Business Idea of the Day

But trash cans are supposed to be dirty. That’s what entrepreneur Warren Bishop hears nearly every time he explains how his fledgling, Point Loma-based trash-can-cleaning company turns filthy, germ-filled waste bins on wheels into sanitized receptacles, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Why bother? “Flies lay eggs in there on food and animal feces, then they go into your house and land on your utensils and food

Inhabitat: Here’s a source for gift wrap paper that is as beautiful as it is eco-conscious. Known as The Local Paper , these couture coverings are based on unique themes that are inspired by the designers’ travel, nature, and life. Each elegant wrap comes in 24×36 inch sheets that are Forestry Stewardship Council certified, made with papers that are 30% recycled post-consumer fiber

A Chinese woman claims she has invented a method for powering mobile phones with cans of soft drink Coca-Cola. Daizi Zheng told Sky News her method relies on powering devices with Coca-Cola used to charge “green” batteries which are more environmentally friendly than lithium alternatives. The concept is using bio battery … to create a pollution-free environment,” she said. “By using bio battery as the power source of the phone, it only needs a pack of sugary drink and it generates water and oxygen while the battery dies out,” she said

Ball Horticultural Company is a leader in all facets of floriculture. It breeds and distributes plants to growers, retailers, landscapers and nurseries who supply its products to gardeners throughout the world. For this challenge, Ball Horticultural Company is looking for new environmentally friendly products that make gardening easier, save time and ultimately help the gardener to be more successful

The Gazette: Manuel Desrochers didn’t set out to design an award-winning piece of utilitarian sculpture. “I’m not even a designer,” is the first thing Desrochers, the 34-year-old Montreal creator of the Ovopur water-filtration unit, says about himself.

TrendCentral: While petite in size, Efergy’s Shower Timer is grandiose in efficiency. This green plastic teardrop tells you how much water you’re using in the shower, even sounding an alarm for those who want to set limits. (It figures out how much water you’re using by the amount of time it takes your shower to fill up the one-liter bag that it comes with.) You’ll conserve water and save money, but be prepared to say goodbye to your morning shower meditation sessions before work

Inhabitat: We have great news for green-eyed New Yorkers who have been coveting San Francisco’s sophisticated electric vehicle charging systems. Beautiful Earth Group , a New York-based sustainable energy company, just unveiled its solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The new station is the first ever in our city and another momentous stepping stone of a greener future for NYC. Which city will follow next? New York Gets Its First Solar Electric Vehicle Charging Station [Inhabitat]

Finroo is an on-going design competition showing you the cream of the crop. A limited edition clothing company, Finroo makes high quality design T-shirts from artists around the globe. Anyone can participate in creating a design, get commission, and for every product sold Finroo donates to charity (of the artists choice). Not only are the products limited edition (most are only printed 100 times) and environmentally friendly - the actual number of the garment is printed on the inside of the shirt itself!

Reuters: Every fall Americans rake up their leaves, stuff them into paper bags and kick them to the curb without ever thinking about the business opportunity they are throwing away. Michael Dwork used to be one of those people, but that changed during a stint in India a few years ago while the 31-year-old was completing an MBA internship program. Dwork found himself marveling at the sight of the makeshift plates local peasant women were hand-crafting from fallen palm leaves, which they pressed in crude ovens along the side of the road. The natural process gave Dwork the idea to start VerTerra Dinnerware, an eco-friendly maker of compostable plates, bowls and serving dishes. Fast-forward to today and VerTerra (www.verterra.com) is a growing, Brooklyn, New York-based startup that produces a million pieces of disposable dinnerware in its India factory every month.

Inhabitat: Algae is often touted as the next big thing in biofuels, but the slimy stuff could also be the key to paper-thin biodegradable batteries according to researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. Eventually, the bio batteries could compete with commercial lithium-ion batteries. Conducting polymers have long been thought to be a solution in developing lightweight, flexible, nonmetal batteries. But up until now, these polymers have had been impractical because regular paper can’t hold enough of them work effectively. Now Uppsala researcher Maria Stromme and her team has found that the smelly algae species that clumps on beaches, known as Cladophora, can also be used to make a type of cellulose that has 100 times the surface area of cellulose found in paper.