered what happened to that billboard that once hung above your traffic ridden route?  Well Defy bags is doing their part to repurpose in an artsy way by taking that old billboard vinyl and handcrafting a custom bag.  Coming in three different sizes, the bags range in price from $115 to $155, featuring a flap top and messenger style strap.  Check them out at Defy Bags.

According to UniquEco ‚ÄúIt all started with kids making toys out of sticks and thorns and flip-flops,” and now the residents of Kenya are turning the sandals that wash up on the beach into sellible jewelry, collectibles and art. via Global Post

[Via Ciara Elend]

Less Bitter Coffee
Add an eggshell to the coffee in the filter, and your morning coffee will be less bitter. The spent coffee grounds, eggshell and bio-degradable filter are then conveniently ready for the compost pile.

Natural Drain Cleaner
Keep a couple of crushed eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer at all times. They trap additional solids and they gradually break up and help to naturally clean your pipes on their way down the drain.

Egg on Your Face
Pulverize dried egg shells with a mortar and pestle, then whisk the powder in with an egg white and use for a healthful, skin-tightening facial. Allow the face mask to dry before rinsing it off.

Soft&Cozy recently sent me a set of their Lavender and Mint Dryer Satchels to review. In case you’re wondering exactly what a dryer satchel is, it is a reusable pouch that you use in place of a dryer sheet. Each eco-friendly dryer sachet is made from 100% repurposed fabric, and filled with all natural ingredients, including peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, locally grown lavender buds, and spearmint.

The sachets came in a small envelope, with a little thank you card enclosed. I didn’t waste any time to try them out since 1) they smelled so fragrant and 2) I have 2 kids.¬† So I got my laundry together, and popped these in the dryer to test them out.¬† Before I go on with the review, I have a small confession.

I didn’t read the directions, and the first time I tried it, I only put one in the dryer LOL.

Okay, so let’s fast forward to trial number 2.¬† I re-read the directions, washed my clothes, and after I threw a full load into the dryer, I added all 3 sachets in with it [just as I would a few dryer sheets].¬† I could literally smell the clothes throughout the house as they were drying. Not only that, but when they were done, they were soft and smelled great.

Soft&Cozy recommends that you use each set a dozen times.¬† I found that my set went about 9 times before it started to lose it’s full strength.¬† After that, I used it twice more and then continued the theme of repurposing by putting them in my drawers and linen closet.

Soft&Cozy wants to give one lucky reader a set of their Lavender and Mint Dryer Sachets.

MANDATORY ENTRY: So easy! Leave a comment below letting us know what you are doing to go green!

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The giveaway winner will be chosen on Aug 29th. Good Luck!

Diego Stocco – Music From A Tree from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

For a full write up, check out his blog at Behance, it really was an amazing feat.

Bravo on this post =)

[Via HowAboutOrange]

[Via VerTerra]