Eco Grab & Go Cups

We are seeing more and more retailers selling convenience foods in new, practical and sustainable ways. Biomass Packaging, has created a new line of environmentally friendly single serve food packaging solution called 'Greenware", that helps package foods that don't keep well together once mixed stay fresh with an added bonus of been eco-friendly.

The main package includes a cup, an insert with a lid and another lid for the cup. The packaging is made from Ingeo Biopolymer referred to as a Bioplastic derived entirely from a plant hence designed to be compostable and biodegradable.

Great concept and solution that provides food service operators limitless possibilities with merchandising breakfast foods, lunch combos and all day snacks to those busy on the go consumers that expect to grab on the go nutrious and appealing food. In addition, providing sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging that is good for the planet. One to introduce to a market segment near you.

High Tech Recycling Bins

The London 2012 Olympics are fast approaching, London City is busy preparing to welcome the world. One interesting project has been hitting the streets of London this month in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. City of London is replacing its old cast iron bins with smart high tech recycling bins, "Renew bins".

These sleek designed bins are equipped with Wifi and two LCD screens which provide up to date and location based "On The Go" content such as latest news, stock market stats, weather, sport news and latest trends just to name a few. The bins have also been designed to be less susceptible to terror plots than the older and more simpler bins to the point that they will withstand bomb blasts.

Currently 25 bins have been installed in the city streets as part of a phase 1 rollout. The bins don't come cheap, each bin costs $US47,400 to build and install and will require another $US790,000 for upkeep over 21 years. London city plans to install a total of 100 bins by July 2012.

Maybe one to partner with for advertising or even introduce to the streets of your corner of the world.

Fold Your Car The New Urban Commute

We have all exeprienced the frustration with driving in the city where parking spots are often hard to find, tight and come at a price. With population growth increasing rapidly this problem is only going to get worse. To try and resolve this everyday problem, we are finding more and more car manufacturers entering into the micromobility market.

In September 2011, we posted an article "The Future Of Urban Commute" where we featured the Volkswagen NILs a single seater electric car which was aimed at this new niche market. Well, we now have another entrant in the micromobility space, meet The Hiriko Citycar. Think of the Citycar as a child stroller, of course it's a lot more complex than that but the concept is very similar in that you fold it up so its manageable and compact. 

The idea for the electric Hiriko Citycar started out at Boston's MIT-Media Lab before being picked up by Hiriko Driving Mobilty. It's small, fits two people and can travel approximately 121 kilometers before you have to charge it. Hiriko Driving Mobilty plans to start selling the Hiriko CityCar in mid 2013 with an asking price of about US$16,000.

Sustainable and eco friendly, micromobilty is showing no signs of slowing down!

Rent Your Stuff

We are seeing more and more examples of consumers moving away from the bonds of ownership to the "hire as required" model. On the other hand, owners of idle goods such as lawn mowers, power tools, bicycles etc are willing to share their goods for a price.

The rental and hire concept is obviously not new but this simple model of sharing or reusing goods and services online has been promoted to the status of a social movement called "Collaborative Consumption". Joining the likes of Zilok and Rentoid, Australian startup Open Shed launched its beta trial platform in October 2011, providing an online marketplace for Australian consumers to rent and share their idle goods for a price.

There appears to be no end in sight with ownership averse consumers and eager consumers monetizing their unused assets, in turn contributing to the growing trend of sustainability.

Urban Squeeze Living

With the world's population growth dramatically increasing every year and space for urban living at a premium, we are witnessing architects and planners becoming more creative with urban design and utilisation of space.

With an interior space that is 133 centimeters at its widest and 72 centimeters at its narrowest spot, the Etgar Keret house in Warsaw's Wola district takes urban living space to another level.

Classified as an "Art Installation", the hybrid house was designed by Architect Jakub Szczensy for the famous Israeli writer Etgar Keret as a studio and home. Once built, the house will be situated in a narrow space between two buildings that is currently been used as dumping ground by locals. Completion date is planned for December 2011.

Szczensy's utilisation of marine style plumbing technology and use of innovative building materials, creates an compact minimalist open plan living space that takes architectural urban design to an innovative and sustainable level at the same time revitalising a wasted space.