After a hefty rainstorm, it is very common to find umbrellas made useless from the intensity of the storm thrown on the ground. Discarded by unsatisfied people, these items are often forgotten and left for the landfill. 

What if there was a very durable umbrella that is not only guaranteed to last a while but could also be recycled afterward? Would you purchase the umbrella if it is comparable in price to a traditional umbrella?

The custom imprinted Greenbrella Folding Umbrella - 46" Arc is a beautiful item that has a soft cotton hand-strap and a durable wooden handle. But what is mind-blowing is that the canopy of the umbrella is made of recycled plastic bottles. The canopy is extremely durable and you'll find the auto-open mechanism to be very useful for sudden storms. The umbrella is available in a small array of colors too - black/white, hunter/white, red/white, navy/white and royal/white. The pattern may have a traditional appeal to it but it is the innovative canopy that is sure to draw people to this eco-friendly alternative.

Fellow men, this is your official reminder from Motivators: Valentine's Day is exactly a week away. 

According to this article, men tend to forget important anniversaries and holidays because they are genetically wired to focus on outside threats and factors that might interfere with the comfort level at home. While it is true that we no longer forrage for food and have many preditors, these factors could include health, financial and social class security. 

So, if you've spent the last few years forgetting Valentine's Day until the last minute (or having to pick up something on the ride home from work) you may want to pay a little more attention to this post.

This post will focus on the custom imprinted 3 Cards with Raffia Bow. This is sure to wow your wife, girlfriend, mother - whoever the Valentine in your life is. These cards and envelopes are made of 100% recycled paper and include your favorite seeds. Simply handwrite something romantic (sorry, you're on your own for this) and give it to them. They can plant the letter and watch it grow to become parsley, wildflowers or even a pine tree. All three cards (perfect for a parent or child) are wrapped in a very beautiful raffia bow. 

Do you have a large family and only so much office space? Is your desk already too crowded?

The custom imprinted Lexington Photo Cube is the perfect item for your home or office. It is made of the highest quality recycled leather and can hold up to four photos at a time.

Yes. Unlike other photo albums, this item can hold four 3" x 3" photos as the same time, one on each of the sides of a cube. The bottom is a sturdy base and the top houses your professional imprint.  If you ever feel the need for change, you can simply rotate the cube or even replace the photos. It is sure to be a conversation starter and spruce up your office. The cube is available in black, brown and pink. 

Did you know that Americans buy over 300 million cases of wine each year?  The shocking number raises a serious environmental question:  What do we do with all the empty wine bottles?  One start-up, Wine Bottle Renew, is creating a business based on a solution.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "The company wants to revive the practice of washing and refilling used glass wine bottles."  The start-up's Chief Executive, Bruce Stephens, hopes to convince wineries around the country that collaborating will be good for business. "You take a bottle and you empty the bottle, and my God, why would that only be a one-time bottle?" Stephens asked the Wall Street Journal. "We used to wash bottles all the time, whether it was wine bottles, beer bottles or Coke bottles."  Indeed, reusing bottles can cost a company 10% less than purchasing new ones.

Sure, reusing glass bottles may be good for a company's bottom line, but how will it affect the environment?  Wine Bottle Renew asserts that rinsing and reusing a wine bottle releases 95% less carbon than does recycling one.  How's that possible?  The Wall Street Journal reports that recycling the glass containers takes more work because they "must be melted down and re-formed before they enter the market again."

Approximately 150 wineries have already teamed up with Wine Bottle Renew.  Stephens told the Wall Street Journal that his company has cleaned and delivered over a million bottles to wineries nationwide.  Hopefully larger wineries will jump on board soon.  Good for business and eco-friendly?  Sounds like a win-win to me!

If you've ever been to a bar or pub at certain times of the week, you've probably walked away with a promotional coaster or two. On several occasions, you might even walk away with a promotional barware glass.

What if you could have an item that could be incredibly useful and help in advertising? The custom imprinted Recycled Credit Card Bottle Opener is an item unlike any other and will help gain awareness for your bar or club. The item is a bottle opener made of high durability recycled plastic and stainless steel. But what sets this apart from other promotional products is that the item can look like a business card. The item fits in your pocket, purse or wallet easily and for a small extra charge can fix a magnet to the back of the item. This is certainly a must-have.

If we're to succeed without burning fossil fuels, we've got to always be on the lookout for alternative forms of energy.  Some great advancements are being made in the development of new types of power -- we've seen it all, from creating hydrogen fuel to recycling old newspapers.  But major Japanese undergarment manufacturer Wacoal recently launched a truly unique recycling program for creating fuel.

According to Earth 911, since 2008, the underwear manufacturer has encouraged women to recycle their bras so that metal and other materials could be "converted into a type of fuel used for boilers and power generation facilities."  Since the program's inception, Wacoal has collected enough donations to produce almost 18 tons of fuel.

