English Retreads turns recycling into a bold fashion statement with eco-chic handbags and accessories handcrafted in Boulder, Colorado.English Retreads repurposes inner tubes collected from local truck stops. “We want to provide consumers with an opportunity to make sustainable fashion choices without compromising style or quality.” The purpose of English Retreads is to continue to deepen our commitment as a Triple Bottom Line company (people, planet, profit) as we provide consumers with fashionable products which have a low impact on the environment.

Boulder reDesign is about community, creativity, and conservation. Born from the mind of an architectural designer—and inspired by the eco-minded attitude of Boulder, Colorado—the company is nurtured by a desire to combine arts and crafts with eco-friendly practices.community: “Going local” is a way of life around here... as it should be. At Boulder reDesign, that is one of our primary goals. We partner with local businesses and manufacturers—from music stores to printers to textile companies—to “rescue” their discards, repurpose them into new, usable items, and cycle them back into the community. As we move forward, we also hope to partner with local organizations to help them generate their own creative solutions for reuse.creativity: Have you ever used a toilet paper roll to amuse your hamster, or old sheets to make a Halloween costume? That, my friends, is creative reuse—seeing possibility in unexpected places. At Boulder reDesign, we have a passion for seeking out creative solutions for landfill diversion. Our creativity comes from this motto: Don’t just think outside the box; step beyond the box, give it a good look, and then use it to build a fort.conservation: There is no need to point out that we are currently living in a state of wastefulness and dwindling resources—an equation that is dreadfully out of balance. While the efforts of many have made inroads with recycling and bringing awareness to these issues, there is always something more we can offer the environment. At Boulder reDesign, we see creative reuse as a factor in balancing the equation.

Fairbanks Ranch is a high end custom home community consisting of 600 home sites. The community is overseen by the Environment Control Committee (ECC), a design review board, that reviews and approves all plans for new construction and remodels. My involvement as a consultant and alternate member was strictly volunteer.