Bees seem to be capturing an increasing proportion of the virtual ink on our pages of late, playing center stage as they have in our recent stories about urban beekeeping at Fortnum & Mason's and Toronto's Fairmont Royal York hotel. Adding to the buzz—so to speak—we just came across yet another bee-focused hotel.

In honour of Earth Day a few weeks ago, Paris-based Pullman Hotels & Resorts partnered with Bee My Friend to sponsor a beehive on behalf of each of its French hotels. The "Pullman Is Bee Friendly" campaign, as it's called, aims to help maintain honeybee populations and protect biodiversity in general. It's also created some sweet new opportunities for guests. Specifically, customers at each hotel now have the chance to sample three different honey varieties from Burgundy produced by the sponsored bees: a delicately flavoured acacia honey, a spring flowers honey and an all flowers honey from Morvan, the taste of which is said to reflect the sunny conditions and acidic soil of that region.

Offering eco-credentials along with (still) made here appeal, Pullman's Bee Friendly campaign is sure to win over many a green-minded (and sweet-toothed) consumer. One to emulate locally in your own specialty shop, restaurant or hotel...? (Related: Honey without the mess — Sweet snobmoddity.)

Website: www.pullmanhotels.com
Contact: www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/contact/ask-question-form.shtml

After noticing that many customers dropping off cars for service chose to use their own bicycle rather than their courtesy loaner car, Clive Brook, a Volvo dealership in Yorkshire, came up with the idea of offering bicycles instead of cars. The scheme started in April 2009 with two mountain bikes, complete with safety gear.

The initiative has advantages for both parties. Bicycles are cheaper for the dealership to buy, service and insure, and customers get that little nudge that might convince them to travel by bicycle more often. And within its community, there are green points to be gained by the dealership.

Is it new for automotive businesses to promote alternative transportation? Not on a global scale: loaner bikes are fairly common in bicycle-savvy countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. But now that bicycles are gaining popularity for day-to-day transportation in other parts of the world, opportunities abound for companies that add two-wheeled options to their offerings. In this particular example, it seems like an easy and relatively cheap win for Volvo to offer its dealerships a few eye-catching, Volvo-branded bicycles that communicate and enhance brand identity. (Related: Tuned-in garage for hybrid vehicles.)

Website: www.clivebrook.co.uk
Contact: cbrook@clivebrook.co.uk

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

While watching the coverage of the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, hair stylist Phil McCrory was struck by how rapidly otters' fur absorbed oil. He soon began testing how much oil he could absorb with the cast-off clippings from his salon, and voilà, the Oil Spill Hair Mat was created. McCrory teamed up with the environmentally-driven fiscal sponsor Matter of Trust, and set up shop in a San Francis warehouse. Following the hair mat's inception in 2000, thousands of hair salons now donate their excess hair to Matter of Trust to be recycled into absorbent mats. And with salons collecting on average one pound a day, that's a lot of hair mats.

Hairdressers signing up as donors are asked to cover shipping costs, compensated by the happy knowledge that they’re helping clean up oil spills. The program also accepts other natural fibres such as dog fur from groomers, horse hair, waste wool, and even nylon stockings that can be filled with hair and used to contain spills.

Not-for-profit Matter of Trust is developing other ways to reuse man-made and natural surplus, too: since launching the hair mats a few years ago, they've worked with McCrory to explore the use of hair as a natural fertiliser. While the concept might not be entirely new, its combination of eco-action and corporate generosity is definitely of the moment, as is the organisation's focus on creating green collar jobs. (Related: Garbage into gold, via worm poop.)

Website: www.matteroftrust.org
Contact: team@matteroftrust.org

Spotted by: Wendy Rosenoff

Carsharing and carpooling are gaining ground across the world, mainly through the efforts of non-profit organisations and for-profit startups like Zipcar and Zimride. An unexpected new member of the movement is Galp Energia, Portugal’s largest oil and gas company.

In March 2009, Galp Energia launched Galpshare, a carpooling platform where commuters can create a profile, specify their daily route and find others heading the same way. Users can also list their musical preferences and interests (politics, sport, business, etc.), helping them find people they’d enjoy sharing a ride with.

Galpshare was created by Galp Energia as a way to promote energy efficiency, helping consumers to save money and decrease their carbon footprint. Which isn’t as counterproductive for a gas company as it may seem; most petrochemical behemoths are actively branching out into renewable energy sources and sustainable energy consumption. Galpshare’s launch was widely promoted to commuters through an ad campaign, and the service is available throughout Portugal. Big brands looking to reap the rewards of eco-bounty: have you already figured out how to help your customers be green(er)? (Related: Rewarding consumers who drive less.)

Website: www.energiapositiva.pt

A new lightweight electric bicycle with eco-iconic looks is firmly targeting would-be bicycle commuters who are put off by the thought of turning up to work in need of a shower.

Gocycle, set to launch this month, was designed by former F1 design engineer Richard Thorpe, using an injection-molded, lightweight magnesium alloy that's stronger than plastic, at a fraction of the price of carbon fiber. The bike’s chain is completely encased—so no grease on trousers—and side-mounted wheels allow a flat to be changed in a matter of minutes. Gocycle also disassembles into a soft bag or white hard case for portability and easy storage in small apartments.

For a bike of its size and weight, Gocycle’s most innovative feature is the micro-sized electric motor in its front wheel hub, which switches on with the push of a button. An in-frame battery pack holds 20 minutes worth of power; more than enough to help cyclists up a hill without breaking into a sweat.

Supporting its drive to get people to switch from four wheels to two, the company offers a Gocyle-to-Work scheme for companies who wish to provide their employees with a healthier and greener commute. One to bring to urban cyclists—and their employers—across the globe? (Related: Full-service bike station for commuting cyclists.)

Website: www.gocycle.com
Contact: sales@gocycle.com