Hasta La Gadget!

Sometimes the best way to combat environmental issues is simply to raise awareness. At least, that seems to be the logic behind the US Postal Service’s new Go Green campaign.

The USPS has launched a series of 16 stamps, each of which features a different environmentally friendly tip. Everything from planting trees and adjusting the thermostat, to using reusable grocery bags and turning off lights when they’re not in use. The tips are generally all common sense, but at the same time, a reminder every now and then is always a helpful thing.

You can purchase a set of all 16 stamps from the USPS for $7.

Not content with just improving the carbon footprint of its bottles, Coca-Cola has launched a new program that will see it reuse and recycle displays for its products as well.

Called, aptly, the “Give It Back” rack, are display stands made from recyclable cardboard. But, as the name implies, Coke is actually encouraging retailers to return the racks once they are empty so that they can be reused or, in some instances, recycled.

“Coca-Cola recovered 400 million pounds of cans and bottles in the U.S. in 2010, yet we want to do more,” VP of business development Gary Wygant said. “By creating a 100 percent recyclable merchandise display rack, Coca-Cola is asking grocery and convenience stores to join our sustainability efforts by returning or recycling our racks, just like we ask consumers to return or recycle our product packaging.”

The cardboard racks are currently being tested in select locations, but, provided everything goes well, will become more widely available towards the end of the year. In addition to cardboard, Coke is also experimenting with other materials, such as recycled PET plastic.

Designers Kenneth Cobonpue and Albrecht Birkner have come up with a novel use for bamboo: building a car.

The two have come up with a concept called the Phoenix Roadster, the world’s first biodegradable car. It was built in just 10 days, is only 153 inches long, and, in addition to bamboo, is made from steel, rattan, and nylon. It’s currently on display at the Imagine and Innovation in Milan.

“This project attempts to unveil the future of green vehicles using woven skins from organic fibers mated to composite materials and powered by green technology,” Cobonpue told Inhabitat.

The outer “skin” of the vehicle is designed to last around five to 10 years, the average lifespan of a car. But if owners wish to keep their vehicle for longer, a new skin can be purchased and fit onto the chassis.

British retailer Marks and Spencer has launched what it claims is a world first: a carbon neutral bra.

Part of M&S’ Autograph Leaves collection, the bra has been independently verified by the Carbon Trust Footprinting Certification Company, based on a variety of factors. First, the bras are made at the company’s eco-friendly factory in Sri Lanka, which is powered b renewable energy and new waste-management initiatives.

M&S also purchased the equivalent of 1,440 tonnes of CO2 via a carbon credit project, to help offset the rest of the production and transport.

“The complexity of a bra’s supply chain makes it the ideal product to learn about the practicalities of carbon footprinting, as it contains 21 component parts from 12 different suppliers,” M&S’ Mike Barry said. “We’re already applying the lessons we’ve learned to other product areas and have taken an important step towards our goal of giving every single M&S product a Plan A attribute.”

Much like plastic shopping bags, disposable dry cleaning bags are incredibly wasteful. And now an unlikely source is bringing some awareness to the, ahem, situation: Jersey Shore’s Mike Sorrentino.

The reality television star, better known simply as The Situation, has teamed up with The Green Garmento to release an environmentally friendly, reusable garment bag. It’s been dubbed the GTL — a nod to Sorrentino’s infamous “gym, tan, laundry” creed — and is not only reusable, but also has multiple uses. In addition to being a garment bag, it also converts into a hamper, laundry, and duffel bag.

For just $11.99, the GTL bag also features carbon balanced shipping if you purchase online, but you can also buy from 500 different dry cleaners across the United States.

Via Inhabitat