Unconventional Creations : Expos Highlight Unusual Inventions, From All-Natural Pain Reliever to Cork Clothing

Californians may be accustomed to seeing unusual inventions, but who would have expected a pain reliever made from menthol and grapefruit seeds, cat litter from recycled newspapers and clothing from cork?

Back-to-back shows--the Quality of Life Expo and the environmental exhibition Eco Expo--recently offered these and other unusual wares at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Jerry Krell, manufacturer of Pain-Kure, startled Quality of Life Expo show-goers by squirting some of his pain-relieving spray into his mouth to demonstrate that it is natural and has no chemicals. “Nobody else can do this with their sprays,” he said.

Krell explained that it took eight years to develop Pain-Kure, a combination of menthol, grapefruit seed extract and water. A small amount sprayed on an aching muscle works fast, and it doesn’t stain or leave an odor.

Krell has many testimonials from athletes who have tried the spray and an endorsement from John Turek, men’s track and cross-country coach at Cal State Los Angeles, who has his team using Pain-Kure to relieve muscle aches.

At Eco Expo, Yesterday’s News made news. It is cat litter made from recycled newspaper, sawdust, water and volcanic ash.

The litter is in the form of small gray pellets and has, its Canadian manufacturers say, “up to four times the absorbency of ordinary clay litter.”

Mary Ellen Cantabene, who ran the Yesterday’s News booth, reported that she has four cats at home who use the new litter. “It really holds down the odor, and it’s also dust-free,” she said. “And for every ton of recycled newspaper we use, 17 trees are saved.”

Canbrands International of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, sells the litter in five-pound bags but is coming out with 15-pound bags soon.

Representatives of Jungle Beach Corp. of Honolulu captured fashion interest at Eco Expo with their line of cork clothing, shoes and accessories.

“We’re recycling what nature sheds naturally,” said the spokesman for Jungle Beach’s J.B. Cork division.

Cork jackets cost about $150 and can be hand-washed with mild soap; vests are $65; shoes, $55 to $150; handbags, $50 to $150; wallets, about $15.

Other products of interest at the shows included:

* R-Wear earrings made from recycled aluminum cans and designed by Natalie Lederman, a 12-year-old from Canada who showed her jewelry line with assistance from her mother, Paula.

Natalie got the idea for the jewelry after visiting a Toronto environmental store during a school field trip. She reported to her mother that the products in the store were useful but boring. “Everything was a little dull,” she said. “They needed something fun and bright. And I thought of earrings from bright, recycled cans.”

* Jeff’s Amazing New York Egg Cream bottled sodas are amazing. Transplanted New Yorkers couldn’t believe Jeff Glotzer could put a real egg cream--made from chocolate, milk, cream and seltzer--in a bottle; nobody ever had been able to do it before. Newcomers to the taste of egg creams also voted thumbs up.

There’s a diet version too that has only 17 calories (regular has about 120), and Glotzer will soon add strawberry and vanilla flavors.

* Cuelite caught the eyes of runners, joggers and cyclists. A lightweight (only 1.5 ounces) personal safety light, Cuelite can be strapped to an arm or leg with its neoprene band or clipped onto clothing. It was designed by Robert Choi, a Pennsylvania engineer and avid cyclist.

If you want to attach the light to your bike, there’s a separate seat-post mount available. The light works for 200 hours on two AAA batteries, Choi said, and can be seen up to 2,000 feet away.

* Vert-I-Bin, made of hardwood, is one of the best-looking recycling receptacles on the market. Its Ohio manufacturer has just started production of the recycler, which comes in three- and four-bin models to store cans, bottles and trash separately. Each bin is constructed at a 45-degree angle, so full paper and plastic bags slip out easily.

The model with open sides and front would be suitable for a utility room or garage; the enclosed one--with a poplar cabinet--looks like a piece of furniture and wouldn’t be unsightly in a kitchen.

Vert-I-Bin dimensions are 45 inches high, 20 inches deep and 17 inches wide. Each unit has swivel casters, so it’s easily moved.

* Sport Seat would come in handy when you go to parades, fishing or golf matches. The lightweight (28 ounces) folding seat, similar in design to a walking stick, is made of anodized aluminum and heavy plastic. It has a cane-style handle and is 34 inches high when folded. Representatives said the Sport Seat, which is made in Canada, can hold a person who weighs up to 250 pounds.

Expo Products Available at Local Stores or by Mail

Consumers can buy products highlighted at the Quality of Life Expo and Eco Expo through selected markets and stores or by mail order:

* Pain-Kure, a natural-ingredient pain reliever, can be purchased at Great Earth Vitamins in Pasadena, Rossi Nutra Vitamins and Health Foods in Monrovia and Shaw Health Center in Hollywood (suggested retail, $9.95 for a two-ounce bottle). Or you can mail-order it ($13.75 including tax, shipping and handling) from Healthy Life Products, P.O. Box 93762, Pasadena, Calif. 91109; (800) 333-4699.

* Yesterday’s News cat litter made from recycled newspaper (suggested retail, $2.29 for a five-pound bag) is sold locally as Vons’ Care brand, and by selected veterinary groups. For locations in your area, contact Canbrands International in New Brunswick, Canada, (506) 859-9118; Shur Gain Pet Products in Ontario, Canada, (416) 238-4100, or Eco-Matrix Marketing in Swampscott, Mass., (617) 592-3373.

* J. B. Cork clothing and accessories are available nationwide through Jungle Beach Corp. Call (800) 9JB-CORK.

* R-Wear earrings (suggested retail, $12) can be found in selected environmental stores in the United States and Canada. If you can’t find them in your area, contact R-Wear, Suite 402, 234 Eglinton Ave. West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 1K5; (416) 482-6618.

* Jeff’s Amazing New York Egg Creams (suggested retail, $1 to $1.25) are available nationwide in selected markets and delis. In the Los Angeles area, you can find them at Gelson’s, Mayfair and Irvine Ranch markets.

* Cuelite ($19.95), a personal safety light for runners or cyclists, is available in sporting goods stores and bike shops nationwide. Or contact VistaLite Inc., 2950 Old Tree Drive, Building 3, Lancaster, Pa. 17603; (800) 755-9905.

* Vert-I-Bin, a hardwood recycling receptacle ($149 to $295, depending on model, plus shipping), is available from Hopewell Cooperative Inc., 9855 Sand Ridge Road, Millfield, Ohio 45761; (614) 797-4434. No assembling required.

* Sport Seat ($19.95 to $29.95), a folding walking seat, is available in U.S. and Canadian sporting goods stores. In the Los Angeles area, you can find it at Sportmart or Oshman’s. Or contact Sport Seats International, 18555 Eddy St., Northridge 91324; (818) 349-0220.