If there’s one thing we love it’s paper. And we especially love when people turn it into art. One new artist takes it well beyond origami, creating gorgeous 3-D art out of recycled paper. Ali Golzad is an artist living in Texas, originally from Göteborg, Sweden by way of Tehran, Iran. With a background as a graphic designer and creative director, his latest project asks us to question how we normally look at waste and see something beautiful: “Over the years I have developed my own technique using various mediums,” he says. “Aside from my formal graphic design training and time spent as a Creative Director you could say I am a self taught artist. My urge to create while still caring for our planet enabled me to look at ordinary objects in a new light and transform these commonly discarded materials into something meaningful.” We love the innovative use of paper techniques to recreate well-known figures. More pictures after the jump.

Amazon.com, the king of all super convenient e-commerce sites, has launched a new online site dedicated to all things eco-friendly and green: vine.com. The site sells earth-friendly products at super friendly prices across home and beauty, kids and babies, pets, apparel, grocery and more. But the best feature is when you use a coupon code when checking out (HEALTHYCHILD10), you’ll get $10 off your order, free shipping, and vine.com will donate $10 to Healthy Child Healthy World. Everybody wins.

Healthy Child Healthy World is a nonprofit very dear to Paper Culture’s heart. We made holiday cards to benefit the organization, while educating consumers on how to have a safer, healthier home. Healthy Child Healthy World has been around for 20 years, working to teach families about the link between a child’s health and the environment. Not to mention they have a great website with daily ideas about improving our child’s health. Vine.com seems like a can’t-beat combination. Next time you do your weekly shopping check it out and make a free donation to an amazing charity.

Do you have any fun plans coming up for Halloween? Just thinking about October 31st is making us crave some holiday treats. But if you’d rather not add more sugar-laden candy to trick-o-treater sacks, consider dishing out a friendly eco-alternative. Etsy store Ivy Lane Designs has created some amazingly colorful recycled Jack-o’-lantern crayons. These frightfully fun crayons come in a party pack of 20 for $20. The candy may be gone in a week, but these are sure to provide hours of fun long past autumn. You can also try and make your own simply by rounding up all your used crayons, melting them in an old pot and pouring the mixture into your chosen mould or even a muffin tin. Read full instructions here.

These days when it comes to getting around in big cities, owning a car is no longer necessary. From Zipcar to DriveNow, there are tons of easy ways to just jump in a car whenever you need to run an errand, take a day trip, or go shopping. The ease of car sharing coupled with public transportation proves a great alternative to owning a car. But now one company has taken eco-friendly transportation a step further in San Francisco, a hotbed of transportation innovation. Enter Scoot Networks, a new electric scooter sharing system that allows for ultimate mobility.

The service is simple. Use the smartphone app to locate one of the 50 electric scooters spread out around San Francisco. Each scooter has a smartphone dock. Place your smartphone in the dock to unlock the scooter and go for a ride. Your smartphone turns into a dashboard offering GPS and ride info. No reservations necessary. The only catch is training is required for all riders. Rental fees are $5 an hour, or $10 for flat rate overnight use, much less than any car rental program, and akin to renting a bike. Would you try Scoot Networks if it were available in your city?

If you find yourself sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day or more, longing to be out in nature, perhaps a desk makeover might help lift your spirits. The new Orée Board is an eco-designed keyboard fashioned from a single piece of wood, offering a warmer desktop experience for the user. The name has a double meaning: “the outer edge of the forest” and “the brink of something new.” Orée chooses wood varieties from sustainably managed forests, offering natural and renewable material sources with each product. Each board is cut into three sheets to preserve the wood grain and minimize waste.

But as outdoorsy as it looks, the Orée Board is highly functional, powered by a Bluetooth 3.0 chipset to link to your computer. You can even customize the keyboard by choosing a unique font. In a world surrounded by technology, sometimes it only takes a few details to bring us back to nature. Try adding a few eco-friendly products to your work station along with a selection of desktop plants. The constant influence of nature throughout your workday will do wonders for your state-of-mind, and serve as a gentle reminder that it’s time to get outside, as often as you can.

Are you getting the new iPhone 5? Pre-Orders have already hit two million in 24 hours, more than double the demand of the iPhone 4S. Whether or not you need to upgrade is up to you, but if you decide to make the leap, what are you going to do with your old one? Apple has sold more than 244 million iPhones since its release in 2007. That’s a lot of old iPhones sitting around in the junk drawer. USA Today has created a handy list of ways to recycle your old iPhone to ensure that it doesn’t become another wasted piece of hardware taking up desk space.

