We constantly hear about the benefits of recycling, and now Ekocycle has taken the delivery of this message to the next level by going on a mission to provide a remarkably informative and entertaining visualization of the possible results of this effort. Ekocycle is a collaboration between the Coca-Cola Company and Will.i.am, which educates consumers, particularly young people, on the benefits of recycling and encourages “recycling behavior” and sustainability among consumers”. We here at LGBG first wrote about this project back in August (http://livegreenbegreen.com/?s=Ekocycle), and after seeing the work done by this group, we would like to talk about it again. First of all, we salute Ekocycle’s mission to use awareness of the issues with plastics as a tool to effect social change.
The goal of the Ekocycle project is a simple and direct one– “zero waste“, an innovative way of
. Plastic bottles can be recycled to make so many other items, with the possibilities limited only by the lack of imagination. What makes this effort really special is the visual and auditory appeal to the senses in the form of commercials set to music, which begins with an empty soda bottle being morphed into numerous popular items that we use everyday, some of which, are in very high demand. This approach to recycling is very refreshing because in the past we have been bombarded with the negative effects, or punishment, for not recycling. We read about plastic pollution, and we witness increased bottle taxes and added costs for plastic bags, along with local ordinances banning the use of plastic bags totally. Also, we see large landfills packed with plastic materials that will take forever to break down. Now Ekocycle has introduced commercials, which shows in dramatic fashion products we can make from recycled plastic bottles, thereby protecting the environment and still having fun. These commercials are set to the characteristic beat of the music of Will.i.am, and the recycled products includes furniture, phone cases and accessories, and even the ever-popular Levi jeans.
Since we first announced Ekocycle last August, this project has gained momentum and is becoming a social movement dedicated to sustainability. It has attracted the attention and resulted in partnerships with major brands, such as Limited edition Levi’s 501 Waste<less jeans, Beats by Dr. Dre (headphones), Case-Mate Barely There phone cases (available at Best Buy and at www.bestbuy.com/casemate and New Era caps.
Will.i.am so fittingly states, “All good things must end, but an end can be a new start”. Ekocycle is the embodiment of the spirit of sustainability. With its positive message and reinforcement of the need to be environmentally friendly, combined with the encouragement to use technology to address environmental issues, such as plastic pollution and waste, it is mounting a social movement which makes us want to jump on the bandwagon to witness the possibilities. It’s like magic tricks, which turn objects into new things. We all love magic, and Ekocycle is eager to deliver a world were we can live green, be green.
Sources for this article:
http://livegreenbegreen.com/?s=Ekocycle
http://www.coca-colacompany.com/media-center/press-releases/recycling-fashion-william-coca-cola-launch-new-brand
Credit: Will.i.am at Ekocycle