Archive for January, 2010

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Seafood at-a-glance

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

I love Gordon Ramsey. There, I’ve said it. Recently on one of his successful television series (BBC’s the F-Word, F is for Food) he talked about why he has removed his top signature dish from the menu of his many restaurants: Chilean Sea Bass. It’s because this fish, like so many others, have been hauled up in fishing nets by the millions for years and has now become threatened as a species. Fishermen have noticed huge declining numbers of this particular fish for over a decade. On another BBC television show’s episode, a Last Restaurant Standing chef had to cater a dinner party and served the endangered sea bass and not only failed the challenge but recieved quite a stern tongue-lashing from host and judge Raymond LeBlanc.

Chilean Sea Bass is not the only over-harvested fish. There are dozens of fish out there who have been culled to the brink of extinction. How does one keep up on the latest statistics? Monterey Bay Aquarium in California has come to the rescue. A person can download handy cards which list the endangered fish, as well as give suggestions for which fish to choose instead. Their website at: www.montereybayaquarium.org shows a host of different downloadable cards based on geographic location, or you can download the “national” card option. They suggest you put the card in your wallet or purse and then refer to it when you’re dining out. How clever!
Monterey Bay Aquarium SeafoodWatch Card

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What is the Capital of Cleveland?

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Kudos has to go out to Matt Zone, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and the city of Cleveland for all the efforts that have gone into the Gordon Square Arts District.  They managed to take a great neighborhood with great bones and transform it from an aging area to a lively and fun district.  I have already written about the great places to eat and shop here, but what may be the finest jewel in the crown is the Capital Theater.

Cleveland was a thriving city in the early 1900′s.  This being the heyday of vaudeville and the beginning of the movie business, it comes as no surprise that the city is littered with theaters.  Nearly every neighborhood had some sort of stage theater or movie house, most of which fell into complete decline.  Later, many were torn down to make way for McDonald’s, shopping malls, or other some trappings of modern life.  Even our beloved Playhouse Square came close to becoming another parking lot.  Still others were converted into something else-churches, porn theaters, even offices.  Some fell into such disrepair that they could not be salvaged at all.  Luckily, the Capital Theater managed to find new life.

I am a big believer in adaptive reuse.  Far too many of Cleveland’s precious architectural gems have become the victim of the wrecking ball and are gone forever.  These theaters were truly sad in that they were places to attract patrons and as such were often sumptuous and ornate.  A hundred years later, it becomes very expensive to return these little treasures to their former glory, but the Capital Theater did it.  Operated by the Cleveland Cinemas chain, it is a great asset to the Gordon Square district.  Cleveland Cinemas has a long history of meshing arty and independent films with traditional new releases.  Who knows?  as the Cleveland International Film Festival continues to grow, maybe we will get to see some of the films from the festival showcased at this awesome locale. (Speaking of the CIFF check out the site to be in the trailer!)

I was pleased to go and see Avatar at the Capital and loved the work that was done.  They managed to blend modern comfort with old world elegance.  The screen is big enough for all those great movies like Avatar that really should be seen at a cinema, yet the theater is also small enough to make the space intimate enough to create that arty theater feel.  Being newly renovated and so sparling clean, yet grand and ornate-this is my favorite in the Cleveland Cinemas chain.

If you have yet to see the theater space and the work that they have done, then make the time.  They are showing some cool films, screenings and one day showings, as well as big names like Avatar.  They are even showing midnight movies with cult classics like Fight Club!  A new film that is coming out is Extraordinary Measures.

EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES (CBS Films) Opening Date: January 22, 2010 From his
working class roots, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) has finally begun to
taste success in corporate America.  Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen
(Keri Russell) and their three children, John is on the fast track.  But
just as his career is taking off, Crowley walks away from it all when his
two youngest children, Megan and Patrick, are diagnosed with a fatal
disease. With Aileen by his side, harnessing all of his skill and
determination, Crowley teams up with a brilliant, but unappreciated and
unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford).  Together
they form a bio-tech company focused on developing a life-saving drug.  One
driven to prove himself and his theories, the other by a chance to save his
children, this unlikely alliance eventually develops into mutual respect as
they battle the medical and business establishments in a fight against the
system – and time. But, at the last minute, when it appears that a solution
has been found, the relationship between the two men faces a final test -
the outcome of which will affect the fate of John’s children.

