07 Jun
2017
Peek inside the zero-waste kitchen of the future
Others | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
The kitchen of the future will be healthier for our planet and improve our family ties through food. That’s the vision behind The Future Kitchen, a proposal by New York-based architect Marc Thorpe and students of the industrial design department at Pratt Institute. Installed for WantedDesign Manhattan at the Caeserstone booth, the innovative kitchen prototype emphasizes sustainability with zero-waste systems and in-home gardening,…
05 Jun
2017
Vivobarefoot is launching a sneaker made out of algae
Others | UNITED KINGDOM
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Vivobarefoot, a London-based purveyor of so-called “barefoot” footwear, is going green in an altogether unexpected way. Together with Bloom, a materials innovation firm from San Diego, the company is poised to debut the world’s first molded shoe derived from algae. No, swamp couture hasn’t suddenly become en vogue. Rather, Bloom harvests biomass from ponds and lakes, particularly those at risk for algal overload, and turns it into closed-cell…
03 Jun
2017
World’s largest floating solar farm is now generating energy in China
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | CHINA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
A 40-megawatt solar farm in the South Anhui province of China is finally online and generating renewable energy. Larger than floating farms in Australia and India, the mass of solar panels is the largest in the world can produce enough clean energy to power homes in the area.Though the city of Hainan is known for its coal-rich land, the Chinese government decided to invest in a floating solar farm because the rainy weather has resulted…
01 Jun
2017
Envirohaven’s super green geodesic homes can be built in just a few days
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Geodesic homes are extremely energy efficient – and they’re a great option for those looking to reduce their footprint while living off the grid. Nevada-based company, Envirohaven, is offering beautiful, custom-made “eco havens” that can be constructed virtually anywhere in just a few days. At 1,600 square feet, the prefab structures are not exactly “tiny homes“, but their decagon shape only measures 32 feet across. The design is ultra-efficient,…
30 May
2017
Daan Roosegaarde introduces smog-sucking, air-cleaning bikes
Green Transportation & Logistics | CHINA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Daan Roosegaarde has been touring China with his Smog Free Project, showcasing the Smog Free Tower and encouraging people to find innovative solutions to address air pollution. He’s not out of ideas yet though; he’ll add to his tour with new smog-sucking bicycles. These bikes could work much like his Smog Free Tower does, absorbing dirty air, cleaning it, and pouring it back out as fresh air.Biking in a city…
28 May
2017
New on-demand energy system generates and stores power in one device
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | AUSTRALIA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Your entire home could be powered, heated, and cooled with one system in the near future – thanks to scientists at the University of Newcastle and Infratech Industries. They’ve designed a Chemical Looping Energy-on-Demand System (CLES) that eliminates the need for a battery to store energy, instead generating and storing power in just one device. The university described the CLES as a Swiss army knife for energy.…
26 May
2017
Plastic waste pop-up pavilion rethinks recycling in the Netherlands
Others | NETHERLANDS
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Plastic waste takes on new life in the PET Pavilion, a temporary structure that popped up in a public park in Enschede, The Netherlands. Project.DWG and LOOS.FM designed the 227-square-meter ephemeral pavilion to spark dialogue on topics relating to recycling and sustainable building. The experimental pavilion serves as an educational gathering space and can be easily dismantled for relocation within a day.The pavilion bears draws…
24 May
2017
Think you know how to recycle? Think again.
Others | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
How2Recycle makes it easy to understand recycling instructions for all types of plastic packaging - just look for the label. Ever wonder if the plastic packaging on your favorite household items is recyclable? Wonder no more, as How2Recycle has created a new, easy-to-understand system for items that are recyclable. Look for the new labels on your favorite products to find out if they're recyclable nationwide, recyclable on a local level or not yet recyclable.…
22 May
2017
ByFusion turns all types of ocean plastic into eco-friendly construction blocks
Green Building Materials, Construction & Design | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
The problem of ocean waste, particularly the plastic variety, is a big one, and many creative people are working on ways to clean it up. Finding ways to repurpose the plastic debris collected from the ocean is one component of that, and the U.S.-based startup ByFusion has responded with technology that recycles ocean plastic into durable construction blocks. This way, the plastic waste can be repurposed permanently, rather…
19 May
2017
UK Paper Company Invents Technology to Recycle Disposable Plasticized Coffee Cups
Eco Products & Services | UNITED KINGDOM
Published by : Eco Media Asia
For most caffeine consumers on-the-go, a good dose of java or tea in the morning is of primary concern. What the liquid is housed in seems to escape attention, being tossed in a trash bin without much thought as to where all the waste goes or how much material was needed to create the one-time container. Until now, the plastic content in disposable coffee cups have made them difficult to recycle. Thanks to new technology developed by UK paper company, James…
17 May
2017
SolarGaps’ new solar blinds shade windows and generate clean energy
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
What if your window blinds could power your home in addition to shading its rooms? That’s the idea behind SolarGaps’ new solar blinds. These smart blinds designed to track the sun can be controlled via an app, and the company says their product will slash energy bills by as much as 70 percent. SolarGaps’ smart solar blinds, created by Ukrainian inventor Yevgen Erik, could revolutionize how we live our lives indoors,…
15 May
2017
Germany just generated a record 85% of its energy from renewable sources
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | GERMANY
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Germany has outdone itself yet again when it comes to clean energy. From April 30 through May 1, the country set a national record by generating 85% of all its energy needs using renewable wind, solar, biomass, and hydroelectric power. And this isn’t just an anomaly – experts believe that this will be the new normal for Germany by 2030.“Most of Germany’s coal-fired power stations were not even operating on Sunday, April 30th, with renewable…
12 May
2017
San Francisco’s rapid transit to run on 100% renewable energy
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Commuters in the San Francisco area can feel even better about taking public transport to lower their carbon footprints, as the Bay Area’s Rapid Transit (BART) system will soon be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.Days ago, the BART board of directors passed an electrical portfolio policy that requires 50 percent of the organization’s power to be sourced from renewables by 2025. By 2045, the electric train system is expected to run on 100 percent renewable…
10 May
2017
These solar-powered apartments in Sweden generate more energy than they use
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | SWEDEN
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Although the US may be moving backwards in terms of clean energy, countries like Sweden are going full throttle while adding plus-energy homes to their cities. Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture designed this newly-built apartment complex in Linköping. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it also produces enough energy to sell surplus electricity back to the grid. Sweden’s solar energy tax used to be quite punitive, but…
08 May
2017
This $6,800 house was built from recycled bricks in just 5 days
Green Building Materials, Construction & Design | COLOMBIA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
While it may look unassuming at first glance, this house is truly revolutionary. The 430 square foot home is made from LEGO-like recycled plastic bricks, it cost 20,000 pesos ($6,800) to construct, and it was built by team of four people in just five days. While tackling the challenges of transporting materials to build his house in Cundinamarca, Colombia, Fernando Llanos decided to use recycled plastic to get the job done. So he teamed up with architect Óscar…
05 May
2017
The Grandview Barrel Sauna is a backyard oasis for the entire family
Others | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Saunas at resorts are great – but having a personal one in your own backyard is even better! This barrel-shaped wooden sauna by Almost Heaven Saunas is easy to assemble with just a few hand tools, and it can hold up to eight people. That makes it perfect for families to enjoy in the privacy of their own garden or backyard. The Grandview Barrel Sauna is crafted from western red cedar, hemlock fir, or Nordic spruce,…
03 May
2017
UK tests cheaper, longer-lasting roads made with recycled plastic
Green Building Materials, Construction & Design | UNITED KINGDOM
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Around 24.8 million miles of roads crisscross the surface of Earth. And hundreds of millions of barrels of oil have been used for that development. Engineer Toby McCartney came up with a solution to that waste of natural resources and the growing plastic pollution problem. His company, Scotland-based MacRebur, lays roads that are as much as 60 percent stronger than regular asphalt roads and last around 10 times…
01 May
2017
World’s first mobile recycling plant turns trash into tiles
Resource Recovery & Environment Management | TAIWAN, ROC
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Waste management is a pressing problem all over the world, but it’s especially hard for isolated communities that lack access to recycling facilities. Taiwan-based architecture studio Miniwiz has come up with an environmentally friendly solution: TRASHPRESSO, a traveling solar-powered recycling plant that turns trash into tiles.Wherever it goes, TRASHPRESSO takes local waste and recycles it into tiles for use in architecture. The mobile recycling…
29 Apr
2017
Solar-powered drone Skystation sits atop Trump World Tower in New York
Green Building Materials, Construction & Design | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Kayak architects wants to change how we get around cities – so they’ve developed a solar-powered Skystation to transform the roofs of skyscrapers into air travel hubs. To illustrate how it would work, the designers envisioned a drone Skystation on Trump World Tower in New York City.The Skystation project aims to convert skyscraper rooftops into air transport hubs with a low ecological footprint. This futuristic transportation…
27 Apr
2017
Lithium-ion batteries made from recycled glass bottles store almost 4x more energy
Eco Products & Services | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
A team of researchers at UC Riverside developed a low-cost way of turning disgarded glass bottles into lithium-ion batteries that store almost four times more energy and can last much longer than conventional batteries. This could mean significantly fewer charges for laptops, cell phones and electric cars, not to mention reducing waste. The team, led by Cengiz Ozkan, professor of mechanical engineering, and Mihri Ozkan, professor…