I find it annoying that when I buy a shirt it comes with extra buttons. For one, I don’t sew. And two, by the time a button might fall off, the button is long lost. However, if you do keep buttons and you do like to sew, you can make stuff like this “recycled” container that’s cool and stylish. If I made something like this, I’d be so proud and just show if off to everyone for no reason. Alas, I am not that crafty.
Lately, I’ve focused on environmental gadgets and gizmos that make our lives greener and easier. But, sometimes simplicity works best. Take, for example, this tote bag that is hand sewn from Kool-Aid juice boxes. Anyone with kids knows how quickly juice boxes go, so there’s plenty of material It’s not a difficult product to make either. All you need are the juice boxes, a sewing machine, and organic tubed cotton ropes. Then you have a bag that’s twice as eco-friendly as mass produced totes.
Via Envirogadget
I know we’ve all heard the horror stories about drinking water in foreign countries (the phrase Montezooma’s Revenge comes to mind). But, buying water bottles constantly is a waste to the environment. So how do you stay safe, healthy, and eco-friendly? With the amazing SteriPEN.
The SteriPEN is completely portable and easy to use. All you need to do is stick the pen inside a glass of water and wait about a minute. The pen uses ultraviolet light to elmininate harmful bacteria in the water, which makes it safe to drink. And, it can be ordered with a rechargeable solar-powered battery, which makes this product completely green.
So, if you’re traveling South of the Border, I recommend buying this product instead of wasting your money on water bottles.
I’ve always felt that my apartment needed more grass in it. I’ve got hardwood floors and granite countertops, but I’m definetely missing some green. To solve my problem: the eco-friendly grass-growing clock. Made of recycled plastic, the “Timeless Garden Clock” was designed by Francesco Castiglione Morelli and Tommasco Ceschi. According to Design 21, “the clock works by using the chemistry inherent between mud and metal to create electricity.” Pretty nifty.
Are you the type of person that despises camping? Does fire smoke make you sick? Well then, welcome to the future of outdoor living. The above image is of a prototype solar-powered high-tech tent that is quite honestly astonishing. It stores power throughout the day in the solar panels, then lights up at night so you don’t necessarily need a fire. It also provides cell reception and an internet connection.
This contraption is not for the seasoned camper, as there are enough perks in this tent for Madonna to call it home. But, if you’re somehow dragged on a camping trip, this could be a future option for you.
Sometimes, we all need reminders to stay eco-friendly. We’re often in places where we can’t recycle, or we just plain forget to turn off the light. Eco-education products and kits help us remain environmentally conscious and remind us about conserving energy. Here are my top five favorite:
1. Magnets - These magnetic billboards remain on your fridge - so you’ll see them everytime you run for a late night snack. They have eco-friendly tips on them to remind you and your friends about the benefits of being green.
2. Shower Timers - Never know how much time to spend in the shower? Shower timers eliminate the guessing game. There are digital models which might require batteries, but traditional “sand timer” models are preffered.
3. 2-in-1 products. There are multiple products that double their purposes, but the gift box/battery disposal box is one of my personal favorites. It has a cool design for gift giving, but is perfect for storing old batteries.
4. Booklets - They’re the go-to-green-guides. Follow the steps in eco-friendly tip booklets, and you’re all set.
5. Fridge Thermometer - some older refridgerators don’t have temperature gauges, or they’re not in plain sight. Fridge thermometers easily tell you whether the internal temperature is too hot, too cold, or just right.
I need this for my apartment! It’s a space saving, and eco-friendly toilet and washer combination. After every washing cycle, the washer stores water which is then used to flush the toilet below. Pretty nifty idea if you ask me. Imagine all the apartment dwellers in New York City (i.e. me) who need this powerful combo (Yes, please!). We need more eco-friendly appliance combos in production (this was only a prototype). Anybody have any ideas?
Lately I’ve been curious about interesting recycled products. The newspaper tote below was one of my favorites, but this recycled cardboard promotional USB drive is up there, too. You don’t need the plastic extention on a USB drive - only the tip matters.
Here’s a cool money-saving product that measures how much electricity your household items are using. Simply plug any device into the reader, and it will tell you the kilowatts/per hour it is using. This may help you decide which electric items should stay and which should go. Eliminating the electrically draining items will decrease your bill
Here’s an interesting twist on the paper bag - the newspaper bag. I can only imagine the amount of paper that’s “wasted” printing newspapers like the New York Times. Obviously, the internet is much more eco-friendly, but some people like to read the newspaper on their commute to work which I can understand. But, still, paper is wasted like crazy. The newspaper tote bag is a great idea because it resuses a material that’s so readily available. No need to harvest any crops or cut down more trees. Plus, you can catch up on some…old news…at the grocery store.