You can be one of the first to see this film!  The Capital is having a pre-screening on Wednesday, January 20th at 7:30 pm.  Even better, there is a way that you won’t have to pay!  Have you visited the Got City Game website?  I wrote about the GCG television show earlier.  It is a web based reality show set in Cleveland and they are giving away cool stuff.  Not only do the contestants have a shot at the grand prize, but the viewers have a chance to win cool stuff as well.  When you go to the site and vote for your favorite team, you are entered into the drawing.  The more you vote (you can vote once a day) the better your odds.  They are giving away some scholarships as the grand prize, but along the way they are giving away some cool stuff too.  This week they are giving out VIP passes to the pre-screening at the Capital.  They have a handful of passes to give out this week, so get over there and enter!  You can also win by being a fan on their Facebook page.  GO NOW!  They have multiple pairs of passes to give away, but the screening comes up Wednesday!  Get your entry in ASAP Got City Game!!  If you believe in Cleveland, then you should be watching this show.  What a great way to raise awareness about how cool this town is than by having a reality show that shows off our assets.  Tell your friends from around the globe to watch, too.  Let’s give the whole world a glimpse of our great city!

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My haircut is sustainable and your fax machine is not!

Friday, January 15th, 2010

I am not big on resolutions or promises.  I guess it stems from all the years that I quit smoking or started dieting at midnight on New Year’s eve in the hopes that the resolve of several cocktails would provide me all the courage and strength that i needed to follow through.  Being older and wiser, I have stopped such nonsense.  The real way to make a long term change is to set a goal and to work toward that goal.  I have a goal to eat better.  By better, I mean less meat and more local foods.  To that end I am planning on seeing how much food I can grow myself this year and how I can preserve it to last through these cold winter months.  While looking at ways to home can, dehydrate and freeze, I was struck by how much my life has turned into those of my mother and grandmother.

My grandmother recently passed away at the ripe old age of 101.  I spent many hours reflecting on the changes that have happened in her lifetime.  Born in 1908, she saw multiple wars (including both World Wars), the Great Depression, the sexual revolution, the technology revolution and the evolution of the internet.  When she was a child, more people lived on farms and ate what they were able to produce.  People who lived in cities, lived in dense urban neighborhoods, walked where they could, and took street cars to get to downtown.  Most cut their own hair, owned few clothes and repaired them as they showed wear, bought in staples in large quantities and cooked their own foods.  They used doilies and the like to protect furnature from dirt and grime, because when you bought a sofa it was pretty much yours for life.

Fast forward a hundred years, and here I am trying to live more like my grandmother did.  Little did we know that progress was not all it was cracked up to be.  Living a more sustainable life means living with a lighter footprint on the earth.  Growing any portion of your own food, puts you more in touch with the things that you are eating and makes you appreciate the labor involved in producing what you consume.  When you learn to drive less and walk more, you soon realize that buying in bulk makes sense because you want to make that trip as less often as possible.  When you commit to buying less, you do more to make the things that you buy last longer and thus consume less materials in the life you live.  That is why I call my haircut sustainable.  I bought a good pair of clippers for $20.  When it gets too long, I can trim it myself in a few minutes.  In addition, I will use less hair care products.  While no hair salons are going to shut their doors or turn off their lights an hour earlier because of me, I know that I am using less energy in the way I live my life.

On the other hand, the rise of the digital age has increased our need for electricity and high tech materials, but it allows us to reduce our consumption of many other resources.  Email is rapidly replacing snail mail and spam is replacing junk mail.  That means a lot less trees are bing cut down every year to send me my bills and offers to buy a new car.  Less mail means less mail carriers driving less miles and less planes delivering less letters-that means less gas being burned.  I was asked the other day for my fax number.  Do people actually use such things anymore?  If so, why?  The fax machine is rapidly going the way of the dinosaur, the land line telephone, and the answering machine.  A fax machine has to be on all the time to be effective.  Not only is it drawing electricity all the time, waiting to be used, but when it is, it prints on paper.  In this digital age, when everyone I know has an email address, why are we even sending things over fax machines.  I haven’t entered a fax number in my contacts in years.  Anything that needs a signature can easily be scanned and sent over the internet the way everything else is, so why are people even buying these big machines that use power, toner, ink, paper, and plunk it down next to their computer and internet line?

So in reflecting on the long life of Grandma Belle, I find that she lived a more sustainable life than most of us in the modern age.  Who knew that real progress would mean going backward and not forward?

