CustomEarthPromos - Eco Blog US

Zero Waste Bistro When creating the space-within-a-space Zero Waste Bistro, Designer Linda Bergroth relied completely on eco-friendly materials. This pop-up installation was presented by the Finish Cultural Institute at this spring's NYCxDesign event. She did have a moment where she realized how different this café would be from the average restaurant. "It was interesting, when I was drawing the kitchen, I said, 'You probably need some trash cans,'" describes Bergroth. "And they were like, 'No, we don't have any trash.' And now it really feels real to me, that there's no trash." Zero Waste Bistro only existed in New York City for four days and was inspired by the Helsinki's Restaurant Nolla, the Nordic region's first zero-waste restaurant. Although this space may sound extreme, the atmosphere might be a clue in the direction restaurant and venue design is headed. With no garbage bins available, chefs at Zero Waste Bistro relied on Oklin brand composting technology. "The peelings, the chopping, the leftovers, everything was composted, and it's a very fast process. It turns to soil overnight," Bergroth explains. The pop-up's blue walls may have looked like wallpaper, but they were actually upcycled Just Water containers. Breakfast, lunch, and dinners were all eaten at communal tables made from 100 percent recyclable Durat. Durat is made from recycled plastics. Diners left with pulpable carton board takeout coffee cups from Kotkamills. The idea was to get diners to rethink eating out. Hopefully the experience would chance some facts. The Finish Cultural Institute reports that in the U.S. alone, more than 58 billion disposable cups make it to landfills every year! Even though this is a serious message, Bergroth wanted to fight stereotypes diners may have about recycled materials. "I wanted to make it fun and draw attention for a good cause; it doesn't mean if it's for a good cause it needs to be deadly serious," she shared of the social-media friendly space. 1 Hotels While this eatery transported diners to an all-blue room to rethink about how the Earth is affected by their meal, there are other eco-friendly venues trying to literally bring the outside in. This is the concept behind biophilic design, a concept 1 Hotels believes is on the rise. "We recognize people have an inherent love and affiliation for nature, and incorporate natural materials, natural light, vegetation, views, and other experiences of the natural world into our hotels. This results in each 1 Hotel being a place of refuge for our guests," explain Christopher Kochuba, vice president of design, and Hannah Bronfman, director of sustainability and impact. Each location is unique to it's locality. This includes the materials selected, the plants used, and even the integration of the hotel into its local economy. At 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, the building is an extension of the waterfront pier. Salt marsh grasses and refuse shipping materials are integrated into the design. The ...

University of Southern California students CeCe Uhrich and Tim Buchanan live in a two story house. They live with eight other USC students. Their shelves are filled with items bought in bulk and their basement contains a compost pile. A small container containing dollar bills sits near the front door. This serves as the "ecotax collector" when one of the residents decides to purchase something from Amazon, Postmates, etc. These services cause extensive waste of multiple types. This house is part of USC's Eco-op. The Eco-op is an environmentally friendly themed cooperative house near campus. During the year, their house is open to students. They host vegetarian potlucks once a month, along with other green get-togethers. These 10 students are focused on living and promoting sustainable lives. "It's a place for people who are frustrated by roommates who don't recycle," said Uhrich. She is an environmental studies and environmental science and health major at USC. "People who want to share with each other and be actual friends with each other and care about each other is one huge aspect of it, and I think that's really the pull. Then the second level is everybody should care about sustainability and just other important things in general." Eco-op focuses on small acts to encourage sustainable living. This includes buying reusable products, not using paper towels, and sharing food to cut down on waste. The residents even go far enough that they restrict toilet flushing to cut down on water usage. Toilets can use up to seven gallons of water per flush depending on the toilet's age! Uhrich adds, "Every kind of aspect of your life has to change if you want to live a sustainable lifestyle. So, it's kind of just always listening to each other's ideas and suggestions...being willing to sacrifice a little bit of your personal comfort for sustainability." Buchanan, also majoring in environmental science, told USC newspaper the Daily Trojan that joining Eco-op has exposed him to more environmental issues. "I came from New Jersey where environmentalism is more pollution. I grew up by the ocean, so protecting it from that side I knew very well, but there's a lot more to it than that, obviously, that I got into when I got out here to school." Uhrich also said that the recurring potlucks give students a chance to build a community and learn from one another. "We want to be able to meet each other's friends and have a place for those friends to meet other friends. Potlucks usually ended up being a pretty good place to meet people because people will come alone and not know anybody and bring their dish and then meet somebody from that and end up talking all night." Some of the other events Eco-op has hosted in past years include gardening and compost workshops. Uhrich wants to add sustainable fashion to this year's list. When the house was first built, residents included chickens and a large garden. Students found it difficult to care for ...

Do you have to visit relatives this holiday season? Are they local? If the answer to both of those questions was yes, don't just hop into your car. Anytime a vehicle that isn't a green-mode of transportation is used, pollutants and harmful emissions are let into the air. This has become a large concern across the globe. If you are interested in having a positive impact and shrinking your carbon footprint, here are five eco-friendly methods of travel you can explore this holiday season and year-round. 1. Bikes, Scooters, and Hover Boards Bicycles are an age-old method of not only getting from point A to point B, but also giving you some healthy exercise. They are good for all of your leg muscles. You never have to worry about loud noises, harmful emissions, or any sort of environmental damage whatsoever. Today, fans of biking have many great choices. If you are feelings particularly futuristic, you can also try riding an electric bike. An e-bike is a bicycle with a small motor and battery. This makes conquering things such as hills easier, or gives you a break from pedaling--which is useful for older folks and those not quite as strong. If a bike is too flimsy or low power for you, you can also consider riding an electric scooter or moped to your destination. They don't travel very fast, but mopeds aren't designed for highway use. No matter what speed you are going,  if you are going somewhere local, some mopeds get up to 100 miles per gallon! You don't need to speed over the river and through the woods. 2. Electric and Hybrid Vehicles The electric uprising has been growing rapidly lately. No, we are not talking about the latest indie band. Here at Custom Earth Promos, we are obviously pro-environment, so we are very pro-electric car. Many motorists have switched out gas stations for charging stations. These vehicles are simple to power up, using a 13 amp, or 110-volt, outlet at home or on the go. One of the most popular 100 percent electric vehicles is Elon Musk's Tesla. While this pricy car looks nice, it won't make the average wallet feel nice. For the average consumer, there is a much more affordable alternative out there, starting around $23,000. It is reportedly being developed by Volkswagen. This makes ownership more practical, and can lead to less pollution. This will lead to better air quality. Car companies are even starting to build hybrid vehicles that use electricity first, saving the gas for when you run out of battery. 3. Carpooling Carpooling may not be the newest, hottest idea, but it is quite a useful one. If you are traveling to the same location as others you know, riding together cuts down on emissions and traffic. Some states, such as here in Florida, have integrated this into their transportation laws. There are special HOV lanes on the highway. HOV stands for "high occupancy vehicle." To use this lane without getting in trouble, the driver must have at least one passenger. These lanes are meant for carpools and ...

Americans have taken a big environmental hit this year. California is ablaze from Malibu to Chico. Homeowners in Florida and Georgia continue to recover from Hurricane Michael. The evidence for human-caused climate change continues to pour in--reports of the melting polar ice shelf and extreme weather shifts. This makes preparing for the upcoming holidays with Mother Earth in mind a surprise-free no-brainer. People have decided to give back this year. Many are donating to help those caught in California's flames. People swept away in hurricanes is another popular charity topic. Donors have already given to the annual New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. Laura Holson, reporter for The New York Times, recently spoke to development executive for the Central Park Conservancy, Laura Hall. She wanted to see if their tulip and daffodil planting program had seen an increase in donations. Last year gifts jumped nearly one-third to $110,000. This was its largest jump ever, going up from 2016. "People feel like they are doing something good for a lot of people," said Hall. The conservancy is even taking a cue from online retailers: Hall said they were having a sale on Cyber Monday (the first Monday after Black Friday, when online retailers have their biggest sale of the year)--50 bulbs will be planted for a $40 donation. This is a 20 percent discount. Those that are buying presents are finding eco-friendly ways to do so. Neiman Marcus publishes a look book of extravagant gift items each year. They are selling a solar powered yacht, but eco-friendly doesn't always come cheap. This actual boat will cost you $1.7 million! But if a yacht is a little too expensive, Oprah Winfrey's annual holiday list includes a set of reusable straws for only $20. Then, there are those who are opting for experiences over things, deciding to spend their holidays with a local charity. "All of us feel the onslaught from the world," said Ken Fulk. Fulk is the founder of St. Joseph's Art Society and a cultural curator from San Francisco, California. "There is the craziness of climate change, the continued presence of natural disasters. And then, of course, there is the state of public discourse today." The holiday of Kwanzaa seems tailor made for eco-friendly holiday celebrations. Created in 1966 to celebrate African values and culture, and celebrated in December for seven days, gifts are traditionally handmade. This is to show respect for ancestors. Susan McTavish Best, the founder of lifestyle brand Living McTavish, says that she skips buying presents altogether. She prefers welcoming large groups of friends to her home year round. "I give them my time, my thought--and it is expensive to entertain, even thought I love it," she states. "Besides, do we need more things?" Stark agreed. "I definitely think that the desire to help other people instead of buying token, disposable stuff is more important now." Gift wrap should have a second look taken at it too. Not long ago, ...

Food trends: giant, over-the-top milkshakes; unicorn food; rainbow food; crazy ice cream treats. Whatever it is, you just have to find a restaurant that sells it. But not just to eat it; you also have to let all of your Facebook friends and Instagram followers know what the latest weird looking or deconstructed meal is. As 2018 slowly comes to a close, one of the things on foodies minds as they look ahead to 2019 is: "What will I be posting to Instagram instead of eating next year?" Earlier this week, British grocery chain Waitrose announced its predictions for next year's biggest food trends. This included bitter food, West African cuisine, and virgin cocktails. Now, upscale, organic focused, American chain Whole Foods has released a report revealing its answers to the Instagram food post question. Pacific Rim Flavors The Pacific Rim encompases exactly what it sounds like: the rim of the Pacific Ocean. Expect to find flavors from countries located here in all sorts of cuisine next year, according to Whole Food buyers and culinary experts. Ingredients will be coming from places all over Asia, Oceania, and the western coasts of both North and South America. Items will include longganisa, a Filipino pork sausage; dried shrimp; cuttlefish; and shrimp paste. Also expect to see lots of colorful fruits, such as guava, dragon fruit, and passionfruit in your cocktails and smoothie bowls (another former food trend.) Sugar and meat substitutes will also be on the radar. Jackfruit, a tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family native to southwest India, can be swapped out when making barbecue. Now, even the most hardcore vegans can experience pulled pork. Monk fruit extract, also known as luo han guo, also from Asia, is an ultra-sweet way to help cut down on added sugars. Probiotics While scientists are still researching the full effects and benefits of probiotics, supplements had far more popularity last year than the previous year. Whole Foods expects this to grow well into 2019, going a step further with probiotic based cleaning and beauty products--including things such as sunscreen. Ocean Inspired Greens According to the popular retailer, items such as seaweed butter and kelp noodles are already appearing on the shelves in increasing numbers. Next year, be prepared to see things such as puffed water lily seed snacks; plant-based tuna alternatives with algae ingredients; crispy, snackable salmon skins; and kelp jerkies. Healthy Fats Are Back America seems to flip flop on which of these two nutrients are worse for you: Fats or carbs? With the rise of high-fat, low-carb diets such as keto, paleo, and "vegan keto," fats are back in the diet department. Whole Foods wants you to keep an eye out for healthy treats, such as keto-friendly nutrition bars made with MCT oil powder, coconut-butter filled chocolates, grass-fed ghee coated popcorn (This means that the cows producing the butter are grass-fed.), "fat bombs," and ready-to-drink ...

Have you always wanted to go green but are not sure what to do? Is it just too expensive to buy all organic products? If you live in New Zealand, enter: The Eco Collective! This new green subscription box aimed at busy individuals and families. The goal is to help ease making their homes and lives more sustainable. Delivering a box of quality, eco-friendly items, each month's new selection of items will target a particular lifestyle area. Moms Cindy Carleton and Susi Lay, from Waitakere Ranges in Auckland, New Zealand, are behind the box. They developed the Eco Collective after finding that the time and effort needed to make sustainable changes could be quite research and time intensive. "We wanted to create a service to help those wanting to make a change in their life but have found it overwhelming when presented with all the options. We're all busy so The Eco Collective is a way of recognizing that and helping make small but consistent steps," says Lay. Customers have the option of purchasing one box at a time; they can also sign up for a more cost effective monthly subscription. "To purchase everything at once would be cost prohibitive for many. By spreading out the payments and delivering directly, we hope to make sustainability much more achievable for the average household," adds Carleton. The first box, available in New Zealand until November 25th, 2018, is titled The Eco Starter. Items inside include a Joco coffee cup, Honeywrap food wraps, and a book intended to start customers off on their low waste journey entitled How to Give Up Plastic. New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere, so December's already decided theme of summer picnics and eating outdoors might sound odd to Americans, but the future offerings include pantry, laundry, bathroom, office, and other seasonal themes. And nobody said you couldn't buy the December box and save it for spring, which is only three months later. Eventually The Eco Collective plans to offer refills for particular items and resell the most popular boxes. They will also be looking into international shipping for the future. Since the box isn't available in America quite yet, there are other ways you can start your eco-friendly journey. Everything included in this month's box can be shipped worldwide from the company website or an authorized retailer. A box description can be found on The Eco Collective's website. Alternatively, you can also use things such as reusable grocery bags and lunch boxes, reusable water bottles, seed paper, and even umbrellas made with recycled materials in place of the single use items you use now.

Summer has started to last longer and longer in Florida. This year, even though the humidity is mostly gone, it is going to be hot until Thanksgiving. What do you do with all of this extra summertime? If you are looking for a memorable, unique experience in Southwest Florida, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's eco-cruise through Rookery Bay is exactly that! Located just south of Naples, Rookery Bay is one of the few undisturbed mangrove estuaries left in the United States. It is one of only 28 National Estuarine Reserves. The 110,000-acres of open water contains interconnected bays, mangrove wetlands, lagoons, and streams; it's a habitat for a vast array of wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds. It offers a natural backdrop for education, and a laboratory for biologists, teachers, and students alike. Protecting this threatened ecosystem was the first accomplishment of the Conservancy, founded by a group of concerned citizens, over 50 years ago. "In 1964, the country wanted to extend what is now Bayshore Drive through the heart of Rookery Bay, through mangroves and barrier islands," explains Rob Moher, the Conservancy's president and CEO. "After two years of effort, what was then called the Collier County Conservancy raised funds to purchase 2,600 acres of land and save Rookery Bay. Our mission is much bigger today, but we still focus on preserving Southwest Florida's natural treasures--our water, land, and wildlife." Today, the Conservancy offers a unique opportunity for members and visitors to explore the area--saved over 50 years ago. Naturalists from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and a Coast Guard certified captain will guide you through Rookery Bay aboard the Good Fortune II, a 35-passenger pontoon. These adventures include "Mid-morning" and "Classic Sunset" cruises, as well as a selection of specialty cruises and private charters. Trained naturalists join the Coast Guard to help spot and identify wildlife, providing guests with a relaxing and informative experience. "The Good Fortune II offers residents a very personal and intimate way to learn about Southwest Florida's environment," says Moher. "Taking a ride through the mangroves, guests might spot a dolphin, manatee, or bobcat. It's a great adventure and you really gain an entirely new appreciation for Southwest Florida's natural environment." The cost for Conservancy members is $37 per adult and $15 per child. General admission is $47 for adults and $20 for children. Private charters, which seat up to 40 guests, cost $799 for members and $899 for the general public. The cruises depart from Shell Island Road, last around two hours, and (of course) are subject to weather conditions and tide. (You can make your cruise more enjoyable by keeping cool with a reusable water bottle and making sure your stuff stays dry in a reusable bag or backpack from Custom Earth Promos.)

Earlier this year, when more than 50 chefs from British Colombia put their names to a letter calling on the B.C. government not to renew 20 salmon farm leases, one name was obviously missing--Ned Bell's If any chef in B.C. can be called a sustainable seafood advocate, it's Ned Bell. The celebrity chef is the official ambassador for the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise program, and the author of Lure, a cookbook based around sustainable seafood from Canada's west coast. Open-net fish farming is a highly polarized issue within the conservation world. Unlike his peers, Bell believes that fish farming, including open-net farms, is becoming an increasingly important source of sustainable seafood. "If you live on the south coast of this province, and if you want to talk about farmed fish, get ready for an environmental crusade that's going to come knocking on your door in a real hurry," he said. I honestly think we've done a disservice to probably the most sustainable opportunity for protein consumption, which is farmed fish, and also the healthiest. Farmed fish is superior in many, many ways. That said, there are challenges with it. It's not to say all farmed fish is good, but certainly not all farmed fish is bad. But equally, not all wild fish is good. Would I cook it? Absolutely. Do I put it on my menu? Currently, no, because it's not Ocean Wise recommended. The chef splits his time between his roles. He is the culinary director of the Vancouver Club, and he is the executive chef and ambassador for Ocean Wise. He recognizes that seafood eco-labeling has some problems, among them--fraud and mislabeling. "Is seafood fraud an issue?" he asks. "Absolutely. We know it is. Traceability is probably the largest conversation that we're all having right now, when it comes to the seafood that is in our grocery stores or on our plates, mainly because we import so much of the seafood that we consume in North America. Eighty percent of the seafood that we consume here in North America is imported." The four certification or rating programs Bell uses as a sustainable seafood guide are the Marine Stewardship Council, Ocean Wise, SeaChoice, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. The Marine Stewardship Council's chain-of-custody is one of the reason's Bell trusts this label. It avoids the kind of mislabeling that can happen in restaurants. Bell also points out that MSC only covers some of the world's largest fisheries. He relies on the other recommendation programs to cover the gaps. These programs, however, sometimes disagree with each other. Fish farming is one such area. Open-net farmed salmon remains on the "do not eat" list of some guides, such as Ocean Wise's, but Bell notes that fish farming will have an increasingly important role to play. In some cases, it may be better to eat fish raised in the ocean than to eat wild, overfished fish. The reality is we need aquaculture. There's not going to be more fish in the ocean unless we lay off wild ...

Halloween is over and the holiday season is officially upon us. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and next comes Christmas. But what do you get people? It's one of the oldest questions with one of the hardest answers. To solve this problem, here are eight companies who's products are as earth-friendly as you are. 1. The Seaweed Bath Company This Boulder-based company is trying their hardest to work with nature to create products that are as soft on the planet as they are on your skin. The haircare and skin products are made from organic seaweed sustainably harvested by hand off the coast of Maine. 2. Paper Culture This card and invitation company from San Francisco uses post-consumer waste and wood alternatives in each product. They also plant a tree with each order. Now, maybe that Christmas card will be less of a chore? 3. Lake Champlain Chocolates Since 1983, this Vermont company has been making exquisite chocolates. They use non-GMO and organic ingredients, and are fair trade certified. 4. Oliberte This Canadian-based sustainable shoe brand supports workers' rights in sub-Saharan African. They are a certified B corp, fair trade certified, and give one percent back to the planet. 5. EcoLunchBox These plastic free, ocean friendly, nontoxic food containers are made by this California company, and made for adults and kids alike. For the all-around single-use plastic hater, they also have eco-friendly straws and utensils. 6. Bella Luna Toys For the little ones in your life, this company in Maine makes unique, natural toys and products.  They only use natural and organic materials, such as wood, cotton, wool. The products have nontoxic finishes, and the company uses vegetable dyes. 7. Pact Also based in Boulder, this clothing company promises organic, fair trade certified cotton that is "so soft you'll (almost) cry." 8. Custom Earth Promos With items such as reusable bags, reusable water bottles, and lanyards you'll want to wear again, we take pride in being environment lovers. Our promotional products are made with a wide range of eco-friendly materials, including recycled, biodegradable, and organic fabrics. Make sure your customers know you care about Mother Earth as much as we do.

Ben & Jerry's, the ice cream known for such crazy flavors as Phish Food, the Tonight Dough (Starring Jimmy Fallon), and (Stephen Colbert's) Americone Dream, has come out with a new limited edition flavor. Pecan Resist is a chocolate ice cream with both white and dark fudge chunks, pecans, walnuts, and fudge covered almonds. Alongside all those nutty chunks, this pint packs a powerful message. Together, we can build a more just and equitable tomorrow. The ice cream company says the flavor is part of a campaign to "lick injustice" and create a more "just, equitable, and environmentally sound nation for us all." Alongside the release of this delicious frozen treat, Ben & Jerry's has selected four groups that will be honored. Each group will get a $25,000 contribution in support of their work. Among them is the Honor The Earth, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that supports climate change issues, renewable energy, and environmental justice for indigenous communities. Currently they are working against the transportation of Canadian tar sands through the state, as part of their proposed "Line 3" project. The other three partners include: Color of Change: This organization designs campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champions solutions that move everyone forward. Neta: Neta is one of the fastest growing independent media platforms led by people of color along the Texas-Mexico border. Women's March: This march is committed to harnessing the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change. Representatives of Honor the Earth were in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, October 30th, to receive the check from Ben & Jerry's. The ice cream company's CEO, Matthew McCarthy, said they were proud to use its voice to support groups helping to fight climate change and for eco-justice. The flavor not only sounds tasty, but is just as eco-friendly as the nonprofit. Ben & Jerry's builds their business with social values in mind. Those put to the test when making this batch were: Non-GMO Cage-free eggs Fairtrade Responsibly sourced packaging Sustainable dairy farming You can sign up on the ice cream flavor's informational page to receive campaign updates from the partners, and you can take your ice cream to go in an insulated lunchbox, or brown bag tote.