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A Smart Guide to Utopia: 111 Inspiring Ideas for a Better City (Book Review)

This unique travel guide is the perfect book for the eco-conscious non-tourist. It features 111 projects you can visit around Europe, that make our cities better.




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yök Casa + Cultura: Eco-renovation in Barcelona!

Follow the step-by-step eco-renovation of a 100-year-old Modernisme-style space into apartments in Barcelona. From upcycling to smart water-saving devices and insulating rooftop plants, yök Casa + Cultura is about sustainability and the local culture.




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yök Casa + Cultura: (down)cycling old walls and preserving for the future

Recyclability is key at yök's eco-renovation. First, preserve everything we can, then recycle everything that has to go and lastly, make sure any new stuff is recyclable in the future.




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yök Casa + Cultura: A+ certified low-VOC drywalls by Knauf

In the end it needs to work, fit the budget and be easy to install. To divide our spaces, we opted for low-VOC drywalls, locally made in Spain. That way, no floors or ceilings shall be harmed!




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PEX over copper for the plumbing at yök Casa + Cultura

Copper is recyclable, but requires a lot of energy to do so. For our plumbing system, we opted for PEX, a crosslinked Polyethylene that is easy to install, non-toxic and long-lasting.




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Mirror mirror on the wall, which is the eco-friendliest of them washbasins for yök Casa + Cultura?

What is the best eco option- longlasting porcelain sinks, 100% recyclable, lightweight LDPE ones or second hand washbasins? Here's the story of how we chose the sinks for our non-hotel in Barcelona.




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Wood fibres as insulation material for yök Casa + Cultura

I believe we made the right decision in choosing Isonat Flex, made of wood fibres, over mineral wool or cellulose to insulate our low-VOC drywalls. Here's how we made the decision.




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All the details about yök Casa + Cultura’s office in Barcelona

We are still eco-renovating! Here is what we did to our office, a top floor space in the heart of Barcelona. Insulation, energy-saving devices and non-toxic, recycled materials are key.




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Upcycled stools by designer Curro Claret and Arrels Fundació for yök Casa + Cultura

yök commissions upcycled stools by ex homess people and Curro Claret




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Greening our bathrooms without sacrificing the experience of our guests at yök Casa + Cultura

At yök we do not only work hard to save energy, but also water. According to Airbnb, guests in Europe renting a home use 45% less water than when staying in a hotel. But there is more to a bathroom than saving water; materials also play an important role




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How Astral Nature redesigns their bed to fit yök Casa + Cultura eco-criteria

Astral Nature has the perfect mattresses: all natural ingredients and locally made just outside Barcelona. However, at yök Casa + Cultura we also needed an eco base. Luckily, Astral made some changes to theirs. The result: green beds, such luxury!




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Upcycled kitchens made from local materials are made to last.

Made from used wooden pallets and a recycled countertop, the kitchens at yök Casa + Cultura in Spain are made to last.




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Summing up yök Casa + Cultura with upcycled cardboard furniture, VOC-free paint and sustainable tourism

This is my last post about my current eco-venture in Barcelona: yök Casa + Cultura. We believe that good tourism is possible thanks to common sense, eco-design and working for People, Planet and Profit.




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Marie Kondo has advice for working from home

Not surprisingly, it starts with getting organized.




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Garment workers suffer as fashion brands cancel orders

Citing financial difficulties due to coronavirus, many companies are failing to pay for orders that they placed months ago.




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7 ways to keep working toward zero waste

It may feel like the whole world is regressing toward single-use plastics, but the waste-free movement is far from dead.




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31 healthy, satisfying snack ideas

In times of comfort snacking, there are plenty of fulfilling options that are actually good for you.




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Eat your fruits and vegetables: New Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list released

Here is is the 2020 ranking of pesticide residue on produce.




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9 reasons to eat a lot of beans

The bean's big comeback. From longevity and weight control to being a better choice for the planet, here's why the humble bean is so mighty.




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Photo: Secrets of a glass frog revealed

Our photo of the day comes from the Chocó region of Ecuador.




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Homemade pasta is the perfect quarantine food

Easier to make than bread but just as satisfying, making pasta at home is simple, comforting, and delicious – and takes just two ingredients.




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Two-part tiny home has a mobile studio that travels

Two structures are joined by a deck; one part on a solid foundation, the other on wheels to become a traveling studio and performance space.




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Tiny off-grid eco-cabin in Australia has everything you really need

Less truly is more in this gem from Fresh Prince Studio.




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Modern DIY yurt has a dreamy garden bedroom

An Oregon couple built this spectacular houseplant-filled yurt, and are offering a detailed online guide for free.




