Calling all parents! I’m not a big fan of juice boxes to begin with, but if they are still a main ingredient in your kid’s lunch, instead of tossing them in the trash, when done, why not make an awesome bag?

All you need is:

16 juice bags, rinsed and dried out
2.75 m of black double fold binding or other trim that finishes to approx 1/2 in (1 cm)
1 m strip of 3-1/2-in (9 cm) wide recycled denim
1.1 m of black 1-in (2.5 cm) webbing or other desired trim to make a handle
Sewing machine, with a recycled needle that is dull, but not bent or broken
Thread, pins, old or recycled scissors

For instructions, click here.

The ketchup giant H.J. Heinz Co. has unveiled a new ketchup packet that scraps the former squeeze method and replaces it with a plastic tub one can dip into to eliminate the mess, size and frustration that have long been associated with the to-go condiment.

“The packet has long been the bane of our consumers,” said Dave Ciesinski, vice president of Heinz Ketchup. “The biggest complaint is there is no way to dip and eat it on-the-go.”

So now the packet will be the bane of the environment.

I’d bet truckloads of french fries that the new packet, which holds three times as much ketchup as its predecessor, takes far more energy to make and occupies up far more landfill space than even a 3-packet equivalent. And even if the plastic component is recyclable, how many fast-food-aficionados do you know that really care about making sure they do what they can to minimize their environmental impact?

It’s not much to look at but the Plastiki is trying to make a statement.

David de Rothschild will be embarking on his 11,000-mile adventure across the Pacific to Australia in the beginning of March in an attempt to draw attention to the world’s plastic waste. The twin-hulled catamaran stretches for 60 feet and is composed of 12,000 2-liter plastic bottles filled with dry ice, and is bound to a frame of woven plastic.

“It could be a recipe for disaster,” he said. “Or hopefully, the recipe for solutions.”

The plastic-bottle sailing ship made a test run Wednesday and will make several more short on-water excursions before it finally sets sail next month. The eco-planning aspect of the ship’s construction includes a geodesic dome to house the crew, solar panels, a solar shower and a compost toilet. And, for the piece de resistance, the boat is fully recyclable, another component in the mission to find more ways to reuse plastics

Photo credits: San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Chronicle profiled three people this weekend who commute by human locomotion, “walking, running or cycling - over a distance that the sedentary motorist or transit rider would only consider if there were a Jacuzzi, a masseuse and a long nap at the other end.”

Their stories are nothing short of fascinating, with a sprinkle of “Wow” and “How do they do that?” tossed in for good measure.

The walker - Thomas Vogl hoofs it 13 miles every day, starting up a convoy of pedestrians who follow him from cafe to cafe or tag along to the office. He also picks up free stuff he finds on the way and draws on the sidewalk with chalk when inspiration strikes.

The runner - Alan Geraldi is an ultramarathoner who makes the 14 or 20-mile round trip trek to and from work twice a week (down from the 50 miles he used to do before his office relocated) fueled by little more than black coffee and a bowl of cottage cheese.

The cyclist - Bill Bradford pedals 30 miles to and from the office each day, over three mountains and climbing up to 2,000 feet in elevation. He gets to watch the sun rise and set from the seat of his bicycle every day.

to waste less in the new year. Among other interpretations, it includes letting less food go bad and having to chuck it in the compost, drive 55 mph more often and try to make due more with what I have.

Have any of you made resolutions that affect not just you but your place on this planet?

A fave reporter of mine, Meridith May at the Chronicle, profiled a San Francisco resident who spent all of 2009 living without a car (including not riding as a passenger!) - and still managed to get to his brother’s wedding in the English countryside, work as a videographer and build planterboxes using 6-foot boards of lumber.

As someone whose car is regretfully part of my Monday-Friday existence, Adam Greenfield is an inspiration to me. And even for those who know they cannot part with their cars for now, his 365 auto-free days tell a message that sometimes it’s just about thinking a little differently and you can still get the job done.

“You just make it happen. You don’t roll over and die if you don’t use a car,” ~Greenfield

… just posted on a fave blog of mine, The Thin Green Line. Click here to read the full text, but there are some good in-case-you-missed-it examples like cap-and-trade legislation, discussion over gray wolves and “Climate Gate.”

Other sites with compiled green best-story lists include EcoSalon and EcoPolitology. Can you find any others?