The key to wine may lie in the soil, but it's the container that carries a heavy carbon footprint. That's why Yealands—a sustainable winemaker from New Zealand—is producing wine in plastic bottles. Shattering the shining, purist image of glass, the recyclable PET plastic used in Yealands' newly launched Full Circle range generates 54% less greenhouse gas emissions and uses 19% less energy. The plastic bottles boast a weight saving of 89% over glass, earning them kudos as carbon-saving cargo.

The first full circle wine is a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. To ensure that the wine quality is unaffected, Full Circle bottles use new DiamondClear technology, which keeps oxygen out of the wine, and feature best-before labels advising customers to drink the wine within 18 months. Yealands' owner, Peter Yealands, believes that plastic-bottled wine is here to stay: "Tim Atkin, one of the UK’s leading wine critics from the Observer, has declared war on overweight packaging by vowing to boycott wines sold in heavyweight wine bottles," he says.

Yealands' efforts at sustainability are far-reaching, from a solar- and wind-powered winery, to replacing lawnmowers with sheep in the vineyards. The company has already earned a CarboNZero certification from New Zealand's Landcare Research organisation; the Full Circle range will bring Yealands yet more eco-bounty. Not only will it appeal to green-conscious consumers, the smaller size and lighter weight of the plastic bottles also makes them more convenient for picnics, and a new option for pubs and outdoor events where glass is banned.

There are definite echoes of the screw-top vs. cork debate—will plastic bottles be the next vinous trend? (Related: Local bottling makes for greener wine at Waitrose.)

Website: www.yealands.com
Contact: michael@yealands.co.nz

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Eco-minded bathroom fixtures are no longer hard to find, but they still tend to focus more on function than on form. One notable exception is W+W, a combined toilet and sink from Spanish brand Roca that combines compact style with green-minded thinking.

Launched last fall, W+W is a single, L-shaped unit in which the sink and toilet are not only attached but also integrated internally. Specifically, wastewater from the sink is used to fill the toilet's cistern, thus saving as much as 25 percent of the water that would normally be used. An automatic cleaning system prevents bad odors and bacteria, while a specialized tap controls the water's temperature and flow for maximum energy savings, Plumbing Park reported.

Developed by the Roca Innovation Lab and designed by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, the prize-winning W+W is priced at EUR 2,731. An eco-iconic innovation to bring to the green but style-conscious masses near you...?

Website: www.roca.com.es/w+w/w+w/en/index.html
Contact: www.es.roca.com/en/contact

Spotted by: Pepa D'Amato

Over 1.5 billion people—one quarter of the world’s population—live in areas with no access to electricity, according to a recent UN report. Capitalizing on a sport's global appeal to address this problem, a group of Harvard University students developed sOccket, a soccer ball that turns energy from a kick into electricity.

The portable energy-harvesting device captures the impact energy normally dissipated when the ball is kicked, storing it to charge lights, cell phones and batteries. It works with inductive coil technology, similar to that found in flashlights that power up when shaken. For each 15 minutes of play, it can store enough energy to power a small LED light for three hours. sOccket could eventually help ease the reliance on toxic kerosene lamps in developing nations, thereby reducing the associated health risks.

Currently in the prototyping stages, sOccket has been successfully piloted in Durban, South Africa, and the development team has plans to market a commercial version of the sOccket in Western countries as a high-end tech toy, possibly using a "buy one-give one" model, to subsidize the cost of distributing sOccket in developing nations. Being an all-in-one soccer ball, portable generator, community builder and global health tool, sOccket is another shining example of the functionall trend covered in our sister site’s latest briefing. sOccket has attracted several development funding grants and is now in the process of developing production and distribution partnerships. One to partner with or otherwise get involved in? (Related: Hippo water roller — Single-use toilet bag turns human waste into fertilizer.)

Website: www.soccket.com
Contact: soccket@ideatranslationlab.org

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Convincing consumers to recycle their old electronics is challenging enough in its own right, but when it comes to sex toys, the potential embarrassment could be virtually prohibitive. Aiming to keep the devices it sells out of landfills, UK retailer LoveHoney encourages customers to send them back for recycling at the end of their useful life in exchange for a generous discount on a new, updated version.

Back in 2007 the EU began requiring that consumers dispose of waste electrical equipment properly. Soon afterwards, LoveHoney launched Rabbit Amnesty, its own program for recycling its popular Rabbit vibrators. Now, owners of the devices can send their outdated or overused vibrators to the company and receive a half-price Rabbit vibrator from the LoveHoney range. The second-hand toys are then delivered to a designated collection facility, where they are recycled and treated in an ecologically sound manner. LoveHoney also donates GBP 1 to The World Land Trust for each Rabbit that gets sent back.

How to turn lemons into lemonade? Use them to create a competitive advantage that increases future sales and sets your company apart. Then take a long, slow sip of sweet success! ;-) (Related: An ATM for recycling consumer electronics — Retailers recycle customers' used clothes — 'Sex map' reveals erotic-spending trends by city.)

Website: www.lovehoney.co.uk/rabbit-amnesty
Contact: www.lovehoney.co.uk/help/contact-us

Spotted by: Susan Johnston

Games have long been used as an educational tool, and not just for kids. Canadian Akoha, for example, encourages players to be more kind. Now, along similar lines, Play Rethink invites users to redesign everyday objects to make them more sustainable.

Play Rethink ("The Eco-Design Game") is an effort from London-based Rethink Games to help people think—or rethink—how to make everyday objects and services more socially and environmentally friendly. Each game includes a multicoloured wheel and 98 drawing cards along with an eco-strategies key card and an instruction sheet with activities. With each spin of the wheel, players get a card asking them to rethink a particular everyday object, such as a chair or a vacuum cleaner. They then describe their idea for a more sustainable approach by drawing it on the card. Ideas players are particularly proud of can be uploaded onto the Play Rethink website, where others can rate, comment and be inspired by them. What's more, each month Rethink Games selects one idea to serve as the project of the month, and it's currently working on setting up partnerships with organizations that can help develop those ideas further. Play Rethink is sold online and through select London retailers. Pricing is GBP 24.95, with refill card packs available for GBP 5.95 each. Corporate workshops to help promote innovation are also available.

Facilitating the idea generation process is all very good and well, of course; what will make this really interesting, however, is a way to turn the best ideas into reality. RedesignMe found a way to do that through partnerships with manufacturers, and it also took the critical step of paying the Generation C(ash) consumers whose ideas got used. Play Rethink may be a game, but it's also another way to tap into the global brain. Who will help pave the way toward some real results? (Related: iPhone game gets kids into the (hidden) park.)

Website: www.playrethink.com
Contact: info@rethinkgames.com

Spotted by: Estee Chaikin

If ever there was a compelling reason for a school to build sustainably, it's the one faced by Vermont's Putney School not long ago. Namely, warmer winters resulting from global climate change had reduced the cold-weather sports opportunities the private boarding school traditionally relied on, leaving it with a sudden need for gym space for the first time. Its solution? A net-zero field house that's on track to be one of only five platinum LEED-certified school buildings in the nation.

By definition, net-zero energy buildings generate as much energy as they consume over the course of a year, and that's at the heart of the Putney School's 16,800-square-foot athletics building, which opened its doors last fall. Designed by Maclay Architects, the super-insulated, super-energy-efficient building uses the sun for its heating and electricity needs. Specifically, 16 sun-tracking photovoltaic solar panels power the building, feeding excess energy during sunny months back into the grid and earning the school 6 cents per kilowatt-hour as they do. In the winter, the building draws energy out again, but in an average year, it's expected to do better than break even on its energy use. Other green features of the USD 6 million field house, include low-water fixtures and composting toilets, a white reflective roof and local materials such as site-harvested wood.

“We want to show the world that net-zero energy technology for public buildings exists right now,” explains Putney School Director Emily Jones. “It’s time to move net-zero energy buildings from the theoretical realm into reality.” Indeed, we couldn't have said it better ourselves. An eco-iconic innovation to emulate at the earliest opportunity—particularly for schools with sustainability on the curriculum. (Related: Green school with an entrepreneurial bent.)

Website: www.putneyfieldhouse.org
Contact: info@putneyschool.org

Spotted by: Rick Noyes

Solar energy may offer myriad compelling benefits, but its use in homes is still far from widespread. California developer Comstock Homes is now developing what it calls the nation's first single-builder solar-powered community, however, just 10 miles from downtown LA.

Comstock's Villages at Heritage Springs will include more than 500 residences set on 54 landscaped acres in Southern California's Santa Fe Springs. A variety of sizes, styles and floor plans will be available, ranging from 1,390 square feet to 2,166 square feet, two-story townhomes to three-story houses with optional loft. Regardless of the size, energy efficiency will be at the heart of each Villages home, with features such as double-pane, low-emissivity (Low-E) windows; energy-efficient lighting, heating and air-conditioning; cool roof tiles; and a tankless water heater. Perhaps even more significant, however, is that all homes will feature SunPower solar roof tiles to power their lights, appliances, TV and other electronic devices, allowing them to exceed the National Energy Standard by 50 percent, Comstock says. With a wireless monitoring system for energy-use tracking, the SunPower system can save consumers up to 60 percent on their electric bills, including credits for extra energy production. The development is expected to be finished next year, according to CoolerPlanet, with single-family home prices ranging from USD 500,000 to USD 750,000.

