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EcoGen: Changing your Bath Accessories without Eco Guilt.
Tired of your old bathroom decor? Perhaps the colors no longer go in your new place? I can’t even count how many time I have dragged my once fashionable magenta tissue holder around from house to house. I have no idea what to do with this tissue holder. It no longer goes in my yellow and green house, but I can’t throw it out. Too much eco-guilt.
Design Ideas has answered this very question with EcoGen Collection, its new line of compostable bath accessories. Tired of the look? Just bury it in the soil or in your compost pile, and it will decompose in less than 18 months!
When I read about this product in Home Magazine this month, my first reaction was disbelief. How could this “plastic” be okay for the environment? According to the Company, the science behind this product is a polymer called PHBV (poly-hydroxy butyrate-co-valerate.)
“The science is deceptively simple: To create EcoGenTM, we feed naturally occurring bacteria sugar that is obtained from corn starch. These “bugs” digest the sugar and store the resulting PHBV polymer much as the human body would store fat. Extracted from the “bug,” the stored “fat” becomes an injection moldable material. This material, Enmat®, is then blended with other biodegradable compounds to enhance its ability to process efficiently in standard injection molding machines. When exposed to microorganisms in compost or soil, EcoGenTM decomposes into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. Extensive scientific testing has established no harmful toxicity from the process or the end product,” according to a written statement by the Company.
The suggested retail prices for the items in the collection are as follows:
- Toothbrush Holder - $9.00
- Bath Box (small) - $10.00
- Bath Box (large) - $15.00
- Bath Cup - $7.00
- Pump Dispenser - $15.00
- Bath Bin (waste receptacle) - $30.00
- Soap Dish - $8.00
The products are available in either white, black, green, or blue and can be purchased at The Container Store. They will be available at Urban Outfitters in mid to late June.
(Editor’s Note: I recently went to check out the product at the Container Store, and it was not at the store. So, call before you go.)
Photo courtesy of Design Ideas, Ltd.
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on April 26th, 2008 at 10:03 am
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on April 26th, 2008 at 10:04 am
[...] bury it in the soil or in your compost pile, and it will decompose in less than 18 months! … MORE >>Creadit By weight [...]
on April 26th, 2008 at 10:18 am
[...] Enjoy the Moment. wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptDesign Ideas has answered this very question with EcoGen Collection, its new line of compostable bath accessories. Tired of the look? Just bury it in the soil or in your compost pile, and it will decompose in less than 18 months! … [...]
on April 28th, 2008 at 1:45 am
This products looks so cool, I’m interested to purchase this also.
on April 28th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Those are some beautiful fixtures. Being that I’m a real estate agent I can say that the bathroom fixtures are a HUGE seller. People just love their bathroom fixtures and these would brighten up a bathroom for sure.
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on April 28th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Thanx for the nice ideas, some of them are realy good for me.
on April 28th, 2008 at 9:50 am
That’s really cool, but it would be nice to have a larger color selection. A navy blue, beige, or dark red might increase sales.
Since you have to bury it in your soil or compost pile, what happens if you live in an urban area and don’t have a yard? Will throwing it out with the rest of your trash let it decompose at the city dump?
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on May 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
They are nice looking, but I am still doubtful about a good plastic.
on May 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
JBourne, I spoke to the Company and they said that it needs to be buried to decompose. It won’t decompose in the trash. Hopefully, by the time you are ready to throw it out, our world will have evolved more and have compost centers in our towns. Does anyone have a list of which town, city, or counties that have compost facilities? Anna