Seed Bomb Vending Machines by Commonstudio

Kim Karlsrud and Danny Phillips of LA-based Commonstudio have transofmed the ubiquitous candy dispenser into a greener vending machine, supplying passersby with self-contained "seed bombs" full of plants-to-be. Full disclosure: I’m a little biased here, as Kim and Danny are also the project team leaders for Project H Design’s Los Angeles-based crew.  Regardless, the vending machines, dubbed GreenAid, are a genius tweak on a vernacular object, put to use for a social and environmental purpose. The little balls are made from clay, compost, and seeds, and have the potential to transform urban spaces into beautiful green spots. Just insert a quarter, choose your seed "recipe," drop it in one of the provided bags, and get seed-tossing! Commonstudio has also conceived of the vending machines as fundraising tools for nonprofits (Project H is installing one at BiRite Market in San Francisco soon, and we’ll be collecting quarters soon!). They see the project as "equally an interactive public awareness campaign, a lucrative fundraising tool, and a beacon for small scale grass roots action that engages directly yet casually with local residents to both reveal and remedy issues of spatial inequity in their community."

If you’re interested in funding the installation of a vending machine in your neighborhood, you can contact Kim and Danny at info (at) commonstudio (dot) com or visit their website here.