ReMake with Make!

If ya'll have been to RePlayGround before, either online or in person, you already know how much we love to ReMake things. So when we received our latest issue of Make Magazine with a special insert from Dale Dougherty titled "REMAKE: AMERICA" we promptly tore into the magazine to see what was inside. The special note itself was enough to make us give the mini zine a big eco hug.

Dale's note reads "Everybody I know wants to make the world a better place. The trouble is how to get started. Like all things DIY, the place to start is with yourself.... we look at ways you can monitor the energy efficiency of your house, create an experimental garden... use solar to heat water, and replace ordinary lighting with LED solutions. All of these project ideas, coupled with the energy and enthusiasm of makers, will create a sustainable future for America and the world."

The Maker Faire is this weekend. I attended last year and I can't even put into words how much this event rocked my DIY world. I felt like I met a million people just like me with DIY ideas to share and teach others. I had a table of my own, but I had a hard time staying put and not visiting everyone else at the Faire.

If you're in the San Mateo, CA area, be sure to stop by the Maker Faire this weekend and get your DIY world rocked. If you're getting your ReMake on at home, then pick up a copy of the magazine. Let's start ReMaking America, crafty people!

Green in bklyn

I noticed this cute little store opening its doors this spring and finally got the chance to check out the goods. Green In Bklyn, at 432 Myrtle Ave., is "the one-stop shop for a greener home & life". It's chock full of home goods, gifts, personal care, baby items and more - beautifully curated and displayed.

Its president, Elissa Olin, says that her goal is to make it "easy, convenient and fun" to go green. She's worked at other retail stores that offered "things you wanted but nothing you needed" and hopes that Green In Bklyn will be able to hit both wants and needs.

I spotted CFLs, reusable shopping bags, glasses made from recycled bottles, my favorite organic hair pomade, and more. It's great to have a store in the neighborhood that offers not just cute and eco-friendly gifts, but also easy-to-find alternatives to the toxic cleaning products you'll find at the bodega down the street. I hope Green in Bklyn's efforts will show people how easy and affordable it can be to go a little greener. Check out their website and blog for more information and inspiration!

Hello world!

Hi all,

I'm Abby, the newest member of the Replayground team. I have a background in product design (in fact, just like Tiffany, I attended Pratt Institute here in Brooklyn) and I've spent the last several years putting a whoooooole bunch of stuff out in the world - lots of it plastic, lots of it not terribly eco-friendly. I love design, but I hated feeling like part of the problem. So I'm very excited to have the opportunity to play around with Replayground where we're using design to solve problems, not make more of them.

I'll be joining Tiffany's efforts to turn trash into treasure - look for future blog posts from me with fun DIY ideas, green design info and more! Happy recycling, everyone!

Bada get in on this sustainable action

My buddies over at EcoSystems have some new furniture on the block.
Be sure to check out their Bada table/chair and their Snug Its - how they claim they're going to take over the furniture world.
Bada swings into action - morphs from table to chair with the slip of a credit card. Plus made from eco-friendly materials. Would you expect anything less from designer friends of mine?

Lots of good press from the BklynDesigns show including Editors Choice Awards from Inhabitat

Congrats guys!


images via ecosystems

Refurbished!

Why buy new when you can buy used?

My good ole reliable Mac was starting to do some not-so-reliable things. So I knew it was time for a refresher. Instead of buying a brand new computer, I bought a new-to-me version. Mine is almost as pimped out as the latest version, but the refurbished version saved me 400 buckaroos.

The next time you're looking for a new Apple, check out the refurbished section. It's not just computers - it's iPods, too. It'll save you some green, and since it's refurbished it'll come with that nice recycling smell.

Plus, to show my new computer that I care, I made it a brand new custom tote, made from lovely recycled billboard material. Woo hoo for recycling!

Pratt / TerraCycle Upcycle Design Show!

Q: What do you get when you connect the mighty fine design students at Pratt Institute with the garbage pile at TerraCycle?

A: Loads of new product ideas made from recycled materials!

This semester we challenged Pratt students with TerraCycle wastestreams - like wine corks, cookie wrappers, plastic bags (like the flower vase pictured above), bottle caps, gift cards, and more. You can come see the winning results for yourself at:
Sustainable NYC
139 Ave. A between 8th and 9th St.
On display May 16 - 19
Gallery reception May 18, from 7pm - 10pm
It's free and open to the public!

Evette Rios, one of our lovely guest judges, wrote up a great summary of winning entries on her blog.

Plus there will be an auction with some of the winning jewelry pieces made from toothbrushes, credit cards and more! Half of the proceeds will go to the student designer, Naima Frankel, and the other half to Trees for the Future.

Re-Cycling craft event at Sustainable NYC!

Come express your true craftiness with us!
It's time for RePlayGround's 4th installation of the wildly popular "ReCycle Your Heart: Re-purposing craft workshops at Sustainable NYC!" Our eco-craft workshop series tackles a different material each month, teaching you how to make unique objects from your garbage and inspiring to you design your own projects.

This month, our trash-into-treasure material is bottle caps turned to lockets! Perfectly sized to fit your small memories: photos, cut outs, beads, glitter, glue textures - then, wear them as necklaces, earings, keychains, bracelets, and more. The sky's the limit!
What: Recycled Craft Event: project bottle caps
When: Wednesday, May 13th 6pm-8pm
Where: SustainableNYC
Who: Carly, Garbage Outreach Coordinator at RePlayGround

You bring: $10, photos (optional), bottle caps (also optional), your creative genuis!
We bring: lots of materials, instruction, a great space, our fabulous company.
RSVP a must! Email info@sustainablenyc.com or Carly@replayground.com
can't wait to see you there

Pea shoots taste like spring!

Green things are finally sprouting at the farmer's market. There are still potatoes and apples from last season, but signs of the new growing season are finally showing. It finally feels and tastes like spring. I picked up some pea shoots yesterday along with the first asparagus of the season. Yum!