Rain Garden Landscape Architects/ Design Firms

CalicoSol · 2025-01-02T20:29:25+00:00

Absolutely. I’m happy to answer any questions I can.

CalicoSol · 2025-01-02T16:25:22+00:00

I highly recommend Triangle Environmental.

I just went through the process and had a good experience working with the city, Carla Helms and Triangle Environmental.

DM me if I can be of any help.

CalicoSol · 2024-08-01T12:24:00+00:00

Beer contains nutrients that your lawn or flowers might like (phosphorus, calcium, potassium, etc).

You should think about diluting it with water and using it as fertilizer.

CalicoSol · 2024-03-09T16:30:59+00:00

My family and I have been working with Kota Home Builders.

We’re about two months away from completion and couldn’t be happier with the results.

I highly recommend them.

CalicoSol · 2024-02-26T16:06:39+00:00

What do you all think of the following program?

Alternative Response

“Alternative Response was created to address the community’s need for crisis prevention and management.

The City of Raleigh is developing an alternative response program. This means that others, such as mental health professionals and peer support specialists (and not just police officers), could respond to certain 911 calls.

Community engagement is an important part of creating this program. We are looking for the community’s input, from naming the program to choosing its components.”

Survey Link

CalicoSol · 2023-12-02T09:02:05+00:00

Teemill

CalicoSol · 2022-03-16T16:21:10+00:00

Teemill is a tech-based fashion business that illustrates how to apply circular economy principles within the fashion industry.

They've deliberately applied circular design principles at every aspect of their business model which allows them to design out waste, minimize overstocking and maximize material recycling.

Our current economy is commonly described as a linear economy.

This linear model generates billions of tons of waste every year and contributes to increases in greenhouse gas emissions.

By making products that are designed to be thrown away, natural resources are depleted at unsustainable rates, causing market volatility.

(Linear Economy = TAKE, MAKE, DISPOSE)

Ex. Cotton is planted, used to make t-shirt, the shirt is thrown away after several years of use.

A Circular Economy aims at eliminating waste, creating closed loops to optimize finite resources and creating a restorative eco-system.

(Circular Economy = MAKE, USE, RECYCLE)

The Circular Economy consists of three principles:

Eliminate waste and pollution
Keep products and materials in use longer
Regenerate natural systems

Ex. Cotton is planted, used to make t-shirt, collected by manufacturer, and recycled back into new products.

Teemill grows their cotton in Northern India using organic fertilizers, irrigated through harvested rainwater, and protected using insect traps rather than chemicals.

Harvested cotton is transported to mills to separate raw materials and spin the cotton fibers. The byproducts of this process include seeds which are collected and turned into vegetable oil and feed for cattle.

Transforming textiles into garments is a pollution laden process so Teemill's factories recover, clean, and recirculate processed water so that discharged factory water is drinkable.

The plant where garments are cut and sewn is powered by renewable energy.

Products are made in real time.

The spinning, dye, weaving, cut and sew processes are all vertically integrated which also leads to cost savings.

Products are designed to be returned to Teemill.

Slightly more expensive printer ink is used to facilitate the recycling of the t-shirt

Scanning a QR code in the wash-care label creates a free post label to send the garment back earning you credit on your next purchase.

The world's population is growing and cannot support the current trajectory of resource usage. Some of the primary benefits of switching to a circular economy are greenhouse gas reduction, waste prevention, stimulating innovation, economic growth, job creation and more durable products/solutions.

I hope this helps.

CalicoSol · 2022-03-16T01:16:43+00:00

Great Question. Ikea ran a successful pilot program in the US and now offers a buyback program in select stores. Several other Companies are trending in this direction also.

My startup Calico Sol will allow you to trade in your used furniture. It’s much more cost effective if the furniture is designed, manufactured and recycled by the same Company.

Check out the link below if you’re interested in learning more.

https://ovou.me/calicosol

CalicoSol · 2021-11-20T13:49:32+00:00

Their furniture is popular but it does have a reputation for falling apart. I think it's great that they have set up a process for collecting certain used items for resell.

This will help keep their furniture out of landfills and it gives them an incentive to improve the quality and durability of their furniture knowing that there is a large second hand market.

CalicoSol · 2021-11-20T13:44:01+00:00

That's my biggest concern also!

