Wednesday 23 July 2008

Stugbags: Recycled Print Blankets

Photo Copyright: StugbagsPhoto Copyright: StugbagsHere's a clever design idea from the Netherlands which recycles rubber print waste into bags and other funky carrying products. Stugbags salvage the rubber 'blankets' used as a backing for all sorts of graphic print items and which are then discarded by printers after use. A natural felt lining is added and hey presto - a new colourful, unique bag or laptop holder is born ready for you to carry your stuff in - brilliant! Check out the fab minimal packaging too.

Sourced from: greenUPGRADER, 22Jul08Photo Copyright: Stugbags
"“Promoting the waste=food principle”
Stug Bags use reclaimed rubber to construct their multipurpose line. Rubber printing blankets are commonly found in the offset printing business where the rubber is a coating over a compressible substance and is used to transfer ink to the printing surface. Using this material Stug then manufactures a variety of bag types Photo Copyright: Stugbagsusing natural felt lining. Each bag is unique with different ink characteristics left on the rubber surface from the last time they were used in the press."

More info: Stugbags

Tuesday 22 July 2008

Superuse: Where Recycling Meets Design

Photo Copyright: SuperuseFor some amazing recycling design ideas, inspiration and awe look no further than Superuse. From the clever-why-didn't-I-think-of-that ideas to the downright-how-can-that-possibly-work-crazy. Peruse at leisure and vote for your favourites.

"Superuse - where recycling meets design

Superuse is a online community of designers, architects and everybody else who is interested in inventive ways of recycling"

Vincent Chong @ Art In Mind

One of RecyclingCDs valued and talented artists will be exhibiting this month at the Brick Lane Gallery in London. Vincent Chong will be joining a group of other emerging and mid-career artists promoted by the gallery in this regular featured exhibition.

The show runs from 30th July until 11th August 2008 with a preview opening night on Wednesday 30th July, 6-9pm.

Venue: 196 Brick Lane, London E1 6SA / Tel: 0207 729 9721
Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East

Saint Darwin's Spirituals by Vincent Chong

Further info:
Art In Mind / Brick Lane Gallery / Vincent Chong

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Battersea Power Station Renewal

Battersea Power Station Redevelopment - Copyright: Racheblue 2008
Last Saturday Ecomonkey took a trip down to Battersea Power Station to see the latest redevelopment plans by Treasury Holdings Ltd. The information centre is well organised with an impressive display of photographs, architectural drawings and plans as well as a fascinating model of the huge 38 acre site with the planned redevelopment in context.

Treasury Holdings is promoting their design as sustainable - 'A New Energy For London' which sounds great. How exactly this will be manifest is a different matter. The information contained on the Battersea-Power Station website is vague about the actual sustainable aspects to say the least. So we visited the site with a healthy dose of cynicism alongside more than a little excitement.

Battersea Power Station Redevelopment - Copyright: Racheblue 2008The £150 million plan centres around a 300 metre high chimney and 'eco-dome' which will house retail and office space as well as residential on the chimney itself! Frankly, we're unsure who would want to live on a chimney but you can't fault the developers for innovation! The 'eco-dome' will draw air up and out through the chimney enabling natural ventilation which will, according to the press release, reduce energy demand by 67%. It's a shame that the chimney looks so ugly and will dwarf the original chimneys which, in Ecomonkey's humble opinion, ought to retain a level of dominance!

Battersea Power Station - Copyright: Racheblue 2008The other main plan is to bring back the energy supply function of Battersea Power Station but this time to use renewable energy -'biofuels, waste and other renewable energy sources' using two of the current chimneys. The site will include further residential, retail, commercial and hotel as well as public space - a square, riverside walk and 6 acre park. There are also plans to extend the underground to the site.

If planning permission is granted, Treasury hope to commence building in 2012 and complete by 2020. It all sounds very ambitious and we are still not sure how much of the plan is green-wash or how realistic the sustainable aims are.

Battersea Power Station Redevelopment - Copyright: Racheblue 2008It's one thing to say the site will be 'Zero Carbon' and that the 'eco-dome' will not need air-con but surely all the houses, offices, hotel etc on the site will still consume energy and expel emissions. Will all of these buildings be powered by the site's power plant? There will undoubtedly be carbon emissions in the construction (which includes demolition and rebuilding of the existing chimneys) - have these been accounted for in the 'Zero Carbon' calculation? Will there be affordable housing or just expensive apartments to fund the development? A truly sustainable development needs to at least cater for all budgets if not focus on those at the lower end of the wage scale.

Battersea Power Station - Copyright: Racheblue 2008If the plans are fulfilled and the site does in fact become 'totally independent from reliance on public utilities', source all drinking water from an on-site borehole, harvest rainwater for grey-water recycling, collect, store and treat storm water for reuse, make good use of river transport etc. as it claims, we will be very impressed and ecstatically happy!

There is one day left for the public to visit the site and consult the plans. So to have your say get down to Battersea this weekend:
Saturday - 19th July, 10am - 6pm.
Gate 2, 188 Kirtling Street, SW8 5BN
(Tel: 0845 262 2625).
Visit the BPS website for more info.

NB: All photos are under copyright of Racheblue