Amplify

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Cleveland’s got game…Got City GAME!

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Cleveland has got a lot going for it!  Sometimes Cleveland residents forget just how great this town can be.  Enter a new web TV show called Got City Game-Cleveland.  This is the brainchild of Executive Producers Barbara Oney and TL Champion.  The idea is simple.  Why create a static website that people may or may not go to, when you can create a dynamic interactive television experience that is accessible from the web!  All the while promoting the sights and sounds of this cool town that is Cleveland, Ohio.  When I first heard about Got City Game sometime this summer, I was intrigued.  I was told to watch out for a local Cleveland based “Amazing Race” concept that would showcase local neighborhoods and spots.  thought, “wow, I’ll have to watch that!”  Somehow, the site launched and I must have had my head in the sand, because I missed it.  In my own defense, I so not read print media, and I haven’t seen a local news show in years (is that Dick Goddard guy still around ) so it slipped right by me.  Still, I can’t help but wonder where are all the Cleveland bloggers and those who are always talking up Cleveland when this cool concept was released?  Was I out sick that week?  The joy of this idea being web based is that I am able to catch up whenever I like.    So I am.

The episodes are all in easy to watch You Tube style video formats that are all under 10 minutes.  Easy to catch an episode on your coffee break or while sipping your morning coffee before getting to those emails.  I am up to episode 7 and I am pretty hooked.  The contestants are real life local people-they might be your neighbors or friends.  The show’s host is a local, too-Jason Zone Fisher and he does a top notch job.  I have a favorite team and am secretly rooting for them to win.  I am voting for them, too.  Oh yes, you get to vote!  Not only does each team win points for each challenge, but your votes help them along.  What is the prize?  A year of Cleveland!  That’s right, a year of rent free living in the Tremont neighborhood, gift certificates for entertainment and food, all the stuff you need to really enjoy this town!  But wait, the prizes do not stop there!  Every time you vote, you are entered into a drawing.  Each week some lucky winner gets a new prize like Lake Erie Monster tickets or tickets to a show at Pickwick and Frolic.  At the end of the season, some lucky winners will also win a college scholarship!  The cool thing about this prize is that it is gift-able and transferable!  Wanna give your niece a scholarship?  Go vote!  Want to send your son to an Ivy League school?  This scholarship might be just the ticket to help pave the way.  Always wanted to pursue a PhD?  Enter for your shot!  How did I not know about this? What’s more you can enter once a day-all just by voting for your favorite team!

If that isn’t enough to make you go and watch this show, then there are plenty of cool shorts on the site as well.  There are these cool little mini two minute quizzes and clips of contestants and people who tried out… enough to make you stop by every day for at least a minute or two: see a clip, vote for a team, maybe win a prize, and learn something cool about this awesome town while you are at it!  So why are you spending so much time playing Farmville when you could get some knowledge and some prizes?  Start today, because there are only a few weeks left before it is too late and the more times you visit, the better your chances of winning a scholarship!  Oh yeah, Cleveland’s got game:  Got City Game!

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Save Our Shores

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Recently a new aggregate citizen group was created in protest of Cleveland’s newest waterfront redevelopment plan.  In theory, and usually in practice, I completely agree with most of their concerns regarding the relocation of the Port Authority to the E.55th Street area.  In agreement, I don’t believe the Port has produced any accurate business models to demonstrate their need for hundreds of acres.  I also don’t believe in their ability to produce tens of thousands of new jobs or to stimulate nearby industrial and commercial business in the beleaguered St. Clair neighborhood.  I never like the idea of tearing up existing land or waterways in order to build something as admittedly unattractive as cargo container storage areas with cranes, lights, signal sirens, etc.  along with its accompanying warehouses, train tracks and freight delivery roads.

However, I do have a bone to pick with the protestors.  They continually say the new plan destroys Gordon State Park and the Dike 14 nature area.  It claims that the port will block access to Clevelanders to the shoreline.  I have been at nearly every public meeting on this topic, always concerned that the Port will indeed destroy the ecology, but I’ve also examined the plans in minute detail.  What I’ve seen shows that Dike 14 and Gordon State Park remain mostly untouched.  The main work at this area is the expansion of the EXISTING marina, and an addition of greenspace between the highway and the marina.  Currently the existing marina is about half the overall size, but still takes up the same amount of linear footage along the waterfront without much in the way of green space.

The other bone I have to pick is that everyone keeps saying these park areas are located at E.55th Street.  Any cursory look at the map will show that the marina, Gordon State Park and Dike 14 are all located at E. 85th, while the Port relocation is at 55th.  It may be a small point, but I hate such inaccuracy.  Inaccuracies call into question the very points they are trying to make which may be very valid.

Here’s a map of the areas in question (the port is on the far left, Dike 14 is on the far right.  Gordon State Park is just below the marina:
Port relocation area
Port relocation area clean version

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Grocery and Climate Change

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Grocery store owners and operators are notoriously conservative, so it came as no surprise when American grocery store operators were asked by Superarket News if “global warming” was something to worry about, the overwhelming reply was: “Don’t panic, it may not be real”.  I am paraphrasing, but that was the gist of the poll results.

Conversely, at the recent National Retail Federation’s 99th Annual Convention and Expo in New York, Sir Terry Leahy, CEO for Britain’s Tesco grocery stores gave a presentation yesterday where climate change was featured as one of the key growth drivers for retailers in the coming years.  Tesco is one of the world’s most successful grocery chains and has now opened over 100 small stores in the U.S. called “Fresh & Easy”.

“The science seems incontrovertible,” he said. “We in the developed world are going to have to live on 80% less carbon. We now have got to shift the whole basis of consumption to low carbon. It won’t be less consumption — people want a better life — but it will be different consumption.  For retailers, this is a significant business opportunity.  Those retail businesses who respond first and best to the consumer’s need for low-carbon products and low-carbon living in an affordable way will do the best. This is an opportunity for us all.”

Hopefully the grocers in the room were listening, but I’m sure the majority walked away shaking their heads.

In June the International Council of Shopping Centers held its annual convention in Las Vegas.  Every year architects, designers, and retail developers create boards featuring their version of “the retail mall of the future”.  This year the majority of the boards depicted the same old mall designs we’ve seen for decades.  The overriding philosophy for retail developers and operators seemed to be “when this whole economy rebounds, it will be back to business as usual”.  Only a rare few of the boards featured innovations in energy or sustainable practices.

I want to reiterate what Leahy said above: those retailers (and retail developers) who respond first and really get it, will come out on top.  Those that don’t get it will be left in the dust.

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Do Good and Eat Well!

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Today I am reposting a post from a blog that I follow.  It is written by a great woman, Michelle V, and can be found at Cleveland Foodie.  Consider skipping your morning Mocha and making a donation to a great cause.   Help promote education in nutrition, remember the government spent many years classifying ketchup as a vegetable in its school lunch program!

After writing this blog for nearly four years, I think I can safely make some assumptions about you, my readers. Assumption one: you like food.  Two: you like food prepared by one of our many talented chefs. Three: You’re pro Cleveland and will always support local when able. Four: You care about this community and supporting others when in need. Five: You have $5.

(and I’m willing to bet you’d happily exchange that $5 for free dinner out the rest of the year.)

After meeting Farming Lee Jones, I learned about the Veggie U initiative, a national program that promotes the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture. The program is embraced and loved by teachers and students alike. Locally, 150 schools in the Cleveland Metro School District have been using the 4th grade Veggie U science program. Unfortunately, they don’t have any funding to continue as $200 per classroom is needed to fund the kits.

On the way home from that initial meeting and fabulous dinner, we had an idea to try to help these students and teachers. Would you be willing to donate a minimum of $5 to help this cause? That’s your morning Starbucks. If we all help and spread the word, we have an opportunity to make a difference here. And if you’ve watched the news lately, you know Cleveland students can use a little bit of good news.

If you donate $5 to Veggie U, you will automatically be entered to win more than $1,200worth of gift cards to all your favorite eateries and shops. Want to increase your odds? Donate $10, $25, $50 or more (I promise you won’t miss $25). For every $5 you donate, you will earn another entry into the drawing. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You have until February 13 to donate and be entered. It’s easy – just call419.499.7500 ext 119; you must reference Cleveland Foodie (a winner will be picked using random.org).

As soon as we worked out all the details with Veggie U, I reached out to the chefs and owners to share the idea and ask for support. Almost immediately I started to hear back. The backing of our food community and willingness to work together to help all sorts of causes beyond this is inspiring, admirable and personally greatly appreciated by myself. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and willingness to pitch in.

One incredibly lucky diner will spend the year eating and drinking their way throughout Cleveland:

Western Reserve Wine / $50 gift card
Tartine / $50 gift card
Momocho / $50 gift card (Eric Williams also generously donated an additional $200 to fund one classroom)
Lola / $50 gift card
The Greenhouse Tavern / $50 gift card
Heinen’s / $100 gift card
Blue Canyon / $50 gift card
The Flying Fig / $50 gift card
Fire / $50 gift card
Erie Island Coffee / $50 gift card
Fahrenheit / $50 gift card
Miles Farmers Market / $50 gift card
Jekyll’s Kitchen / $50 gift card
Moxie / $200 gift card!!
Touch Supper Club / $50 gift card
Parallax / $50 gift card
L’Albatros / $50 gift card
Chinato / $50 gift card (opening very soon!)
Crop Bistro / $50 gift card
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And to top it all off, the winner will receive one ticket to their choice of upcoming dinners atThe Culinary Vegetable Institute (you’re in for a real treat here) and The Chefs Garden will send you one of their e-commerce family boxes.

To kick it off, Jamie and I will donate $100 (we will not be counted for the drawing). Would you also consider making a pledge? I know times are tough for many, and if you can’t, it’s completely understandable. But if you’re able to give something back and if you’re a follower of this blog I can only assume it’s a greater cause that matters to you, please call. Let’s follow the lead of our chefs and local owners and show what the Cleveland food community can accomplish when we work together.

Thank You.

Update: Just learned that The Culinary Vegetable Institute will give a copy of the 2009 official cookbook of the Food & Wine Celebration to the first 20 people that donate $50 or more!

Amplify

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Posted in Arts & Culture, Cleveland, Giveaways, Green | 1 Comment »

DESIGN TRENDS

Monday, January 11th, 2010

This just in from London:  Leather couches are all the rage!  I just read on “myDeco”, from London, that leather made up 52% of all couch fabric choices last year in England.  Accordingly stores all over Brittain are showcasing leather couches, sectionals and chairs.  Of course, whatever is trendy in England today, will be trendy in America tomorrow!

Here’s a link to the site:

Don’t miss the hottest trends – find the latest looks in the mydeco Style and Trends section.

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Follow up on H & M.

Monday, January 11th, 2010

I mentioned the H & M “scandal” in NYC in a post the other day about green and greenwashing.  In all fairness, I received this email from H & M in response to this query and wanted to post it.  Here is the email that I got:

Thank you for contacting H&M regarding the recent article in the New York Times.

H&M is committed to taking responsibility for how our operations affect people and the environment. Globally, we donate garments that do not meet our quality requirements to organizations such as Gifts In Kind International, UNHCR, Caritas, the Red Cross and Helping Hands. Since 2000, H&M US has donated more than 350 pallets of our products to charitable organizations throughout the United States and around the world via Gifts In Kind International.

When possible, we also donate garments that have been returned to our stores. However, we do not donate clothes that do not meet our safety requirements, chemical restrictions or are damaged. We have agreements with reputable aid organizations in most of our sales countries. In total, more than 500,000 pieces of H&M garments were donated during 2009.

We have thoroughly examined the situation surrounding the garments found outside of our 34th Street store. We have determined that these garments were damaged, did not meet our safety standards or had been used for in-store display. For example, shoes that had been punctured for use on mannequins. The garments in question were not excess inventory that did not sell well.

Going forward, we are reevaluating what we categorize as “damaged” garments and we continue to be committed to donating as many of these items as possible to our aid organization partners.

Overall, I do not know what to think.  I have been to H & M stores, and there is little in the way of displays that warrant large cuts and slashes across merchandise.  I am also a bit dubious, as since this is a known spot to folks who pick through trash for treasures, that this is an isolated incident.  I am glad that they donate factory items that cannot be reused, but is it enough?  I have a long history of retail, so I also get that there is always a possibility of people trying to return items to the store for cash, when they never purchased it in the first place.  That being said, simply removing the tag could be enough to solve the problem.  In general, H & M does have a pretty good track record in terms of charity and the environment, so I can cut them a little slack.  On the other hand, since they are launching a new line of eco-friendly products, They should have systems in place to reduce their waste and consumption.  Perhaps only second quality shoes that could not be donated should have been used for display, or their merchandising team could have come up with a display plan that didn’t involve destroying perfectly good merchandise for the sole purpose of putting shoes on a mannequin.  Knowing that this is a multi-national corporation with a huge team that plans displays for stores across the globe, what does it say about their team that they decided to cut up hundred (thousands? ) of shoes to put them on mannequins?    I remain unconvinced in their true commitment to the environment, and will refrain from giving them any of my money for a while until I get better answers.  This situation sits right at that border of green for the sake of being green and for the sake of greenwashing.

