A sign that the green movement has truly taken hold: when consumer products made in a green way look exactly like a non-green product. Gone are the days when recycled or organic meant frumpy granola. So I was pleased when I received an act 2-Green Smart’s All-Around Laptop Jacket by Shoreline in the mail and found it to be…well, normal. The bag looks just like any other nylon laptop case but the fabric is made of 100% post-consumer PET water and soda bottles.
Seventeen 16-oz bottles, to be exact. I know because a small sticker inside the bag told me. According to Shoreline, those bottles represent over 11,000 BTUs of saved energy, which is enough to power my laptop for 131 hours. The padding for the bag is made from 100% post industrial material. Even the hangtags on the bag are made with recycled paper using soy ink.
Open the case and you’ll note the bright green lining, a small signal that the product might be unconventional, stamped with an updated recycling-esque logo. The bag I have is black, but they are available in blue and almond. I’ve been toting the bag around for a few weeks, and it completely meets my need. It has a few exterior pockets for papers and zipper back door for cables and ports, and has both handles and an optional adjustable shoulder strap.
The bag is Shoreline’s first step in creating all sustainably-made products by the end of 2008. Shoreline is basically reinventing itself as a green company. Founders Tom and Debbie Larsen have been making laptop bags since 1995, but only recently found materials necessary to make their products in a greener way, which they decided to do this past spring, hence the “renaming” of their company to Shoreline act 2 and the aggressive deadline to be as green as possible.
So far, I love the jacket, and it has completely suited my needs. The jackets come in seven different laptop sizes ranging from 12.1″ to 17″ Widescreen. My only complaint is that it could use a little more padding. The jacket retails for $39.99, and a smaller laptop sleeve retails for $24.99. The bags come with StuffBak.com protection. You can buy them here, here, or here.
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Sure beats my big, black, ugly laptop bag! But at least it’s not leather, eww…
I’m so glad you reviewed one of these – I have been thinking about getting one for myself