SunChips by Frito-Lay officially announced that it will introduce the first fully compostable packaging from polylactic acid (PLA), plant-based materials by Earth Day in 2010.

“Packaging is clearly the most visible interaction consumers have with Frito-Lay’s brands,” said Jay Gehring, vice president of packaging research and development of Frito-Lay North America. “To make packaging that would interact differently in the environment, we had to change the composition of packaging and invent key technologies. Using plant-based renewable materials, we have a promising solution that will transform packaging and significantly impact the billions of snack food bags produced annually.”

This 100% compostable packaging will fully decompose within 14 weeks.  It’s only a matter of time before Frito Lay’s competitors catch on the trend to transform our snacking experience into a greener activity.

An old mill sack destined for the landfill is born agreen as a useful shopping tote. Old neckties are spun into shoelaces to jazz up Converse high tops. Yes, visions abound in the world of product-storming as a new crop of eco entrepreneurs spot a market ripe for recycling one man’s junk. Some of the treasures emerge as functional everyday items. Others are purely newfangled art. Either way, they are among the new wonders of the world. Here are 10 we love: 1. Silk Necktie Shoelaces, $8, from Etsy



2. Bordbar Recycled Airport Trolleys are on a roll in Europe (also shown at top)



3. Fish Lips Recycled Gift Wrap Paper, $4, has the throw-away mentality covered



4. Re-Lites by Jerry Kott are pendants forged from discarded bottles



5. ReBagz Mill Sack Tote is ideal for the neighborhood farmer’s market



6. Eco-Pop Recycling Container made from 65% recycled materials



7. Bike Furniture table by Andy Gregg is peddled to the stylish young urbanite



8. Found objects take flight in the Moth Sculptures by Michelle Stitzlein



9. Deborah Lindquist’s dog sweaters from recycled textiles, $99, are barking magnificent!



10. High design goes playful with the Gold Toy Mirror by Ryan McElhinney

Last year, it was widely reported that drinking water in many major metropolitan areas was contaminated with trace amounts of drugs. All types of drugs - everything from over-the-counter pain medications to antidepressants to prescription medication for high blood pressure and heart disease.

The drugs we ingest pass right through our bodies and are expelled in our urine. These drugs aren’t removed in the water treatment process and the water is released into our rivers and lakes, which serve as our water supply.

The chatter eventually died down with assurances that the amounts were so small they couldn’t possibly impact human health. But how do we know that for certain? The truth is, we don’t know enough about the effects of prolonged exposure and possible interactions between all the different drugs we ingest in our drinking water.

Drugs given to animals enter our water supply in the same way. Not only does this practice contaminate the water with steroids, hormones, and antibiotics, but because antibiotics are overused (given to healthy animals to prevent disease and increase growth) there is a high likelihood of deadly, drug-resistant infections that can be passed onto humans.

Of particular concern is a staph infection called MSRA which is killing more than 18,000 Americans a year and, as was recently reported, is showing up on hog farms.

Another recent story outlines how river fish in urban areas are contaminated with trace amounts of drugs, simply from living in the rivers through which our treated sewage flows. River fish in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Orlando were all tested and compared to fish from a river in New Mexico into which no treated sewage flows.

The fish were tested for 24 different pharmaceuticals and 12 chemicals found in personal care products. Trace concentrations of seven drugs were found in fish at all five of the urban river sites. None were found in the fish from New Mexico.

These issues are part and parcel of the same problem. The drugs we take, dump down the sink or toilet or give to animals end up in the water supply because there is no “away”. When we throw things away or flush our toilets, our stuff has to go somewhere.

Last month, Congress introduced a bill called the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. It aims to prohibit farmers from feeding antibiotics to healthy farm animals. This is great and long overdue, but it won’t entirely solve our drug problem.

We must also shift our thinking. Planners, policy makers, corporations and individuals all need to remember that we are connected to one another and all things are part of the web of nature. Everything we do has some effect downstream. We must all begin to think less linearly and more holistically about our actions.

In the meantime, you can start by finding out more about the antibiotics issue here.

If you thought the Hand-Blown Glass Pears and the Magical Air Plant Garden that we recently featured were cute, you’ll be delighted to discover that VivaTerra has hit the mark yet again by blending both of these creative concepts in appealing (and green!) style. With the Recycled Glass Terrarium, all you have to do is water your tillandsia as directed and watch it flourish on a bed of fine-grained sand. How’s that for an easy way to breathe life into a home that’s in serious need of some green? If you’re worried that you’ll botch even minimal maintenance, buy the vase separately and fill it with shells, moss, sea glass or other treasured objects instead. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $49- $79.)