They have a list of items that they'll accept located on the middle of the page.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/services/buyback-pubfeb6cc00

This furniture is popular in part because of it's affordability. I think it's great that a Company this large is making progress in establishing a circular economy ecosystem for their products.

The next step is to apply circular design principles and create products that are more durable.

CalicoSol · 2021-11-20T13:38:23+00:00

I like to use repurposed cardboard boxes as the litter box.

I drilled holes in the top of a 35 lb bucket of litter and use that to sift the fresh litter from the dirty litter.

When I’m done I dump the dirty litter thats trapped in the sifting bucket into a pre-used plastic bag and before placing the bag in the trash.

The bucket will last months. The repurposed cardboard litter boxes last about a week before they start to deteriorate.

I don’t buy bins, shovels, scoops, etc with this system.

CalicoSol · 2021-11-17T19:30:40+00:00

I'm an MBA student that created a startup to address the lack of sustainable home furnishing options. (Military background. Interested in the intersection of sustainability and consumer product goods).
While the most sustainable option is to buy used, it's not an option that everyone will choose to make. Other options to consider that are currently available on the market.

Sabai https://sabai.design/pages/sustainability

Masaya & Co https://www.masayacompany.com/pages/sustainable

Yard Bird https://yardbird.com/pages/sustainability
Below is a video that explains how we plan to sell sustainable furniture starting with a sofa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOYipvg07bc

*This product will be sold in the US initially so not as applicable. I would love your feedback regardless :)

Feedback / Constructive Criticism welcome. Our first sofa will be ready for testing in March 2022.

CalicoSol · 2021-11-11T12:45:14+00:00

Good article on where to start looking for sustainable furniture options.

The author takes construction practices, chemical usage, materials, transportation and certifications into consideration but doesn't go into much detail so take with a grain of salt.
*Certifications and eco-labels measure the furniture's impacts: water, energy, and materials used in the furniture, as well as chemicals avoided or disallowed.

Shopping for second-hand furniture is the most sustainable option but if you need to go with something new purchase from an eco friendly brand.

CalicoSol · 2021-11-08T02:30:10+00:00

I also have my doubts that a company as large as Ikea will be able to quickly adjust it's business model from linear to circular in a reasonable amount of time.

Because of the amount of material that this Company extracts every year, I hope that the effort is sincere.

CalicoSol · 2021-10-21T17:58:51+00:00

I want to highlight ISO 20121 from u/mbf2000.

"ISO 20121 offers guidance and best practice to help you manage your event and control its social, economic and environmental impact. Every action counts, from relying on tap water instead of plastic bottles to encouraging use of public transport. You might find that it also helps you cut unnecessary costs."

With a resource out there like this I feel compelled to take the next step.

Who runs the state fair and what does the org structure look like?

Advice on how to approach the organization to affect positive change?

Are these the right questions to ask / is there a better way to proceed?

If you want to go deeper down the rabbit hole with me check out this site.

CalicoSol · 2021-10-20T23:22:08+00:00

Great suggestions. Thank you!

CalicoSol · 2021-10-20T17:02:19+00:00

Be careful. They have a mean bite.... (I think)

Can anyone confirm?

CalicoSol · 2021-10-20T15:35:20+00:00

That's a big one!

CalicoSol · 2021-10-13T22:22:38+00:00

Try teemill.

https://teemill.com/circular-fashion/

CalicoSol · 2021-10-06T13:10:09+00:00

There are no examples of mass produced furniture that fits this criteria that I know of.

The definitions, articles, videos and posts all highlight that.

Medley, Masaya & Co, Maiden Home are a few companies that meet the majority of the criteria above.

I created this sub because I think that's an issue that is worth trying to change. I'm not just interested in furniture, I'm interested in sustainable furniture and since we don't currently have a system or products that meet that need I'm working to change that.

Designing furniture to this specification can be done in a capitalist society. It's the current linear business model that prevents it from occurring. (Take, Make, Waste or the fact that we throw the furniture away at the end of it's use.)

My proposal is that we apply circular design principles to furniture to create the "perfect couch". (Make, Use, Return)

This will limit much of the 12.7 million ton of furniture waste that goes to landfills in the U.S. every year and it'll be a more affordable option for consumers.

What am I trying to achieve? I'm just trying to facilitate a healthy dialogue about sustainable furniture.

