Archive for the ‘Ideas we ♥’ Category

Bag of the Year

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

We’re delighted to introduce ‘Bag of the Year’ by Clean Planet .

This is a super cool , functional , stylish , eco bag that helps you organize in style . The 2011 calendar is printed on both the outer faces of the bag. Hang it at home to plan your year . Store all incoming mail in it so that you never miss any mail. The stylish calendar doubles up as wall art that adds a dash of joy to any space. Carry the bag around when going shopping.

At the end of the year how do you part with a bag you’ve  grown to love ? You don’t !

Reverse the bag and use for years !:) There’s a cool message on the inside of the bag that inspires joy and reflection.

Truly ‘BAG OF THE YEAR‘.

p.s – the pic above shows the 2 outer sides and 1 inner side of the same bag !:)

Interested to buy the ‘Bag of the Year’ ? Email us at bagoftheyear@cleanplanet.in

Bag loads of Love

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

2010 was an amazing year for all of us at Clean Planet . We’re delighted , honored and inspired by the growing Clean Planet community across the world. Thank you for your love and support .

Each of our totes would like to convey their unique wishes for the New Year Ahead.

Bag loads of love,

Team Clean Planet

Re-think badges

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

There is no doubt that single use , disposable plastic products need to be done away with. Replaced instead with reusable , biodegradable materials . In daily life products like plastic bags , cups , cutlery can and should be replaced.

Businesses can also do their bit to reduce consumption of single use disposable plastic . Most exhibitions hand out plastic badges with some printed material. Most cases the visitor’s name and company details are printed on the paper. The function can still be served by paper and the cord/tape . Why is a plastic cover needed ?

We suspect that one reason why this has not received much attention is that the product is low cost . It does not pinch the exhibiton organizer’s wallet to buy plastic badges. Plus , it’s not a daily use item for most people . One may visit 4-5 such events in a year.

Yet , given the number of exhibitions held across the world – doing away with plastic badges would make a definite and substantial reduction in the plastic that ends up in land-fills every year.

Do write in to share your views and ideas on how this can be re-designed for a less waste + better design /more sustainable world.

Vintage clothing

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

This morning I pulled out a 4 year old black knit top..smiling at the memories of various occasions when I had worn it. It still looks new. Had a stray thought if it looks out of style. A concern put to rest by a young designer who has recently joined our team. She spontaneously said she loved it.

Set me thinking about vintage clothing. In a world of fast fashion a 4 year old garment possibly qualifies as vintage !:) There is an undeniable joy in wearing something over years . Each memory associated with it makes it increasingly special.

There is a definite merit in buying fewer , high quality items. Makes for more joyous wearing and definitely a more sustainable world.

Our hope for Clean Planet totes is that they stay on for years with the wearers . Circa winter 2020 – many wonderful folks across the planet dive into their wardrobe and pull out their warm totes (bought in 2010) to be their eco-companion for the season.

Amen !

Acqua viva

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

Love the zen like look of Acqua Viva. This by itself can persuade anyone to turn eco !:)

Bamboo grandeur

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

Bamboo is the stuff of green dreams these days. Not only is it a winning combination of strong, lightweight and flexible; it also scores highly in the sustainable stakes, being super fast growing and easy to harvest locally in many parts of the world. What’s more, it is increasingly being lauded for its aesthetic qualities. None of this is news to any architect worth their salt – but one in particular, Vietnamese virtuoso Vo Trong Nghia, stands out for his exceptional bamboo designs.

The cafe’s frame measures 30 feet high and features an opening at the very top of the dome that allows daylight to stream inside. Like many other Vietnamese structures, it is covered in a local bush plant, which evokes an African-esque aesthetic. And contrary to what you might think about building with natural, local materials, the end result is not “homemade” looking at all and is actually rather streamlined and majestic.

This is a trail blazer in several ways-

- It’s possible to design large structures with natural , renewable , biodegradable materials

- It is possible to design something this huge without a nail

- The structure built can look awesome and inspiring

- The wisdom of a culture can find new and beautiful expression while creating a sustainable world

Each industry is plagued with self and world limiting beliefs . Creations such as these jolt , delight , inspire us to look afresh and create anew.

A huge gift

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Wipro Ltd chairman Azim Premji has transferred 213 million shares, equal to an 8.7% stake in the company in which he held 79.5% at the end of September, and valued at Rs8,846 crore to an eponymous trust as an endowment, to fund the development activities of the Azim Premji Foundation.

In a statement issued by the foundation, Azim Premji said: “We believe that good education is crucial to building a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. All our efforts, including the university that we are setting up, are focused on the underprivileged and disadvantaged sections of our society.”

Based on the 300% dividend Wipro declared in 2009-10, the 213 million shares would have earned Rs127.8 crore.

The irrevocability of the trust means that its mandate and terms of creation cannot be changed, even by Premji.

Powerful , inspiring action by Azim Premji. Ripples of this action will be felt by multitude of individuals , families , communities,India and the planet.

Once is not enough

Monday, November 29th, 2010

At our office we reuse packaging a great deal . Cartons , polybags , envelopes are neatly opened to enable reuse. Any paper bags received are definitely reused. We recently made envelopes from magazine paper. Now we’re exploring Furoshiki inspired packing options for some materials that we send out to clients.

Packaging of most products is a resource intensive activity . Paper , plastic is used liberally by manufacturers ,retailers. Most of which is discarded on receipt of the material. At every stage we can and must explore + implement ways to minimize packaging to serve the purpose of the product being transported from A to B in a safe , neat condition. Even so we can find ourselves with hillocks of packaging material. It makes no sense to toss away packaging received and buy fresh packaging material.Reuse. Reuse.Reuse. Recycle. Once is definitely not enough.

You can help design a more sustainable world.

Friday, November 26th, 2010

As designers, we influence both business strategy and consumer emotion, and this gives us a great opportunity to lead the movement away from a throwaway culture. We’re at the epicenter, where our leadership is not only appreciated but has become expected as a moral responsibility – both for ecology and economy. Though leading this change in mentality and behavior will take effort, it will not be difficult..

Thought inspiring article by Ravi Sawhney .

The opportunity for and responsibility of designers (and companies) to use design meaningfully to catalyze a cultural shift to a more sustainable world exists across industries – whether furniture , clothing , vehicles and bags !

At Clean Planet when we create bag styles – a key criterion for taking a style forward is whether the design has the potential to be enduring. Can this fit into a wearer’s attire and help him or her look stylish 2 , 3 or more years into the future ? The styles in our core ranges are evaluated rigorously for this aspect. In that sense , we see design as part of quality.

While designers have the responsibility and opportunity to lead us away from a throwaway culture – really speaking that opportunity and responsibility rests equally with every citizen of the planet. As citizens and customers we can choose to value enduring style and quality. And to reflect that in everyday choices. Don’t change the mobile phone every year , extend the life of your garments , furniture , gadgets by using them carefully ,maintaining them well , repair when necessary. When you finally decide to replace a product which is still usable – give it to someone instead of throwing it away or stashing it in the attic.

You can help design a more sustainable world.

Green School

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

John Hardy says that he was inspired to create the Green School after he watched ‘An Inconvenient Truth‘. It’s amazing what you can create and catalyze when you allow yourself to be inspired and follow it up with substantive action. Contrast that with watching something , getting all fired up for a while and then going back to life as usual.

It’s an interesting model that can be adapted in creative forms by educational institutes , communities and companies across the world – adapted for local environment , needs and culture.