Just north of Mendocino on the Northern California coast is Glass Beach, one of the most unique beaches in the world. This beach was once the Fort Bragg City Dump. Everything from spark plugs and engine blocks to china and glass was dumped here from 1949 until 1967, when it was finally decided that perhaps dumping garbage at the water’s edge wasn’t such a clever idea. Three decades on, nature has reclaimed the beach. The constantly pounding surf has transformed the trash into treasure, resulting in the beach displaying shiny layers of polished broken glass in a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. Yes, there still is the occasional rusty spark plug, but mostly it’s the glass sparkling in the sun that catches the eye. Glass Beach, now part of MacKerricher State Park, makes for an interesting living science lesson, not only for its trashy history but also because of its ever changing tide pools that are home to crabs, mollusks and aquatic plants. Image: the Gardeners Anonymous blog This article was written by Liz Lewis from ecosalon.com

We can all breathe a little easier - especially those of us with allergies - knowing several indoor houseplants might be one answer for a distressed planet. Researcher Kamal Meattle had a vested interest in investigating the path to cleaner air. His breathing capacity had gone down 70%. So he followed up on research showing three common houseplants used in a home or office building can up our blood oxygen by 1% over 10 hours, cut down on wheezing and sneezing and eye irritation, and greatly reduce our energy requirements by 15%. In other words, unplug the air filter, turn off the A.C. and head to your neighborhood nursery. The air-filtering plants in his research are: the Areca Palm (removes CO2 and converts to oxygen); the Mother-in-Law Tongue (coverts CO2 to oxygen at night); and the Money Plant (removes formaldehyde and other chemicals in the air). In a video of his presentation of the findings on TED, Meattle explains how over the past 15 years he tested these plants by placing 1200 of them in his 20-year-old, 15,000 square-foot office park in New Delhi - which has now emerged a green model for cleaner air and architectural sustainability. According to Meattle, the Indian government praises his Pahpur Business Center as the “healthiest building in New Delhi,” citing the benefits for its 300 occupants. The results include a reduction in eye irritation by 52%, respiratory problems by 34% and headaches by 24%. In addition, the fresher air improved human productivity by 20% (important in India where so much global business is invested) and a 15% drop in energy requirements because the need for air conditioning is greatly reduced. Meattle says this is important for the environment because our energy requirements will soar by 30% in the next decade with 40% of our energy taken up by buildings. He says a majority of people will be living in buildings in cities with a one-million-plus population. Many of those people demand air conditioned environments. His research team is now replicating the plant experiment in a larger building with 60,000 indoor plants. The goal is for the rest of the world to use the plants to grow all of the fresh air we need. It gives new motivation to people like me, who have a strong desire to cultivate green thumbs. My mother, a designer, has always said an interior cannot look good without plenty of plants. Seems that it cannot feel good, either. Images (left to right): Pemberton’s Flowers, alreza, Flower Advisor This article was written by Luanne Bradley from ecosalon.com

Sure, the short commute from bedroom to basement can’t be beat in terms of reducing your carbon slipper print. And who doesn’t want to watch reruns of The Office on their own living room sofa during the lunch hour? Heck, you can watch the show naked and no one would complain. Those insulting corporate performance reviews are a thing of the past, baby. When you’re working at home, anything goes…or does it? Well, it’s clear there are lots of pitfalls. Just Google “pitfalls for working from home” and take a memo. Some people cite as negatives the inability to separate homework from paid work, a painful feeling of isolation, and too many snack breaks allowed by the boss, a.k.a. EMOTIONAL EATER, YOU. But I like to accentuate the positives: saving rent and earning a tax deduction, total freedom from middle managerial scrutiny, and the gift that keeps on giving - taking adorable pets to work. My pug, Smokey, says, “Hi.” He’s waving. Can you see him? These positives are important. Gloomy economists predict our jobless rate, now at 8.5%, will rise to 10 percent by the second half of this year, meaning those who can’t find new jobs will likely be setting up a spare bedroom with computer stations, a fax, phone, and perhaps, mini-bar. If you’ve failed landing a job hitting the pavement, the alternative is to surf for something on the home turf. More of our friends will be in that spot as their job losses outlast their unemployment benefits. Here are 10 inspired tips on making it work from someone who is managing a home-based writing career and getting out of her pajamas at least four out of five work days a week.