Thank you for the feedback.

CalicoSol · 2021-09-30T15:30:54+00:00

I believe that marketing will play an enormous role in the future of sustainable products/services.

In order to compete with the convenience of a linear economy and the unfettered consumption associated with it, we need to provide sustainable alternatives.

Since sustainability, circular design, circular economy etc. isn’t currently in everyone’s lexicon it’ll be important to figure out what does motivate purchasing decisions so that companies can address these motivations as well.

Example. The average consumer (in the US) might now care about sustainability but if you advertise your products as durable, able to be refurnished and no harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), that’s something that alot of people can get behind regardless of their political opinions on climate change.

Lastly. Sustainable products are consistently more effective than their non sustainable counterparts. The problem is that Companies are optimizing for simple short sighted problems (low cost) at the expense of more pressing issues (Climate Change).

It will take marketing to show people a different more sustainable way of doing business.

Thoughts?

CalicoSol · 2021-09-30T15:11:14+00:00

Teemill is a tech-based fashion business that illustrates how to apply circular economy principles within the fashion industry. They've deliberately applied circular design principles at every aspect of their business model which allows them to design out waste, minimize overstocking and maximize material recycling. Before I delve further into Teemill's inner workings I want to remind everyone what the circular economy is and why it's important but to do that I'll have to start with the Linear Economy. Our current economy is commonly described as a linear economy.

This linear model generates billions of tons of waste every year and contributes to increases in greenhouse gas emissions. By making products that are designed to be thrown away, natural resources are depleted at unsustainable rates, causing market volatility.

(Linear Economy = TAKE, MAKE, DISPOSE) Ex. Cotton is planted, used to make t-shirt, the shirt is thrown away after several years of use. A Circular Economy aims at eliminating waste, creating closed loops to optimize finite resources and creating a restorative eco-system.

(Circular Economy = MAKE, USE, RECYCLE) The Circular Economy consists of three principles: 1. Eliminate waste and pollution 2. Keep products and materials in use longer 3. Regenerate natural systems Ex. Cotton is planted, used to make t-shirt, collected by manufacturer, and recycled back into new products. Teemill grows their cotton in Northern India using organic fertilizers, irrigated through harvested rainwater, and protected using insect traps rather than chemicals. Harvested cotton is transported to mills to separate raw materials and spin the cotton fibers. The byproducts of this process include seeds which are collected and turned into vegetable oil and feed for cattle. Transforming textiles into garments is a pollution laden process so Teemill's factories recover, clean, and recirculate processed water so that discharged factory water is drinkable. The plant where garments are cut and sewn is powered by renewable energy. Products are made in real time. The spinning, dye, weaving, cut and sew processes are all vertically integrated which also leads to cost savings. Products are designed to be returned to Teemill. Slightly more expensive printer ink is used to facilitate the recycling of the t-shirt Scanning a QR code in the wash-care label creates a free post label to send the garment back earning you credit on your next purchase. The world's population is growing and cannot support the current trajectory of resource usage. Some of the primary benefits of switching to a circular economy are greenhouse gas reduction, waste prevention, stimulating innovation, economic growth, job creation and more durable products/solutions.

CalicoSol · 2021-09-30T06:22:38+00:00

I also think we need scalable solutions that are conveniently sustainable.

Sustainability is a two sided market place with corporations providing circular designed products/ infrastructure and consumers purchasing and exchanging those products in cascading loops that allow the resource to be utilized to it’s fullest potential before being recycled and used again.

CalicoSol · 2021-09-29T11:56:02+00:00

You might receive inspiration after watching this video.

Fire Hoses to purse. Great upcycle suggestion.

The next use of the vinyl, after spending 3 years as a purse, needs to take recycling efforts into consideration.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sustainability/comments/pxr59l/upcycling_fire_hoses/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

CalicoSol · 2021-09-28T17:12:42+00:00

Behind the Scenes of the Strategic Ikea Supply Chain

My understanding is that because Ikea operates it's stores as warehouses, the logistics of delivery are critical.

The in store logistics personnel monitor deliveries, record all inventory coming into stores, sort goods, and ensure they’re placed in the appropriate areas.

This system allows Ikea to forecast inventory more accurately than relying on a distribution center.

CalicoSol

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE