Gun Rope

JUMP is yet another striking product from Atypyk. I really like the idea, since kids (at least where I'm from) are always drawn to guns as toys and the fact that this one can be used for something other than just the typical shooting action is very satisfying.

This product will be on display at the
Biennale Internationale Design in Saint-Étienne, France, November 15-30.

Made in China

Not long ago, Sara Bongiorni wrote a book about trying to live without using anything manufactured in China called "A year without `Made in China'" not so much as an idealistic stance against fair-trade, job loss or trade deficits, but just to see if it could be done.

In this short film, independent filmmaker Prajna Core explores the same theme through a fast-paced collage of items Made in China found around Prajna's home.

Make your toilet into Art

The clever folks at Atypyk have taken Duchamp's classic subversion of modern art "Fountain" to the next logical level by making his signature into a sticker to add to your own toilet! I'm actually kinda surprised it's taken this long for it to happen.

Socially Responsible Credit Cards?

Say what you want about the evils of credit cards, many people can't avoid them. So if you can't afford to live without them why not do some good (or at least less bad) when you "charge it"? Co-op America's Real Money article "Responsible Credit Cards" lists the banks to avoid getting credit cards from for a variety of environmental/social reasons as well as cards from groups that are trying to do some good with the fees they collect.

Get the details HERE.

Recyled Plastic Laptop Sleeve

Just had to show off my lovely new custom laptop sleeve made from fused plastic bags by Bekah Worley. Not only is her work both beautiful and environmentally friendly, but it's really affordable too! Check out her blog Recycling Is Rad and see more of her stuff for sale on her Etsy page.

What Izzit?

IzzitGreen is a new community review site that allows visitors to rate their local businesses not only on the usual factors of service, quality, etc., but also on their environmental aspects as well (i.e. Is it green?). The site is currently only beta testing for the Boston area.

Cancer Bottles

In a bit of very sad irony the "Breast Cancer Awareness Bottle" (shown left) currently being sold in the U.S. is made of #7 polycarbonate plastic that contains Bisphenol-A (BPA) which the National Toxicology Program has found to be cancer causing in large doses. While the US Food and Drug Administration has said that the link between BPA and cancer "cannot be proven", the material has already been banned in Canada. Indeed the company that manufactures the bottles has responded to questions about the material by saying that a non-BPA version will be available in 6-8 months, since they would like to sell them in Canada!

If you have bottles marked with a 7 it is suggested that you do not refill/reuse the bottles since that allows the material to more easily transfer toxins to the liquid within. There is a good overview of BPA on Wikipedia HERE.

Thanks to my cousin, a breast cancer survivor, who did the research on this and passed the information along!

Socially Conscious T-Shirts

Why wear a shirt with a celebrity on it when you can have Makenna Gigliari from Bradford, Ontario or Franka Tomic from Korkula, Croatia? Joy Apparel is an intriguing socially conscious company with the goal of promoting peace & equality through introducing normal people from around the world...by putting their faces on T-shirts! If you buy a shirt you can submit your own face and join in the fun. Find out more on their site.

Thanks Jo!

Buy Daryl Hannah's Biodiesel El Camino

Apparently Daryl Hannah is selling her biodiesel car (along with a pump & station!) via her website, details to come on December 20th. While you wait you can watch her show about sustainable living: Love Life.

Thanks Xtine!

Target Goes Thrifty

Sometimes a step forward is a step back.
After seeing that many used electronics were returned to their stores in "perfect working order", Target retailers decided to start selling used electronics through their website. (Reuters - Link)

The 'Pre-Owned' page on Target.com currently offers a variety of iPods as well as big ticket items like rear-projection TVs and plasma screens.

Looks like just the thing for this frugal holiday season!

What Would Jesus Buy?

Just in time for the holidays, What Would Jesus Buy is a documentary about Reverand Billy's radical anti-consumerism campaign from Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame...


via Word Soup

Used Book Activism

Better World offers bookworms an opportunity for easy do-goodery. Buying used books through the web based retailer funds a variety of international literacy programs. The only downside is they don't say how much of what they donate from sales, but their parent organization Better World Books seems to have a decent reputation. Find out more here.

Thanks Mim!

Guerrilla Bag Activism

Morsbags is a UK based group that asks regular folks to form subversive activist "pods" to make and distribute...shopping bags! They provide a basic how-to for making a standard cloth bag, which you are then encouraged to distribute for free to shoppers at local stores as an alternative to using disposable grocery bags.

Thanks Mim!

Shopdropping: Call for Entries

Ryan Watkins-Hughes from Shopdropping.net sends this Call for Entries (too bad I'm too old to participate!)...

SHOPDROPPING.NET is currently seeking 20 artists in their twenties for
a new project that will consist of an upcoming book and exhibition. 20/20
will profile each artist and copies of the limited edition book will
be shopdropped into bookstores throughout the world.

In the spirit of shopdropping, we are seeking artists who are
exploring new forms and pushing boundaries within their field. Bands
and musicians with hard to define genres, Internet filmmakers and
compulsive bloggers, curators and gallerists working out of their
homes, post-vinyl dj's and digital vj's, actors and writers working
outside of film, theater, and television, artist collectives, culture
jammers, and other hard-to-define creative minds are in demand.

To be considered for this project please submit examples of your work
via web link to:

submissions AT shopdropping.net

DO NOT send jpgs, mp3s, or other file types directly. Links only please.

Please repost this information and pass it along to anyone who may be
interested. A deadline will be announced soon.

For additional information please see:

http://www.shopdropping.net
http://www.shopdropping.net/2020.html

Rough Guide: Shopping with a Conscience

I recently picked up the Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience and I can't say enough great things about it. Rather than a listing of "green" stores, this handy guide gives a thorough and well-reasoned overview of the issues that face consumers who are interested in consuming from an ethical perspective. From food and household goods to travel and investing, the guide gives a fair assessment of the pros and cons of the different options that currently exist (including opting out) as well as plenty of resources for further investigation. The introduction clearly sets the tone:

"Socially responsible shopping – and ethical consumerism in general – is about taking responsibility for you day-to-day impact upon the world. It doesn't mean deluding yourself into thinking that shopping with a conscience can solve all the world's problems, or that the check-out is the new ballot box. And it doesn't mean following a prescriptive list of evil companies and countries that need to be boycotted. It means taking the time to learn a little about how your lifestyle affects people, planet and animals, and making your own decisions about what constitutes an ethical or unethical purchase."

I couldn't have said it better myself! And unlike the similar, but much heftier tome from World Changing, The Rough Guide is easy for someone new to the issues to pick up and read without feeling daunted. Plus the small size makes it more likely to get thrown in a backpack and carried on shopping trips. I highly recommended it for new and seasoned ethical shoppers alike.

Find out more or purchase it at the Rough Guide site or ask for it at your local bookstore.

Social Atelier

Social Atelier is a collective of artists/activists who are using fashion to talk about social issues. Their current collection of 100% Organic Cotton T-shirts feature text on issues of global warming, war, body image, genocide, gay marriage, poverty, and AIDS. Sales of the the shirts, which were launched in an Ethical Night Out event, benefit the Solar Cooker Project. Read more here.

ActivsMart Grand (virtual) Opening!

Today is the grand opening of ActivsMart a virtual store from our friends at Design for Social Impact. The shop is filled with products featuring their friendly, colorful message driven graphics. All profits go to fund special projects of DfSI like the WPA Living Archive and Activist Trolley Tour. Plus they are giving away a free handmade print with every order placed today! Check it out here.

News Roundup

A few more great stories from the Christian Science Monitor:

• The Donkey Health and Welfare Project helps the often under appreciated pack animal in Ethiopia.
• Chocolate, yet another product that fuels war in Africa.
• "Can 'Green Chic' save the planet?"

About the Monitor

This Side Up: Simple Effective Design

This onesie created and sold by the This Side Up Campaign is a great example of simple effective design. The campaign raises awareness of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) which is the number one cause of death for children under age one. While the cause of SIDS is unknown, one of the most effective ways to prevent it is to make sure babies sleep on their backs. Their onesie with "This Side Up" printed on it is an easy way for tired, new parents to remember what to do when it comes to bedtime, plus sales of the onesie benefit the campaign. Find out more here.

Czech Dream

What happens when you trick a city into thinking you're building the first big box store in the region? Apparently you get that the crap beat out of you. At least that's what happens to the people behind the documentary Czech Dream (which is now playing in select US cities). Color me intrigued to find out the whole story...



via Stay Free

Environmentalism for Girls

The new website The Big Green Purse, created by writer and socially conscious marketer Diane MacEachern, is attempting to make the world a better place by focusing on women's shopping habits noting that "women spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace."