Paper Potter Eco Product Review

Yes, spring is here (if you’re in the UK) and time for the green-fingered among you to get out in the garden. Ecoutlet sent us a great little item to help with planting - the Paper Potter.

Made from 100% FSC certified wood (think it’s oak), the Paper Potter helps you make seedling pots from old newspapers. The picture basically shows you how it works and it’s beautifully simple. I like the feel of the wooden handle and also it’s a great feeling to make the little pots. And then it’s even more fun to then fill them with soil, put a seed in and plant them into the ground. I presume eventually they then biodegrade and the plant’s roots can easily break through into the wide world - we’re not quite up to that point yet but do have some little shoots growing.

But no matter how much fun it was for me, it’s much more for kids. It’s a great little thing they can do on their own and have fun making something. Not every one we made was a success but they soon get the hang of it and it’s great that you can make something they can see. In a way it’s also educational as they get to learn about gardening and plants.

For only £9.99 for Ecoutlet it’s a bargain that you’ll use year after year I reckon.

Stubby Pencil Studio Eco Stationery Review

My local Wal-Mart may spell it’s Stationery department “Stationary” (I’ve haven’t been in for a year until last week and it still hasn’t changed - or for that matter, moved), but I’m certain that stationery is the correct word for pens, pencils and paper.

Stubby Pencil Studio provide eco-friendly stationery and art supplies, 100% recycled cards and invitations and unique non-toxic gifts and kits. They sent us lots of great stuff for adults and kids alike.

Smencils (made by Smencil World) are gourmet scented pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. They come in normal (#2 graphite) pencil versions and colored pencils. As you can see from the picture to the right they come in individual tubes, which does increase packaging (though is recyclable), but on the other hand stops you becoming overcome with fumes from the (environmentally friendly created) smell. The ones we got came with the following smells: chocolate, grape, orange, very berry, bubble gum, cherry, root beer, cotton candy, watermelon and tropical burst. And you know what? The kids love them. I mean LOVE them. The colored Smencils come in their own pencil case too (picture below), the color of the smell relating to the color of the pencil. I think I may be addicted to very berry flavor.

We also tested Prang Fun Pro Soybean Crayons that unlike traditional petroleum-based crayons, are crayons made from all natural pigments and soybean oil (AP certified non-toxic).It’s been a long while since I used a crayon last but apparently they’re great.

To test these products we were also given some fantastic color ‘n kids cards. These are eco-friendly cards for kids to color, trace the letters, and create their own greetings. Printed on heavy, 100% post consumer waste stock, they have cute black and white illustrations on the cards to encourage do-it-yourself card making for young children and grown ups alike. I didn’t feel at all embarrassed writing my age on the back! Interactive, educational, and green! There are ones for all occasions, thank yous, birthday greetings, get well cards, notes to teachers, valentines, Easter…. These were really fun too.

Another way of testing them was to color in a Made By Meâ„¢ kit, which is a do-it-yourself wooden toy kit. We had the bug, but they’re also available as a train or race car. The kit includes a 4″ long unfinished, sanded smooth pine shaped body, and 4 natural wheels and axles, all you need is some glue, a hammer, paints, crayons, markers, stickers and imagination (and to be over 3 years old).

Smencils cost $5 for 5, Colored Smencils $14 for 10, color n’ kids cards from $0.80 and sets for $7.95 and Made By Meâ„¢ kits only $4 from Stubby Pencil Studio. If you kids love using drawing and you want to do it in a green way, then give them a try. I’m off to try a watermelon smencil….

The End Of Paper Books?

Amazon have just launched their Amazon Kindle, a revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. Whilst not the first on the market (the Sony Reader being the first that comes to mind), it certainly almost brings electronic book readers into the mainstream.

The Amazon page does a good job of promoting it’s benefits, on the Amazon page are many more videos and you can hear what Neil Gaiman (very interesting) & James Patterson have to say about it. The user reviews are interesting too.

Professional reviews have been mixed, with some thinking it is good or great, and some not so positive.

Pros:
- All your books in one place (well, around 200 books, newspapers or blogs).
- No use of virgin paper and printing inks.
- Little distribution cost.

Cons:
- Initial cost is high, needing a lot of second hand books to cover it.
- You can’t pass a book on.
- Proprietary format books are stored in (you can’t read them on your PC).
- It’s made out of plastic.

Overall my personal opinion is that buying or borrowing used books is better, however it seems that in the future this sort of technology will only become cheaper, easier to use, and more widespread.