There is another large, solar-powered development in California already, CoolerPlanet points out—a 650-home community from Lennar Corp. in Roseville. Either way, with all the many reasons to decrease dependence on fossil fuels, both provide a large-scale example of the possibilities. A model to be emulated in sunny places around the world! (Related: Thin, flexible solar paneling — Solar panels, measured and designed remotely — Solar panels shaped like clay roof tiles — Free plans for eco homes.)

Website: www.villagesatsantafesprings.com
Contact: www.villagesatsantafesprings.com/contactus.html

Spotted by: Jim Stewart

The list of reasons to avoid bottled water seems to grow longer every day. While much of the controversy so far has focused on plastic waste and BPA, Australian Half a Teaspoon wants the world to realize another simple fact: namely, that it takes at least 3 litres of water to make just one litre of bottled water.

That's the motivation behind both the creation and the name of 321 Water, a reusable water bottle with a built-in filtration system. Unlike the Hydros Bottle, which we featured last week, the 321 Water bottle uses a French press-style plunger mechanism with a built-in carbon block filter. Made from recyclable materials, the wide-mouthed bottle can be filled from any tap. Then, users simply push the plunger down to the bottom of the bottle, and the filter removes any chlorine, unpleasant tastes and odours in an instant, leaving the water ready to drink. The 500 mL, screw-top 321 Water bottle is dishwasher-safe and BPA-free; each replaceable filter lasts for 50 L, or 100 uses.

The 321 Water bottle won the People's Choice Award on ABC TV's New Inventors series this summer. Introductory pricing on the bottle is AUD 32.10, but Half a Teaspoon needs 10,000 Australian orders before it can begin production; delivery is anticipated by the end of March 2010. One to partner with now to help make that happen...? (Related: Thirsty New Yorkers invited to refill their water bottles at cafés.)

Website: www.321-water.com
Contact: email@halfateaspoon.com

Spotted by: David Haddock

While over a billion people live without clean water, the world is drowning in the waste of millions of water bottles. The Hydros Bottle could provide a simple solution. Available for the US market by the end of the year, the 700 ml bottle features an integrated filter that cleans water as you drink. The bottle was originally developed by the University of Pennsylvania to provide purified water to increasingly mobile, urban people in the developing world. However, the researchers discovered water quality problems closer to home, with high levels of heavy metals and toxins in the tap water in some areas of the States.

The Hydros Bottle's filter reduces arsenic, particulate and dissolved lead, mercury, copper, chlorine and cadmium, which is more than some well-known household filters. The company is also aiming to wean Americans off bottled water by outlining the potential savings: at USD 6, one recyclable filter lasts for 320 refills, amounting to a saving of over USD 500 compared to bottled water. The bottle plus one filter costs USD 25; replacement filters are USD 6 each. Hydros Bottle is treated to prevent odours and can be branded with company logos. (Note that bottles with different types of integrated filters are available for the outdoor sports market; see Trailspace for an overview.)

Hydros Bottle's plans to develop a customizable filter for the developing world are temporarily on hold, but the company is still actively engaged in projects to promote worldwide access to potable water. One to partner with locally? (Related: Reusable water bottle flattens and folds when empty — Generator turns plastic bottles back into oil.)

Website: www.hydrosbottle.com
Contact: www.hydrosbottle.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Eduardo Orozco

Few would dispute the benefits of eating locally grown food, both for the environment and for human health. Access is the challenge, which is why we've seen such goods sold in vending machines, delivered by bicycle and packed in five-dollar bags for commuters. The latest spotting? Local Dirt, a Wisconsin-based site that connects buyers and sellers of locally grown food nationwide.

Farmers and other vendors begin by creating a profile page to promote their produce, as well as listing the quantities and prices of the products they have to sell. Individual and organizational buyers can then search for local food sellers and products in their area—searching by address, ZIP code or via map—and browsing the listings of those near them. Once they've found something they like, buyers can order food for pick-up at farmers' markets or farms. A purchase order is automatically generated and mailed to them for use in picking up the food and paying the seller. Listing, ordering and bidding on items in Local Dirt is free; yearly memberships for more sophisticated features—such as wholesale capabilities—begin at USD 360.

Whether it's by bringing the food to the consumers or the consumers to the food, there's no doubt the resulting boost for local food consumption is a win-win for everyone—and the planet. One to emulate in your neck of the food-producing woods...?

Website: www.localdirt.com
Contact: www.localdirt.com/contact_us-a194.html

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann