www.ecoatm.com
The EcoATM is one of the coolest new recycling ideas I have ever seen. Besides winning myriad of honors and acknowledgments for their design and idea, the EcoATM’s WOW! factor is spectacular.
It is THE machine that recycles everything: Mobile Phones, MP3 & PMPs, Game Systems, Game DVDs & Cartridges, Notebook & Desktop PC’s, Printers, Digital Cameras, Flat Displays, Storage Devices, GPS and more.
Super-recycler, Seth Heine, who founded Collective Good, is the brains behind the EcoATM.
But does it make recycling easier?
The first thing that came to my mind when Seth emailed me the info was this photo:
Will you be able to place an EcoATM in a high school or college? Will kids try to hack it or trick it or just cheat it? (Yes, one time, when I was a kid, I tried to get the vending machine to give me an extra Twix.)
And, it still begs the question: How will the EcoATM influence us, as consumers, to be better at recycling? Seth once told me, “Gravity is the most powerful force keeping people from recycling.” Gravity, in this context, is the lack of action. Or, as I like to say, “My old cell phone is in my desk drawer and it is too heavy to get out and take to the recycler.”
Also, I’ve never been a fan of passive-style recycling programs. There are cardboard or plastic collection boxes at the entrance of a many retail stores–usually empty. It is all just green noise.
Will a super-cool (and, possibly, super-expensive) automatic recycling machine change the consumer’s recycling habits?
Well, if “COOL” makes people want to recycle, then perhaps the EcoATM will help defy “gravity”.
___________________________________________________________
www.envirobank.com.au
Environbank, out of Sydney, Australia, states that their vision is “To empower the community to leave the world a better place – one beverage at a time.” Similar to the EcoATM, the Environbank recycles beverage containers.
Again, the idea looks super cool; but my main thought is that looks like the world’s most expensive recycling tub.
The Environbank just looks like it costs at least $5000 US.
This little blue recycler to the left is a touch more than $100 US.
It would be interesting to find out what Environbank’s business model is. Because if I am the office manager or recycling manager and I have to put a beverage recycler in the break room or lunch room; I may have a hard time getting approval for one of these.
Additionally, how long can a company like Environbank stay in business when the net profits on recycling plastic bottles and aluminum cans are miniscule? The logo licensing fees can only take them so far i.e. Coca Cola, BP, and Bowerman’s (in Australia).
Don’t get me wrong, Envrionbank is cool and innovative. With a ton of public education and a solid business model, this could be the standard beverage container recycler throughout the world.
___________________________________________________________
Bebe and Alice
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bebeandalice or http://bebeandalice.blogspot.com/
I am always impressed with someone who can marry art with recycling. That is exactly what Heather Baker has done with Bebe + Alice out of Estes Park, Colorado.
At Bebe + Alice you’ll find eco-friendly goodness that winks at the past and nods to the future. You can expect items to be one of a kind, made with care and designed around the philosophy that Grandmother’s slow and simple ways were best.
Here’s an example of what amazingness Heather can do. Pay special attention to the description:
a Gnome’s Home crafters apron
Description
Upcycled denim created the perfect landscape for this gnome’s home. Momo’s Wonderland fabric makes the perfect mushroom tree pocket and apron strings. Upcycled sheeting for the cloud, vintage rikrak and buttons for grass and flowers makes this a delightful addition for your crafting inspiration! Rikrak has been left unsewn in one small space so you can slip your scissors in for easy access.
___________________________________________________________
Even More Companies That Help Make Recycling Easier
The Ecopreneurist had a great article last year that is worth looking at again:
Six Companies that Help Make Recycling Easier
Mentioned are:
-
Earth911.org
-
Lamprecycling.com
-
Terracycle.net
-
Recyclereminders.com
-
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
-
The State of Connecticut
___________________________________________________________
Hey, know anyone else that makes recycling easier or flat-out cool? Leave a comment and link them up.