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Genius tiny house has a full bath and sauna

With this tiny home on wheels, living with less doesn't mean abandoning pampering.




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Tiny house has glass bedroom for viewing stars and Northern Lights

The 248-square-foot vacation cabin in Iceland lets you sleep under the stars ... while inside.




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Luxe tiny house has a chef's kitchen and secret dining room

A table for 12 in a tiny home? No problem with this smart and lovely design with loads of hidden storage.




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Vanbase builds a conversion that's more like a boat than a camper van

Beautifully crafted interior is a classic where sailors will feel right at home.




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Woman has used the same Christmas tree every year since 1928

In this age of consumerism, particularly around the holiday season, sometimes its easy to forget that the things we've used the longest often have the most value to us -- but the virtues of reuse just seem come naturally to some




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Xmas Stress? Get A Christmas Tree Delivered By Bike

Real Christmas trees - the ones you go out and cut down yourself, are a growth industry, says SF Gate. That's because young adults are flocking to u-cut tree lots, out for the experience and the family time that Christmas-tree




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Cute, Low Impact Wool Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments by Planar

I have to admit I'm a bit the green grinch of the family: I really can't stand all the mindless consumption over the holidays, and I'm always pushing the buy nothing concept. I don't even have a Christmas tree.




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Israeli Artist Makes Christmas Tree From 5,480 Recycled Plastic Bottles

Devastating forest fires in the area haven't kept Haifa, Israel, from being able to put up a massive Christmas tree in the center of town. It helps, of course, that the tree is made entirely of recycled plastic bottles -- 5,480 of them.




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Old Christmas Trees Help Other Trees Grow Year-Round in Paris' Neighborhood Parks

Once all the gifts have been opened, all the feasting done, all the toasts made, the time will soon come to figure out what the heck to do with the Christmas tree around which so




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First People Powered Christmas Tree in UK

Trivia challenge: how many years can you run London with the power used on Christmas lights?




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The Week in Pictures: Parisian Industrial Island to Become Green Cultural Hub, Elf-Powered Christmas Tree, and More

An island once home to a Renault car factory will be sustainably transformed. We also have a Christmas tree powered by jumping elves, a hydrogen-powered tractor, and more.




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Flat-Pack Christmas Tree Made of Corrugated Cardboard is a Keeper

This Christmas tree by Giles Miller will keep on going, year after year.




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Christmas Trees Recycled Into Fish Habitats Across the Country

Around the country, Christmas trees are recycled for an unlikely purpose: they make for good fish habitat.




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Multi Purpose, Flat Pack Aluminium Christmas Tree for the Ultimate Minimalist

Created by Argentine designer José Manuel Rebert Alarcon, the sleek alternative to a dead tree allows other uses during the year.




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Let's Have A Real War On Christmas Excess And Revive SPUG, the Society for the Prevention of Useless Gifts

Why should Fox News have all the fun?




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Natural Trees Come With Christmas Critters

A new twist in the ongoing debate over the best Christmas tree: live, natural, artificial, or other?




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Green the holidays. Eat your Christmas tree.

Live Christmas trees are a great way to keep the holiday spirit alive into the New Year. But what if you could eat them too?




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It's a floating Christmas tree

An old boat and nets are recycled into a lovely surprise.




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Awesome Christmas tree from an old ladder

We've done them all - the organic Xmas tree, the re-plant live Xmas tree, the bike-delivered Xmas tree. This one feels the greenest of them all.




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When it comes to Montreal's "ugly" Christmas tree, we're TreeHuggers.

Because it is really a Solstice Tree, and it is all about life in a harsh climate.




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How to care for a living Christmas tree

Instead of buying a cut tree that gets used once, choosing a potted or burlap-bagged living Christmas tree can yield years of enjoyment.




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How to have the greenest Christmas tree ever

These eco-friendly decorating tips will make your tree greener than the color of its pine needles.




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Christmas tree shortage will be felt for a long time

When it comes to live Christmas trees, we're still feeling the effects of the Great Recession ten years ago.




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Beautiful South African Christmas tree is made of recycled materials

Every year, the town of Barrydale makes a magnificent tree using upcycled plastic, ribbons, and interactive lighting.




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What's wrong with Amazon selling fresh Christmas trees?

The e-behemoth has just announced (IN SEPTEMBER) that it will be selling and shipping 7-foot trees this year. Here are the problems with that plan.




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Living Christmas tree rental takes off in England, too

Pot-grown trees are a nice idea. Especially if someone else looks after them.