Our recent laptop and tote banner bags have proved very popular.

We were shocked to find so many companies spending hundreds of pounds on banner advertising, using it for perhaps for as little as a day (for an exhibition or function) and then throwing it away.  Why not turn them into bags and other products.   Companies could then sell these products or give them away for marketing purposes.

Take it one stage further and why not get someone to sponsor your banner, with the understanding you will be turning them into bags after and they then get the advertisement.

The above bags were made from red funnel ferries, isle of wight, banners.

If ever there were ever a need for an eco dictionary!

Upstream recycling, downstream recycling, upcycling and just plain old fashioned recycling.  What does it all mean?

Upstream is the input market and downstream the output market, got that … ummm, no, not really.   Let’s try again, upstream recycling means manufacturers creating products that are better for the environment, less packaging or superior degradable products for example.   Downstream however is argued as being companies who turn material that would have otherwise been thrown away into a new product.

But now I am really confused because that is what we do and companies like terracycle and I have always called it upcycling.   Indeed, upcycling has a definition in wiki (well that’s that then!) whereas downstream and upstream recycling do not. ‘… Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value…’

So…. I will stick to the old recycling and upcycling of sails and sailcloth.   We upcycle sails into new products and we hope one day to recycle sails to sell back to sailcloth manufactures.

Can a Peg Bag be exciting – you betcha!  Have a look at this mouth watering peg bag

Hot off the R&D work benches, the Wightsails peg bag made from recycled sails and …. we have already sold a few of these.  It would appear the nation is still fond of a peg bag.  As one customer put it “… it will give me something nice to look at when I am putting out the washing …”

We have also been practicing photography of products (it just gets more exciting) with white sheets, chairs, bright lights and various instructions from photo professionals.   Lessons so far, you need patience; you need decent lights that stand up and ideally they should be the same lights and you need to build a light box; oh yes…. you also need a camera that is capable of trickery and last but certainly not least, photoshop.

We will keep practicing, but the call for a professional is suddenly looking like a sound investment.    You can buy these beauties now on the site.

Great to be in the news again for the 16 deckchairs we made for the Ellen Macarthur Trust for their Bestival enterprise with EcoIsland’s mobile phone charging boutique.

It was recently reported on the BBC that London boroughs will get a windfall of £50,000 each to spend on dressing their streets with flags and bunting for the Olympics 2012.

Some people have perhaps understandably questioned the use of such funds and the eco/environment argument has been put forward.   One commentator has stated ‘…it is waste of money, especially as the flags and bunting will be thrown away afterwards…’

It doesn’t have to be as we can provide bunting made from recycled sails, namely old spinnaker sails that would otherwise end up in landfill.  Indeed, we can hire bunting to local boroughs so it need not be an entire waste.

This would fit well with Boris Johnson’s plans for an ‘eco-makeover’ for London.  He promised hundreds of green projects for 2012.   So here is one that ticks most of the boxes Boris !!

Always good to be in the news for the right reasons   Check out the full article

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Windfarm wars could be coming to the Island as the planning departments is soon to decide whether to approve a wind farm in Yarmouth. (photo courtesy of the Daily Telegraph)

Given we are all hoping to be an eco island and actually leave something good behind for our children I thought I would have a quick look at the arguments for and against wind farms (yes I sit on the pro wind turbine side of the fence – but this is an open minded post).

The basic arguments for windfarms

-  the government has a target to reach in 2020 to generate at least 15% of energy from renewables

-  no nasty smells or gases in the process, clean energy

-  we decrease reliance on other sources of energy both at home and buying from abroad

-  we create eco reliant jobs and create centre of excellence for eco projects.  We lead!

-  as more are created the price becomes cheaper to install and maintain

And the arguments against

-  often in areas of outstanding natural beauty.

-  noise has been blamed for health issues such as stress and insomnia

-  they have to be backed up by traditional methods as they don’t operate at full power all the time

-  money has to be spent upgrading the grid to deal with them and surges etc

-  expensive to build and only have a shelf life of 25 years

There are more arguments, but these are some of the normal ones put forward.   The writers opinion is largely based on logic and fact, namely oil, coal and gas will run out, nuclear is unpopular.  Wind will always be around and technology will improve efficiency, cost and even the look of the things.

Have your say on the planning application.

With deckchairs being the talk of the day, our attentions turned to putting one up.  How hard can it be…….?!

So we went out onto the field (didn’t want to get sand on customers chairs) and shot the following video that shows you exactly how not to and how to put up a deckchair.

Thanks to our customers who provided the use of their future deckchair to be used in this video.  No deckchairs were harmed in the making of this video.

Think of deckchairs and one automatically thinks of the seafront and whilst this is one of the most popular locations to find these magnificent pieces of furniture we have listed below our favourite locations for sitting and watching the time whittle away:

1.  Brighton and Hove Seafront

What Ferrari is to Formula 1.  Any deckchair image collection would not be complete without an image of the deck-chairs on Brighton and Hove Seafront.

2.  Green Park, London

Almost as established as the seafront, sitting in the middle of London on a deckchair feels so wrong, yet so right.   One is almost transported to the sea when fully reclined.

3.  Cruise Liner

Home of the deckchair, yes on the deck of a boat.   Immortalised by the Titanic and still very much in use today on modern cruise liners.   The design may have moved on a little, but the deckchair is still very much a part of a modern day cruise.

4.  Skiing

My favourite!  I am never happier than when staring across the Alps after a tough morning’s skiing, with a strong drink in one hand lounging on a deckchair.

Where is your favourite spot for a deckchair?

We are delighted to say that we have just delivered our first consignment to the number one tourist attraction on the Isle of Wight, Chessell Pottery.  Deckchairs, windbreaks and bags will not only be used functionally in their courtyard cafe, but they will be on sale as well.

What is more, the lovely people at Chessell Pottery have included us on their promotional flyers  (see above).

For those of you who have not ventured out to Chessell Pottery you are missing out, great fun for all the family, a wonderful courtyard cafe with the best cream teas on the Isle of Wight and that’s official.  Winners of best cream teas for years in a row, I don’t think anyone comes close.

A large gift shop compliments the show and all their products are made on the Isle of Wight.

We shall be popping over next to take some photos and perhaps have a cake or two