Comments on: HOVA DESIGN: Sustainable FabricPot Containers http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/ Future-forward design for the world you inhabit Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jimhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/comment-page-1/#comment-64827 Jim Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:42:08 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/#comment-64827 I realize this may be too late to make a difference, but I feel that a response to Therese is due. No doubt, the ecological footprint of any product is hard to figure out. On the surface, it would seem that an unglazed clay pot is the most "eco" choice for container gardeners. After all, they are essentially dirt. However, when you add up the fuel costs of transportation (an 8" clay pot weighs 4 pounds), their short life span (clay is very brittle; in fact, a percentage of every shipment is EXPECTED to show up broken) and the fact that many of these broken pots end up in the landfill, the image gets cloudier.To see how our pots compared, we used the OKALA system of ecological impact accounting. What we found was that FabricPots were similar in impact to unglazed clay pots and had much less impact than a glazed clay pot (due to the siginificant firing time). Although we are using plastics, we use them sparingly and strive to use recycled/recyclable content wherever possible.If anyone reads this and would like to learn more, I would love to discuss this and any other questions you might have. Feel free to contact us through our website, www.hovadesign.com. - Jim I realize this may be too late to make a difference, but I feel that a response to Therese is due. No doubt, the ecological footprint of any product is hard to figure out. On the surface, it would seem that an unglazed clay pot is the most “eco” choice for container gardeners. After all, they are essentially dirt. However, when you add up the fuel costs of transportation (an 8″ clay pot weighs 4 pounds), their short life span (clay is very brittle; in fact, a percentage of every shipment is EXPECTED to show up broken) and the fact that many of these broken pots end up in the landfill, the image gets cloudier.

To see how our pots compared, we used the OKALA system of ecological impact accounting. What we found was that FabricPots were similar in impact to unglazed clay pots and had much less impact than a glazed clay pot (due to the siginificant firing time). Although we are using plastics, we use them sparingly and strive to use recycled/recyclable content wherever possible.

If anyone reads this and would like to learn more, I would love to discuss this and any other questions you might have. Feel free to contact us through our website, http://www.hovadesign.com. – Jim

]]> By: studio wellspringhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/comment-page-1/#comment-52721 studio wellspring Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:12:53 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/#comment-52721 what a great concept! thanks so much for sharing it. what a great concept! thanks so much for sharing it.

]]> By: Theresehttp://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/comment-page-1/#comment-52616 Therese Mon, 10 Sep 2007 02:50:48 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/08/hova-design-sustainable-fabricpot-containers/#comment-52616 Excuse me, but how is a polyester pot for plants green? And a zipper in the side? I dunno, to me green gardening doesn't involve any kind of manmade fibers! I hope nobody buys this stuff, thinking it's somehow low impact. Excuse me, but how is a polyester pot for plants green? And a zipper in the side? I dunno, to me green gardening doesn’t involve any kind of manmade fibers! I hope nobody buys this stuff, thinking it’s somehow low impact.

]]>