Get Dressed in the Morning and Go to Work

Consider yourself a professional once the lunches are packed and the children are off to school (if you have kids). Make your bed, brush your hair, eat a good breakfast, then grab your mug of coffee or tea and put yourself in work mode. It doesn’t matter if you are telemarketing, writing the great American novel or creating a new website from your house. Put on your face, slip into those pants, and get to work on time.

Let the Sunshine In

Location is important in real estate and in setting up a home office that you will use effectively. The more natural light, the better, as it saves on energy and lifts your mood. According to home office feng shui experts, if your body doesn’t get enough natural light, you will not enjoy working no matter how much you love your job. They also suggest bringing in a couple of air-purifying plants into your work space to up your blood oxygen. My recent post on this plant subject introduced research showing that plants also increase human productivity. Also, as a designer, I urge you to decorate your sunny spot in a pleasant way that makes you feel blissful when you sit down to work. Hit me up for office design tips, any time.

Stay out of the Fridge!

You didn’t have a fridge and pantry stocked with snacks at your old job, so why give your self total access to them now? If you do, you will pack on the pounds while you work at home, which will just make you frustrated and unhealthy. Eat a good breakfast and give yourself a snack and lunch break. You can cut up healthy snacks to keep by the computer (chopped veggies, raw almonds, fresh fruit). Otherwise, you might resort to stress eating. Also, postpone the happy hour to the happy hour.

Take Stretch and Stray Breaks

You can’t sit at the computer or phone all day without moving your body and expect to stay healthy and in good shape. You have to stand up and stretch your neck, arms and back. And even take a break to walk the dog or mail some letters in the neighborhood. If you can keep to your schedule, walk down to a nearby cafe for lunch once a week. Or walk with a friend who also is working from home or at a nearby office. It burns fat, relieves stress and it’s free!

Schedule Your Work Goals for Each Day

Today I will finish a post and write two more. Plan ahead what you want to accomplish and use the extra time to brainstorm, pay bills, do tax work, download some photos on your Facebook page. There’s more time to play when you have finished your work. It is very rewarding to get the job done and lightens your load considerably. Also, if you can write down your targeted goals, it will spare you the agony of tossing and turning at night as you plant it all out in your head. Type it on your home page, or jot it down in a good recycled daily planner, like the ones from At a Glance.

Investigate Your Home Office Tax Benefits

Taxpayers who use part of their residence for work purposes can take a home office deduction if they meet requirements such as using their place exclusively for business or meeting regularly at the house with clients or patients. The IRS says expenses that you can deduct include the business portion of real estate taxes, mortgage interest, rent, utilities, insurance, painting, repairs and depreciation. Check with the IRS for more information and contact your accountant to follow through. We all need those breaks!

Do House Work Before and After Your Work Hours

Sure, it’s okay to multi-task, but there are so many distractions in a home, you could get pulled away from your work and never meet deadlines or stick to a schedule. I remember my mom scolding me: “You’re down in that basement working, why aren’t you washing the clothes at the same time?” The truth is, sometimes I do toss in a load while I work, but it’s not on my mind. Also, it saves more energy to do the wash at night when fewer homes are running their machines. I would never write if I started cleaning up the kids’ rooms (a never-ending battle) or cleaning up the kitchen. I do what I can before I sit down to work and finish once I’m done.

Hang Up the Closed Sign When Your Family Gets Home

Just as it can be challenging to stay on task at home, it also can be hard to know when the work day is done. You can always run back to the computer to polish your work or send another email, but it’s important to give your children your time and attention when they come home after school and have done their homework. There’s really a small window of time that you can connect with them before bed, and people are right when they say it flies by fast. Make dinner together, get them to set the table, eat together as a family, assist with homework if they need it. Share quality time together tucking them into bed. You can always go back to the computer once they are asleep, if necessary. Don’t forget, your spouse needs you, too. If you don’t cultivate your relationship now, what will you have once the kids leave the nest? Will the computer keep you warm at night?

