Cool Hunting

Ecoist Bags
Ecoist bags. Inspired by her journeys in Mexico and concern for the environment, Ecoist uses candy wrappers, food packages, and soft drink labels that have been discarded by manufacturers. They create a variety of bags that are simultaneously eye-catching and environmentally sound. Every bag is unique. And for each bag sold they plant a tree....

The New York Times Magazine Redesign
A little over a week ago on 14 June 2009 one of my favorite magazines, The New York Times Magazine, quietly unveiled a new design and format in an effort to cut costs and waste (there were two artist designed covers for the 14 June issue, shown above). Announced in that issue's editor's letter by Gerald Marzorati, I'm surprised how under the radar it...

Design is the Problem: The Future of Design Must be Sustainable
Nathan Shedroff's new book, "Design is the Problem", presents a practical and layman-accessible exploration of sustainable design. In it, he breaks the progress towards sustainability into five parts: learning how to reduce, reuse, recycle, restore, and process. And Shedroff isn't afraid to get in reader's faces about the issue, either, bluntly stating that we need to "get over the guilt or shock or outrage......

Benjamin Graindorge x Duende Studio: Floating Garden Aquarium
Floating Garden, a new freshwater aquarium concept by Benjamin Graindorge and Duende Studio, tackles waste management, the primary concern of aquariums, with an innovative, 100% natural filtering system. By enlisting two forms of natural filtration, gravel-bed filtration and aquaponics, the set-up removes nitrates, thereby eliminating the need for harmful chemicals and frequent water changes. In the first instance, tank water flows over a tray where...