COMPETITION - Finish Diamond Standard Innovation Challenge

WHEN: Deadline July 16
WHAT: Finish Diamond Standard Innovation Challenge
WHAT... MORE?: From the site:

The challenge Looking for your ideas for an innovative product to make life easier in the kitchen. The Challenge is being led by world-renowned chef and culinary innovator, Heston Blumenthal, who – as in his role as head judge - will decide the winner along with an expert panel. The Prize You could win a £10,000 cash prize courtesy of Finish and see your very own kitchen innovation produced by Lakeland – in total a package worth an estimated £50,000. You’ll work with Lakeland to develop the design and help bring your innovation to market, receive royalties from future sales, and you’ll benefit from extensive business support and publicity. Ten finalists will be invited to attend a judging event in London in August 2009, where you’ll pitch your design to the judging panel. Four runners up will receive £1,000 worth of Lakeland vouchers and a year’s supply of Finish Quantum dishwasher tablets. Judges Alongside Heston, the judges include Dr Paul Pankhurst, the CEO and Chairman of British Design Innovation; Rosie Nagra, Finish Marketing Manager; and Wendy Miranda, Customer Ambassador of Lakeland. HOW MUCH: FREE!!!
URL: http://www.finish.co.uk/competition_start.php
COMMENTS: OK, this is not, at first blush, that eco.... but it could be! I for one am thinking of sending in 'RE:tie' for them to chew on. Not a hope in heck of winning, but it can't hurt to get on the radar. Then there is simply bending one's mind around other eco-notions that could apply kitchen-wide.

I have not gone through the t&cs in detail as yet, so be cautious. Not quite sure what 'a total package worth...' means, and the royalties on sales might need the Dragon's Den treatment before signing.

As to the enviROI's of washing in the sink vs. Dishwashers, and using chemicals that end up in the waste stream... another story (worthy of a Prof's Poser soon. And it looks like I had already been pondering).

For now... any publicity be good publicity.

Dishing the dirt

GREENWASH AWARDS

Re: One contended for next year must be poor old BOSCH - claiming its dishwashers use less water than hand washing.

Just a question really, though it does lead to often competing aspects of 'green'. I can kind of see the water argument, though with a missus like mine to do the glasses, then the plates and then the pots we're talking at least 3 bowls' worth. I wonder how many litres a cycle actually takes?

Though this was not a factor and BOSCH and its agency can live with their choices of claim accordingly, does anyone know what the received opinion is on energy use? It was my understanding that in many circumstances a machine could be better in terms of overall enviROI.

In our climate I would trade water 'use' for energy in order of priority, at least in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

These are the kind of choices we the consumer are going to be faced with, and it would be good to know that those who would tell us, commercial or public service, for sale or for information, are talking from a common hymn book... which itself can be relied upon.