A cool way to use your ‘Bag of the Year’ .
Hang in your cupboard or room to store all the happy memories of 2011..letters from loved ones , birthday cards, your accomplishments etc. Dive into the bag at any time of the year and fish out a happy memory. The joy it brings will send out vibrations to attract even more joy !:)
Hmmm….maybe we should call this ‘Bag of 2011 Joy’ !:)
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
Most of us possibly don’t have even a passing thought about bees . Much less ponder on the connection between human beings and bees. Yet , there is a connection . Bees don’t just make honey, they are a giant, humble workforce, pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.
Bees are vital to life on earth — every year pollinating plants and crops with an estimated $40bn value, over one third of the food supply in many countries. Without immediate action to save bees we could end up with serious disruption in food supply.
This is just the impact on human lives . There is a wider role that pollinating bees play in nature which possibly is not understood completely.
Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations — some bee species are now extinct and others are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals. But new leading independent research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides. France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these bee killers.
A world without bees is not necessarily a world that is completely devoid of life. Much of human existence is presently dependent on honey bees because they are currently the main pollinators. However, penguins and fish don’t need bees to sustain their diet. The human race is not likely to become extinct as a result of the bees becoming extinct. Instead, there would be massive deaths until the humans can evolve to eat foods that bees do not pollinate. Food production would decline as a result of the bees’ extinction but would never disappear entirely. Some type/quantity of crops can still be grown without the intervention of bees. The labor-intensive hand pollinating process would raise the price of food.
Life on Earth would survive without bees, but it would be a much different Earth. Most plants depend on insects like bees to pollinate them. Unless some other animal inserted themselves into that biological niche, most of our plants would disappear along with the bees. One source of photosynthesis that is independent of insects is in our water supply. Algae has a tremendous influence on the world’s oxygen production, so oxygen would not disappear. Because many trees and flowering plants depend on bees for their reproductive cycle, they would be highly stressed.
Avaaz is campaigning for a ban of neonicotinoid pesticides to stop the decline of bees . Pl click here to support the campaign.
So far we’ve read about the Pacific Garbage patch . Now enormous amount of plastic has been found in the Mediterranean sea.
We’ve long suspected that the reason for plastic debris in sea not being widely reported elsewhere (other than the Pacific ) is not due to the absence of plastic but due to it not being tested.
The planet is meant to be a nurturing space for life forms. Not a dump yard for non bio-degradable / toxic / life threatening junk.
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.
Powerful , inspiring action by Azim Premji. Ripples of this action will be felt by multitude of individuals , families , communities,India and the planet.
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.
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.
These days malls (in Mumbai) seem to let out the central space for promotions and events especially on week ends. The companies hosting the promotion seem to think the best way to get return for investing in the event is to do so at a decibel level which will reach out to every corner of the mall. What follows then is ear damaging decibel level. People bring infants to malls.The risk to infants is even higher. Old people with hearing problems would have a tough time making conversation while in the mall.
The event at a local mall yesterday was aimed at kids. The health of the children is seriously at risk to be exposed to such decibel levels. The store I was at had glass doors. Yet the sound of the promotion pervaded drowning the sound of the music in the store. It was impossible to browse through other store windows due to the cacophony. This is counter productive for the mall and the stores.
Yours truly asked for directions to the mall office. It was located in a corner of the building. Met the mall manager and shared my views. From her expression and reactions 2 things were clear :
1. This was the first time they (she and 2 other persons from her team ) were faced with the point of view that such a decibel level is a nuisance and a health risk.
2. No visitor to the mall had ever approached them to share such feedback.
In India we generally see 2 extreme reactions from retail customers – passively endure poor service/quality or aggression. The mid path of assertive , consistent feedback is a rarity. Especially if it means waiting few minutes to contact the store manager/ fill out a feedback form / call a help line of the company / email them.
Remember that businesses are not always responsive to feedback. Unless they see a critical mass of feedback they allow status quo to exist. Your feedback therefore is especially important if the situation is to change
Whether through action or inaction – we shape the environment we inhabit. Pl choose to influence it.
The Japanese take convenience very seriously. A lot of things are structured to be ‘convenient’. Tea bags are individually packed in plastic sachets , likewise wet-tissues. Some brands even offer cookie packs where each cookie is packed individually. Most restaurants will offer wet tissues or towels individually packed in plastic. Vending machines are located in most streets/buildings dispensing the beverage of your choice in a variety of sizes. When it rains every mall/hotel/store sets up a stand in which your umbrella can get a plastic cover (to prevent water dripping inside the establishment ). Naturally (when it rains) you use a plastic bag for every such establishment you step into. The list can go on.
Multiply this activity a few million times just in Tokyo city and you can daily create a Mount Fuji of plastic.
Japan is by no means isolated in it’s pursuit of convenience and the consequent unnecessary damage to the planet. Most countries are on the same pursuit – faring better in some aspects and worse in others.
It would require (enormous) conviction , courage and creativity for businesses to create alternative ways to sell. The choice for a consumer is relatively easier – choose to buy products that don’t entail unnecessary packaging , carry your own water etc.
As consumers and businesses unless we choose to make a difference – this pursuit of convenience will make for an even more inconvenient future.