Stay Connected with Your Colleagues and Friends

The adjustment to a home work environment can be tough if you’re a social animal used to chatting it up by the water cooler or doing coffee runs for your pals. There’s no reason to lose your connection just because your digs have changed. Share your work with friends in a medium that is comfortable for you. I often post my stories and successes on Facebook. I’m in a book club with other mothers that meets once a month. I like to attend design events, from showcase houses to lectures at the design center. And I get out and meet people after filing my work. There’s no reason to feel isolated just because you work at home.

Let Your Hair Down Once a Week

I have to say that at least once a week, I stay in my pajamas until it’s time to pick the kids up from school. At our school, people talk if you show up in a robe and fluffy slippers. Snobs! Meantime, what an advantage to working at home. I never got to work in a nightgown at CNN. Ted wouldn’t have minded but those middle manager types were so unimaginative. Staying in the flannels reminds us of those days when we stayed home from school and our moms gave us soup and let us watch TV in bed. That’s exactly how I perform all day on my lounge day, typing away at the computer in my PJ’s, having a nice lunch on the sofa, sitting on the glider in the sun outside with Smoky during a coffee break and listening to the wind chimes - miles and miles away from road rage, carpet fumes and the fluorescent lights of the work world. I get just as much work done, if not more, but without being dressed to impress and stuck in someone’s else’s idea of an efficient work environment. *An excellent source on how to set up a home office and make good money doing it is the book, Will Work From H0me: Earn the Cash Without the Commute, by Tory Johnson and Robyn Freedman Spizman. Image: blupic This article was written by Luanne Bradley from ecosalon.com

Something as simple and natural as a daily apple may help in the fight against breast cancer. According to research scientist Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., of Cornell University, the results are favorable. His research program at Cornell University focuses on diet and cancer, and the effect of functional foods on chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, and aging. In a recent paper published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Liu’s study demonstrated that whole apple extracts effectively inhibited mammary cancer growth in rats, therefore leading him and his team to believe that apples may very well be an effective strategy for cancer protection. Especially good to learn as apples are major contributors of phytochemicals in human diets. In an interview with the American Federation for Aging Research, Liu said he and his colleagues were able to show that phytochemicals in fresh apples could greatly inhibit the growth of liver and colon cancer cells. Specifically, his research showed that 50 mg of apple extracts taken from the skins, inhibited colon cancer cells by 43 percent. And apple flesh extracts inhibited the colon cancer cells by 29 percent. The same dosage of apple extracts with skins, he said,inhibited liver cancer cells by 57 percent, and the extracts inhibited liver cancer cells by 40 percent. Liu’s team also treated rats with a known mammary carcinogen, and were able to block mammary cancer formation. This is the first study of the effects of apples on cancer prevention in animals. Liu said that while there is a good chance it will work in humans, they still have to confirm this premise with additional tests. But why wait for the results? An apple a day is a healthy way to get a head start. Image: Energetic Spirit

Tsk tsk! This has nothing to do with Hustler or hardcore! Get your mind out of the gutter and more into the art of…oh, bug sex. The fabulous Isabella Rossellini hosts her second series of delightfully wacky short films about the sex lives of different insects and animals. Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of sexy nature - welcome to Green Porno. It sounds racy, but the clips are tame and respectful enough to educate children. Seriously. And what exactly will you find in an episode of Green Porno? A whale with a 6-foot penis, an asexual starfish and a sadomasochistic, hermaphroditic snail. But the weird part is that Rossellini dresses up in kooky costumes and portrays the animals themselves. C’mon, you know you want to watch. And bring your sense of humor with you. Find Green Porno on the Sundance Channel or watch the clips online.

I can’t say I’ve ever given much thought to the humble banana skin. Once I peel the banana, the skin is simply thrown into the compost. But work currently being done by scientists at The University of Nottingham has opened my eyes to the fact that it has the potential to do more than simply rot away. Joel Chaney, a PhD student at the university, has developed a method for turning banana skins (and leaves) into fuel briquettes that could be used for cooking and heating. The process involves using a domestic meat mincer to turn the banana skins and leaves into a pulp, then adding some sawdust to create a consistency that allows the mixture to be molded into briquettes. After being baked in an oven at 105 degrees, the dried briquettes turn into an effective fuel source. It’s such a simple idea that offers huge potential for communities in the developing world. In places like Rwanda, where bananas are a staple crop, these banana briquettes could be the answer to the problem of dwindling firewood, a direct result of intense deforestation. Watch how Joel makes his banana briquettes with this video at Test-tube.org. Image: Jason Gulledge