Here is the respnse I sent back to them:

Just to be clear.  You are a multinational corporation with a merchandising team that plans displays for its stores around the globe.  Your team thought the best use of perfectly good clothing was to punch holes in it so you can put it on display?  I remain skeptical.  Given the thought, time and effort that was put into your new line of eco friendly clothing for the spring, it seems to me that your merchandising team should have been a part of the overall planning in your stores.  If you want to more beyond greenwashing and into sustainability, then the entire corporate team needs to be involved.  Adding eco fabric lines to your palette of choices is great, but given the state of the environment, far from being good enough.  Please consider a corporate wide approach to reducing waste and impact on the environment, or you will not convince the smart shoppers that you are doing more than greenwashing.  Until then, I think my money can best be spent elsewhere.

I am posting your letter and my response at www.greatlakesgreenpages.com

Amplify

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Posted in Arts & Culture, Green | 1 Comment »

Upcycled to the Max!

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

In an effort to make this blog more interesting I am reaching out to fellow bloggers across the net. This is a guest post by a fellow blogger, Danielle Brycz. She is the co-owner of Verde Lifestyles, an online store selling eco-friendly home décor.  Drop by their site ans see some of their great products-the bed linens are absolutely awesome!

Upcycled to The Max

Guest post by Danielle Brycz, Co-Owner of Verde Lifestyles, an online store selling eco-friendly home décor.

Over the last year or so there have been so many new products that use more recycled content. Which is great for consumers and the environment!  But there has also been more of a shift towards upcycling, which takes using recycled materials in products to a whole new level.  The definition of upcycling is “the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of equal or better quality.  The goal of upcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials by making use of existing ones.  While the goal of downcycling, which is the other half of the recycling process, involves converting materials and products into new materials of lesser quality.”  (Upcycling definition via Wikipedia.) Aluminum and glass are great examples of materials that can be easily upcycled because they maintain the same level of quality in their second life.  While there are thousands of examples of upcycled products, I wanted to highlight the more creative designs.

Upcycled Nike Sneakers Made From Metal Circuit Boards

These Junk-Metal Jordans by Gabriel Dishaw are truly one of a kind. Made of metal and electronic scraps, unfortunately they were not designed to wear.

Canopy Upcycled from Plastic Cups

This beautiful design by BIOS Design Collective is a great DIY project.  They actually used discarded cups from the OutsideLands concert in San Francisco to create the canopy.  Then using plastic clips, the cups were attached to steel cable mesh.  So while the project was on a larger scale, I’m sure you could apply the same concept to any outdoor space.   

The Crate Man Cometh: Recycled Milk Crate Art

Now this is definitely something you don’t see everyday!  As the name implies, this bizarre creation is made of discarded milk crates. He currently lives in Australia and pops up in the most random places.  Crate Man even has a Facebook page so you can see what adventures he’s’ been on lately!

Gold-Plated Shipping Container Bling Bar

Who knew there was an entire discipline dedicated to shipping container architecture.  This particular design is from designer Andreas Strauss in Austria.  The goal was to create an upcylced mobile food establishment.  It even has a hydraulics system that opens the bar with a push of a button!  Equipped with beer taps, storage, a cooler and place to wash dishes, who wouldn’t want to come to this bar?  They also had to have a permit to be an upcycled mobile bar that mandated it had to be less than 16 feet.

Junior Fritz Jacquet

This artist uses all recycled cardboard and toilet paper rolls to create these unique characters.  “He explores and experiments with folding and crumpling techniques, innovating methods to create forms and craft poetic objects, that visually enhance any surrounding. The origins of his unique technique are still heavily inspired by the traditional art of origami, using only one sheet of paper.”  (Via Upcycled Design Showcase)

Guest post by Danielle Brycz, Co-Owner of Verde Lifestyles, an online store selling eco-friendly home décor.

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Thanks Danielle!  Being involved with Wastipedia, this is exactly the kind of art and upcycling that is the core of our business model.  We need more great ideas like these!

Amplify

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