Better For The Environment, Better For Us

Get inspired by these exciting new eco-friendly products which put our planet first.

We all know that the way we live needs to change in order to repair our environment. It’s imperative we curb our reliance on fossil fuels by developing green technology and that we create eco-friendly solutions as an alternative to items which are currently damaging the flora and fauna on our planet.

If we want to live in an eco-friendly future, we need to be mindful of every purchase. Made from sustainable materials, that don’t have a negative impact on the environment, there are now plenty of cool new eco-friendly products out there which are helping us go green and think green. Check out these clever ideas:

Lamps to grow plants in windowless spaces

If you live or work in a windowless space, these green friends will keep you company and help to purify your air. Nui Design Studio have designed amazing lamps which are a completely self-sustaining ecosystem, where the plants can grow undisturbed for years.

Taking the lamp idea to another level, Kristýna Pojerová created the Glasshouse Lamp; a hanging light that allows us to grow fresh herbs in a city kitchen. Herbs can be planted inside the lamp along it’s outside wall in the “gutter” around a central opening. The opening gives access to pick the herbs and gives a passage of light from a bulb hanging up in the lamp. It also allows ventilation, enhancing natural microclimate.

These ideas make use of the otherwise useless waste heat of the bulb.

Biodegradable Bodies

An amazing green design, called Capsula Mundi, is providing an eco-friendly alternative to being buried in a coffin. Their design involves placing the deceased in a biodegradable pod, with a tree planted above. Over time, the body degrades and so provides nutrients for the tree to grow. This proposes a beautiful future ideology; Instead of visiting tombstones in graveyards to remember the dead, we visit forests, which, of course, we need more of.

Recycled shoes

Single-use plastic water bottles have become an environmental plague. Shoe company Rothy’s transforms them into flats, loafers and sneakers, with styles geared for women and kids. While plastic water bottles aren’t usually the most colorful items, Rothy’s come in all sorts of bright looks with animal-print designs and even flames for the kids. The shoe maker says it’s repurposed over 27 million plastic bottles that were originally destined for landfills.

Recycled plastic toys

It’s reported that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean from the land in a year, and by the year 2050, it’s estimated that plastic in the oceans will outweigh the fish. There are plenty of eco-friendly kids toys available to choose from now. Enviro toy company, Green Toys began making beach toys from plastic that would have ended up in the ocean, collected from coastlines and waterways. It also makes a wide-range of other playthings from 100% recycled plastic – mainly milk containers.

Solar backpacks

There are a lot of solar backpacks out there, but Birksun and Unplug Solar Backpacks have some of the best-looking. With simple colours, clean lines, and an unobtrusive solar panel, the boost will help you charge your devices on the go without carrying around a giant panel on your back. Never again will your phone or tablet battery run down while you’re travelling if you pick up a solar backpack. As long as there’s some sunlight, it will generate enough power to keep you connected.
Just because you’re not a backpacker, you don’t have to miss out on solar technology thanks to doctoral student Joe Hynek from The State University of Iowa’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The outside of his Power Purse is covered with enough solar panels to charge smartphones, mp3 players and other small devices with just 3 hours of exposure to the sun.

Organic Transit ELF

Called a velomobile by some and a “big white egg” by others, the ELF is one of the most daringly weird offerings out there. Essentially, a cross between a stripped-down electric car and a bicycle, this three-wheeled vehicle boasts a 100-Watt solar panel on its roof, an aluminum alloy frame, headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, and a gasoline equivalent of 1,800 miles per gallon. Its electric speed is about 20 miles per hour, and it can go over 15 miles on a charge, which can be achieved either by plugging it in or putting its solar panels to work — and even if its power is completely drained, you can always pedal it.

Solar powered lawn mowers

Tired of pushing around your mower? Rather spend your weekends lazing around instead of behind a noisy, smelly machine under the blazing summer sun? Husqvarana may have the answer for you – but it’s not cheap.

The emissions-free Husqvarna Automower Solar Hybrid is the world’s first fully robotic lawn mower that is partly powered by the sun. In addition to a charging station for mains powered recharging, the Automower Solar Hybrid has a large integrated solar panel.

When there is sunlight available, the solar cells enable the mower to extend its cutting periods before it needs recharging.

A straw which turns dirty water into drinking water

Although this isn’t one to go and use yourself, this fantastic invention helps tackles one of our biggest global issues, without relying on infrastructure and fossil fuels. The LifeStraw uses a hollow fibre membrane that doesn’t require chemicals such as chlorine or iodine. Using high pressure upon sucking through the straw, the water is forced through the narrow fibres, trapping bacteria, protozoa and other contaminants, which are then flushed out by backwashing.

The straws remove an astonishing 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (including E.coli), 99.9% of protozoan parasites, and other health issues such as Hepatitis E, Typhoid Fever and Dysentery. Turbidity (muddiness) is also reduced down to 0.2 microns3. Woah! What a game-changer for those living in poverty, or people traveling in areas where the water supply is polluted.

The LifeStraw personal water purification system is now on display at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. (Courtesy of Vestergaard Frandsen/Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum/MCT)

Biodegradable Grocery Bags

We have all seen how the removal of single use plastic bags from supermarkets has often turned into a multi-use plastic disaster, where the bags are now made from polyester, nylon or vinyl – all plastics but they are advertised as ‘Eco Friendly’ as they are reusable! Well Healthy Planet Now was frustrated by the problem too and came up with a solution. Their Byron Eco Bags are made from 50% silk, which is very strong, compact and 50% cotton to minimize cost, being 100% biodegradable. Their bags, which are the same size as the old single use plastic bags, hold up to 10kg – if you want that much weight in one grocery bag – but expand to hold a lot more than the old bags.