There are the obvious ideas, such as passing it on to your kids for their very first cell phone, or to a parent so you can get them on the Apple bandwagon. But what about keeping it as a miniature iPad? Use it as a camera or even watch videos on it, if you have a Wi-Fi connection. Consider donating it to a charitable cause. Cell Phones for Soldiers buys calling cards for soldiers with the profits made from recycling old iPhones. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence refurbishes and resells old iPhones, with the profits supporting the group’s mission.

You could keep it around as a very expensive alarm clock. Or make a few bucks and sell it on eBay. Glyde.com and Gazelle are companies that offer cash for your old model. Or you can turn it in for store credit at GameStop or Apple. Keep it as backup in case your new baby is lost or stolen. Or stick it in an iPod dock and stream music. Do you have any other fun ideas to recycle your iPhone?

Did you have time to get a vacation in this summer? If not, that’ll give you all the more reason to visit one of our National Parks this fall. The amazing Sierra Club has put together a fun subway map depicting all of our country’s great treasures. How many stops have you made along the way? Unfortunately, getting around our parks isn’t nearly as easy as this map would have you believe. However the clever design reminds us just how rich our country is in natural wonders.

There are the over two million acres of Yellowstone, home to Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone Volcano, each a destination in its own right, not to mention grizzly bears, bison and wolves. Or take a visit to the Everglades, with over a million acres of protected area. This tropical paradise is home to mangrove and cypress trees, the endangered Florida Panther and Indian Manatee, and of course more than a few alligators and crocodiles.

The Sierra club has been working to protect our national parks for over a hundred years from the Everglades to the Grand Canyon to Redwook National Park. Now our future generations can enjoy them in their natural state. Plan a trip today and use the above map for inspiration.

Pope Benedict XVI made waves last year when he took a ride in the first green Popemobile, a Mercedes M-Class hybrid. Now His Holiness has gone a step further, with two fully electric vehicles designed and gifted by Renault. It’s not bad being the Pope. Renault made one car, based on the Kangoo maxi Z.E., specially for the Pope for travel at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The other gift is a blue, bulletproof version, to be used by the Corps of Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City for the Pope’s security.

The Pope has been dubbed “the green pope” for his efforts in implementing solar power throughout the Vatican. It’s a good example to set. Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault Group said: “This donation to His Holiness is a means for Renault to reaffirm its strong and durable commitment to sustainable development and respect for the environment.” The biggest critique of electric vehicles has been their failure to drive extended distances without recharging the battery. In the tiny Vatican City it makes sense that these are the vehicles of choice. But as more and more companies perfect their electric vehicles, the driving range is quickly increasing. We hope to see in the not-so-distant future more people swapping their traditional tanks for an electric vehicle.

It’s hard to know how to prepare for a new baby, especially if it’s your first. A dozen different books and articles will tell you to buy a dozen different things. But how many are actually necessary? Our friends at Inhabitots have compiled a handy list for what  you don’t need to buy. Check out this list of things that are just too excessive or can be easily swapped for something you already have. What? No changing table? Just convert any dresser by putting a changing pad on its surface with a safety strap. And of course your voice and tender love will prove to be more crucial in that first year than any toy could be. Next, think about swapping out a crib for a co-sleeper. Click to see more items you can do without,  a handy guide on how to cut down on overbuying in that first crucial year. Your home space, and landfills will thank you. What else would you add to the list?

1. Baby Wipe Warmer

2. Diaper Pail

3. Changing Table

4. Baby Laundry Detergent

5. Crib

6. Toys/Videos/Stuffed Animals

7. Stacks of Fluffy Blankets

8. Shoes

9. Fancy Designer Clothes

1o. A Bigger House

If you’re like us, you’ve had your fill of reusable totes. At one point our closet was so over-flowing with canvas tote-bags, we felt guilty of over-consumption. And then came this $290 Jill Stuart “designer” paper bag that made us roll our eyes. But then we came across this adorable creation straight from Japan, and realized our bag collection is not yet finished. Enter the bunny bag.This adorable bag from Eding:Post is a fold-up tote that folds up into a plush bunny rabbit.

It’s one bag I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection. And it’s a good excuse never to be without a reusable tote to avoid having to use plastic or paper. Your child can take this cute toy anywhere, and when you’re in need, voila, instant reusable tote. Think of it as an eco-friendly transformer. The bag is on sale for $19 from A Plus R.