How would you like to work in an office like this?

Dufaylite, makers of a 100% recyclable, robust and versatile core material (recycled paper honeycomb) partnered with Leeds-based Duke Studios for a truly unique workspace environment. They created ten studio offices using their substrate material called Ultra Board.

Located in Leeds, Duke Studios is bringing some fun and life back to an old building by transforming all 7000 square feet it into an open floor plan studio space for creatives. This place already looks like tons of fun!

GreenUnite is a revolutionary crowdfunding and educational platform focused on helping to launch important products, technology and content dedicated to creating a more sustainable world.

GreenUnite connect passionate individuals and organizations with green supporters devoted to making a difference in the world. Its creating a community that thrives on connections and interconnections that spark meaningful change to educate others on effects of climate change.

In addition to getting your idea crowdfunded or supporting an important project, GreenUnite also provides the option to donate a portion of funds raised to green U.S.-based charities that are personally selected by the project’s creator.

Tipped by DeAndre Purdie! Thanks!

[Photo: China Daily]

People Daily Online: A project to train stray dogs to assist elderly people and those hard of hearing has been launched in Beijing.

The China Beijing Hearing-Dog Association plans to select dogs from an animal shelter in northern Changping district that is managed by the Beijing public security bureau, and to invite dog trainers from Japan.

“We’ll choose young dogs, because it’s easier to train them,” project leader Wang Yue said on Monday. “The breed of dog is not so important.”

To date, 24 residents have applied to become students in hearing-dog training.

“We prefer applicants with some experience of training dogs and that have great passion for dogs,” Wang said. “The selected people will learn hand-sign language first from the Japanese instructors.

A base for training guide dogs for the blind has been established in Dalian in Northeast China’s Liaoning province.

Stray dogs to be trained to help people [People Daily Online]

Urban Gardens: Turn man-made into man-saved by creating a Re-DIY vertical green living wall as Turkish design firm Designnobis did. For their Naturewall, the designers collected about ten used plastic disposable coffee cups, washed them off, then created a simple flexible metal holder system to hang the cups, transforming them into a vertical garden. The Naturwall system includes an aluminum metal frame with 10-12 cup holders that one can set up unlimited variations to accomodate any particular size and type of plants.

Naturwall received a Green Dot Build Award, which recognizes innovative design and architecture that achieves the highest level of environmental responsibility.

How to Make a Vertical Garden From Disposable Cups [Urban Gardens]

Inhabitat: Providing food and shelter to victims of a natural disaster is one of the first priorities for emergency services, but the process can often generate a lot of unnecessary waste. To help tackle this problem, UNICEF has developed an amazing reusable LEGO-inspired brick that doubles as a food storage container and a building material, addressing multiple needs in one fell swoop. Read on to see more pictures of this clever object designed by Psychic Factory!

TrendHunter: Eco-friendly dishware is becoming more and more prevalent in modern societies, yet Repurpose Compostables has managed to bring their green product to Bed Bath & Beyond, giving it a mainstream audience that similar products have yet to gain. Touted to have created the “world’s greenest coffee cup,” Repurpose Compostables focuses on plant-based mugs that are not only non-toxic, but are able to decompose in an astounding 90 days.

Based in Los Angeles, Repurpose Compostables’ insulated coffee cup is made from corn and uses soy based inks. With a single wall, it uses 65% less Co2 to manufacture, easily making it the least wasteful and most environmentally conscious cup currently on the market.

Plant-Based Coffee Cups [TrendHunter]

Springwise: Each trip on the Do Good Bus is different, and volunteers never know ahead of time where they’ll be going or what they’ll be doing. The organizers explain: “Everyone likes a little mystery, right? We keep our rides a secret to add an element of fun, but also to avoid any pre-conceived ideas or opinions about the cause our volunteers will be helping. This allows volunteers to show up with an open mind ready to help.” No matter where the destination, however, participants learn about nearby causes and work to deliver hands-on assistance. Activities range from working with kids to building new homes to creating guerrilla gardens. Every ride includes breakfast, dinner or lunch and lasts between four and six hours, depending on location. Rides can also be hosted or sponsored; this fall, the Do Good Bus is partnering with the band Foster the People for a North American tour of music and volunteering.

‘Do Good Bus’ brings volunteers to nearby places in need of help [Springwise]

Springwise: Combining the concept of pod-like hotel rooms, with the growing trend of eco-responsible tourism and the use of waste materials for construction, architects T3arc have created the 20 room Tubohotel made from recycled concrete pipes.

Inspired by dasparkhotel which opened in Germany in 2006, T3arc have extended the concept by stacking pipes to form two mini pyramids with ladders to access the upper level. Located 45 minutes south of Mexico City, T3arc completed the project in three months, furnishing the 2.44m by 3.5m pipes with a queen-size bed, desk light and fan, with space for under bed storage. Unlike dasparkhotel which operates a pay-as-you-wish system, rooms at Tubohotel are priced at USD 42 a night, which they hope will attract backpackers and those looking for alternative and unique accommodation that won’t break the bank. Unfortunately the cement pipe doesn’t allow for bathroom facilities, but there are two communal bathhouses onsite with private showers.

Concrete pipes transformed into eco-hotel in Mexico [Springwise]

Springwise: The initiative plans to create an online directory whereby any business in the district, from restaurants to offices, can post their unwanted but usable equipment, computers, furniture and books. Other local businesses in the market for such items can then search the directory and offer to take the items off their original owners’ hands. Not only does the environment benefit, but the scheme hopes to save businesses thousands of pounds in waste disposal and procurement costs, while forging closer ties among the local business community. Last year Olswang recycled an impressive 99% of its waste, setting an example for other companies in the area.

B2B ‘reuse and recycle’ scheme comes to London [Springwise]

The Whirligro is an exciting new product for growing plants in a vertical manner, suitable for people with small gardens or mobility restrictions. It is made up from individual growing tubes, each one holding 3 plants. Each Whirligro holds 10 tubes, spiralling around a central post…that’s 30 plants in an area under 1m by 1m. Each plant grows through a hole in the plastic tubing so that the only area that ever needs weeding is a couple of inches wide. And if you use new compost, without any weed seeds, you will never have to weed at all.

The future of lower heating bills has arrived. Hot water and central heating costs are unavoidable and becoming increasingly expensive but they can easily be managed keeping the size of your bills to the bare minimum. FUELmaster could provide the answer.

There are many ways to achieve lower fuel bills which range from changing your fuel supplier to the installation of cavity wall and loft insulation. How economical is your boiler?

Fuelmaster works equally well with boilers that burn Gas, Oil or LPG fuels, works on residential and semi-commercial boilers.

We at Tell Me First  have what is arguably one of the most effective, least expensive and quickest ways customers can maximise fuel cost savings with the minimum of financial outlay and causing the least inconvenience to install. A typical return on product investment can be achieved in less than 12 months.

Welcome to the “State of the Art” boiler efficiency manager.

Fuelmaster is a product that can significantly reduce the amount of fuel used by boilers by reducing and eliminating a wasteful process known within the heating and boiler industry as Dry Cycling, Short Cycling, Rapid Cycling or Boiler Cycling.

What is Dry Cycling?

This unnecessary firing process happens when the boiler is activated by its own internal thermostat to simply reheat the hot water held within itself. This hot water is not circulated around the system until an external thermostat asks the boiler to fire up properly to provide hot water to the required destination. These short intermittent firings are a highly wasteful process known by all boiler manufacturers and members of the heating industry. They can be compared to you boiling your kettle 3 or 4 times to make 1 cup of coffee or driving your car to its destination and leaving the engine running afterwards. You just would not do it so why let your boiler waste valuable money on expensive fuel and produce unnecessary. carbon emissions.

You can benefit from

1. Much lower fuel bills reduced by at least 20%
2. Far less boiler pollution by an average of 1.5 metric tonnes per year
3. Greater Boiler efficiency helping to extend boiler life
4. In many cases the boiler becomes quieter to run
5. Fast payback on product cost (less than 12 months for an average home)
6. Fuelmaster is portable so you can take it with you should you move home
7. Simple, safe and quick installation with no mess
8. 20 years or more of reliable fuel saving service
9. No product service or maintenance requirements
10. You have made a profitable and helpful but inexpensive investment

For more information please go to http://www.tell-me-first.com/fuel_master.htm, or e-mail infor@tell-me-first.com or call +357 22 879 424 (GMT +2)

This post is a sponsored blog post.