Before you throw that away...

Spend even a few minutes with Tom Szaky and he is bound to say, “The thing about garbage is ...”
That’s because TerraCycle, the company he co-founded in 2001 and has run since, is aiming to make billions by collecting used plastic bags, juice pouches, cookie wrappers and other items that cannot be recycled and fusing them into everyday items like tote bags, pencil cases and messenger bags to be sold at some of the country’s biggest retailers.

Be inspired by this young entrepreneur working towards a more productive and environmental-friendly economy.

Food Swap

From trendcentral, presented by The Intelligence Group. I get these newsletters everyday. Some really interesting stuff. Today's trend:


TODAY'S ARTICLE
Monday, September 22, 2008
THE LATEST TREND IN FOOD FOOD SWAPPING
Food prices are increasing at the fastest rate in nearly two decades, and as consumers feel the pinch, they're looking for alternatives to the grocery store. One of the most creative money saving strategies we've seen is food swapping in which people barter food for other edibles they don't have in their own respective pantries.

In London, the organizers of an organic farmers market hold an annual event called The Great Food Swap. Hundreds of people show up looking to trade their homemade preserves for another's garden grown veggies, homemade bread or freshly caught fish. The event is not only a place for people to score quality local food, but it also fosters a unique community by giving consumers the opportunity to actually meet the people who make, bake, or pick what they eat. Also in the UK, a pub called The Pigs lets patrons exchange food for pints; items such as free-range eggs and homegrown fruit that regulars bring in then make it onto the food menu.
Stateside, we're increasingly seeing neighborhood message board postings with offers of food giveaways, shares and swaps. Not limited to those looking for budget cuts, people looking to cut waste are also trading and sharing food. Example include someone going on vacation getting rid of their perishables, CSA members who can't eat half of their large bounty of kale, and those who want to trade a home cooked meal for house repairs. And with the growth and success of online swapping communities in other sectors, such as crafts, expect to soon see a Craigslist-style site connecting consumers who want to swap and barter using cuisine as currency.


* trendcentral articles are designed to be trend reports, not endorsements * The Intelligence Group is a trend-forecasting and marketing Consultancy focused on Gen X, Gen Y and Tweens. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated studies, The Cassandra Report, Tween Intelligence, Latino Intelligence, and Mom Intelligence, contact Liz Gray at 212-277-5244 or via email at egray@intelg.com.

Running through nature

I'm still recovering a bit this morning from a 20 mile run yesterday. (I'm training for the Chicago Marathon on October 12). Typically I train along the lake in the city, but this past weekend I went home and spent some time with my family in Naperville. As I thought about where I'd run on Sunday I remembered a beautiful dirt trail that winds through trees, prairies, over streams and next to old railroad tracks at Waterfall Glen park. A bit nervous Sunday morning, I laced up my shoes and headed out. It was a cool morning, perfect temperature for a long run. As I became immersed in the trail I looked around and became extremely appreciative of what nature provides us - simplicity. The word natural to me means clean, pure, untouched, truest self. I love living in the city but at times the "the concrete jungle" can be a bit much - dusty, loud, congested, tense. Running in a peaceful setting, listening to the trees, birds and my breathing was inspirational in that we don't always have to overthink things in life, sometimes the most simple answer is the best one.

As I ran, I thought about stopping to take photos with my cell phone but I don't think it would've done the trail justice. If you enjoy hiking, walking, running, or biking I suggest visiting Waterfall Glen.


On another note, I received an e-mail this morning from a former intern about his work in Malden, Missouri at a campaign office for Barak Obama. His note was witty yet very real as he described the small town and the continued racial divide that still exists today. An exerpt from his e-mail:

Working in the Bootheel definitely has it's challenges. This area has been pretty solidly republican for some time now, and the fact that our candidate is a black man with a funny sounding name doesn't help matters much. Despite my best efforts to fit in (growing out my sideburns, as Lucy suggested), I still get a lot of "you ain't from around here, are ya Boy?" Down here I'm not exactly writing the next, "How to win friends and influence people." But really, this is a tough area to work. A lot of these communities are still pretty racist, and I've had a lot of people openly tell me they won't vote for Barack just because he's black. I'm constantly telling people that he's not actually a Muslim, he doesn't read the Koran, and I'm pretty sure he's not a terrorist. I wish I was kidding when I said I have to dispell those myths.

As I read on, I am inspired by his hard work as he motivates these people to think for themselves and vote while contributing to something bigger than himself. This election is no doubt an interesting one, historical in fact. And he is doing something that will make history some day. What are you doing that will leave a mark on someone's life? How are you inspiring others?

Numero Uno

Ha, well I finally joined the "cool crowd" and created a blog. I enjoy writing but have never been good at committing myself to journaling every day. And when I say journaling, I mean pen to paper. I figure this outlet will work a little better since I'm on a computer a good part of the day so writing here is a little more accessible. My thought behind this blog is to provide an outlet for expression, thoughts and questions about what is inspiring to me. But I also want others to share their inspirations here too. What is inspiring to one person may be uninspiring to another person but that's what I find so fascinating - that each person has something unique to them that makes them wonder why? Let us open our eyes to new things, places and ideas to create a better understanding of what's around us, but more importantly, a better understanding of ourselves.

My first inspiration for today: the sky. A limitless space that produces unimaginable beauty.