How does it work?  The used bras, which contain both fabric and metal wiring, are converted into a fuel that's classified as "refuse paper and plastic fuel" (RPF).  Earth 911 reports that the "bra-based RPF fuel has a combustion efficiency similar to coal but emits far less carbon dioxide."  This means that lots of energy can be produced with fewer impurities being released into the atmosphere.

What do you think -- would you be willing to give up old bras to help create cleaner energy?  Perhaps it's time for the U.S. to invest in similar fuel-generating technologies!

We've been very lucky with the weather we've had this winter. There's been no snow and freezing temperatures are far and few between. The weather in New York has sometimes even felt like autumn or early spring.

I'm starting to notice that the weather is starting to feel like January again. While snow is still not in the forecast, the highs are in the 40's and the lows are in the 30's - assuming there's no wind gust.

Luckily, the custom imprinted Anvil 8 Oz. Organic Cotton/Recycled Polyester Full-Zip Hood is the perfect item to help keep you warm.  This high quality hooded sweatshirt has double-stitching throughout the entire sweatshirt, a great bottom band and ribbed cuffs. The hood is a double layer hood to protect your face during heavy winds and has an adjustable string. The hooded sweatshirt is made of a comfortable combination of recycled polyester and cotton. 

Keep this item handy for the coming months.

Back at home, my family's beautiful Christmas tree is still standing proudly in the living room.  But by this weekend, we'll have to turn out the lights, put away all the ornaments, and accept that the holiday season is over.  Just one question remains:  What will we do with the tree? 

Most people toss out their trees at the end of the Christmas season.  But do they have to be trashed?  According to aHa! Modern Living, there are several earth-friendly ways to dispose of Christmas trees.  Let's go over a few ideas:

1.  Feed the wildlife

One great way to get extra use out of your Christmas tree is to use it to feed the birds and other animals in your yard.  After you've removed your decorations, set up the tree in your backyard, and adorn it with fruits, seeds, and popcorn.  The wildlife will love the winter feast!

2.  Pamper yourself

Did you know that pine is commonly used as a natural remedy for muscle pain, circulation problems, and rheumatism?  Make yourself a soothing pine-bath by boiling 1/2 cup of washed pine needles in water, and then pouring the "needle tea" into your tub.  Add in 1 cup of Epsom salts for an extra special experience.

3.  Fresh scent

You can use aromatic pine needles to make your own potpourri!  Crumble your needles and combine them with cloves, broken cinnamon sticks and dried fruit peel.  After, add drops of your favorite essential oil.  After a week or so, the scents should blend nicely.  Put your homemade potpourri on display in bowls around your house.

As you can see, there are plenty of creative ideas for using your leftover Christmas tree.  As you take down your tree, keep these tips in mind, and you'll be on your way to a more eco-friendly New Year!

We can all agree that creating more trash is detrimental to our environment.  As garbage continues to collect on land and in the sea, we've all got to come up with unique ways to recycle, reuse and reduce.  One Web site, Junk Mail Gems, offers dozens of products that have been made from items that once belonged in a landfill.

Junk Mail Gems also features tips on how to reuse litter that's piling up in your home.  For example, the Web site suggests utilizing unused business reply envelopes from junk mail for stickers and labels.  Let's go over the simple steps to transforming the junk into something useful!

1.  Locate unused business reply envelopes that have not yet been sealed.  These often come with credit card applications.

2.  Remove the sticky part of the envelope using a pair of scissors.

3.  Cut up the sticky flap into smaller pieces.  For example, you can divide it into squares if you'd like to make envelope seals.  Alternatively, you can cut longer strips for use as name plates and labels.

4.  On the non-sticky side of each piece, draw a custom design!  Have fun with this; everyone will love your special stickers.

5.  When you're ready to use your new stickers and labels, lick the back and place them on envelopes, in notebooks, etc.  If you've cut the paper into longer strips, you can utilize your new stickers as name plates for labeling your personal possessions!

That's just one way to reuse unwanted mail.  Can you think of any others?

Back in August, I shared an article about how one state in Nigeria is using excess plastic to build homes and other structures.  I certainly applaud Kaduna State for making use out of the excess trash and pollution in an attempt to prevent the Pacific "garbage patch" from growing any bigger.  Now, one company is actually gathering plastic directly from the North Pacific Gyre to recycle and turn into new products.

According to Sunrise Packaging, Method, a company which produces natural products and cleaning supplies, "has unveiled its latest innovation in sustainable packaging- a bottle that is made out of plastic collected from the North Pacific Gyre, also referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch."  Twenty-five percent of the plastic used for the new bottle is taken from the Gyre in an attempt to shrink the massive mountain of plastic. 

However, the real goal here is to raise awareness.  Sunrise Packaging reports that "the real solution to plastic pollution lies in reusing and recycling the plastic that’s already on the planet."  Indeed, remanufacturing unwanted contaminants will not only remove the garbage from our oceans, but will also reduce the need for the creation of new plastic.

This is a brilliant idea that definitely has our support!  Great job, Method.