Ecolite is a Compostable Cat Litter Box Made from Recycled Paper Pulp
by: Inhabitat , 2012-01-10 19:19:29 UTC

Although more expensive and less durable than their plastic counterparts, biodegradable cat litter boxes have some sustainable aspects that shouldn’t be ignored by feline owners. Designed by French Studio-aparte, the Ecolite recycles waste paper into a molded paper pulp litter box. And not only does the box take little energy to produce, it can also be broken down and flushed or composted at the end of its useful life!

+ Studio-aparte

Photo © Studio-aparte

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Post tags: Animals, biodegradable cat litter, cat litter, compostable, green materials, green products, modern pets, paper pulp, Recycled Materials, recycled paper, recycling / compost

Salvaged Chinese Riverboats Become Sturdy Shipwood Furniture Designs
by: Inhabitat , 2012-01-10 20:04:19 UTC

Furniture designer Logan Komorowski salvages old Chinese riverboats and reinvents them as beautiful pieces of furniture laden with history and meaning. Dubbed Shipwood, the pieces Komorowski creates honors the past through the preservation of the wood grain and through specially crafted plaques that tell a story of the former boat’s history.

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Post tags: douglas fir, fashionforhome, logan komorowski, qing dynasty fishing boat furniture, reclaimed chinese boats, recycled furniture, repurposed materials, salvaged wood furniture, shipwood, teak wood

Sustainable Products at Tokyo Design Week Bring Aid to Regions Affected By the Earthquake
by: Inhabitat , 2012-01-10 20:14:33 UTC

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Post tags: "green furniture", eco design, eco-fashion, green design, green products, Japanese design, sustainable design, sustainable style, tokyo designer’s week

Drink "Like a Boss" with the Cuppow from Aaron Panone & Joshua Resnikoff
by: Core77, 2012-01-10 16:00:00 UTC

As he promised at the end of last year, designer Aaron Panone is forging ahead with his latest personal project, a collaboration with Joshua Resnikoff. The "Cuppow" (say it out loud for full effect) is essentially a custom-molded lid for a standard Ball jar, designed to facilitate drinking from the iconic vessel.

The canning jar already makes an awesome platform for a travel mug: it's easy to clean, made of heat-resistant glass, cheap, durable, and when sealed it doesn't leak. The only problem is that with their large openings, canning jars are not great for spill-free sipping while on the move. So we adapted it—made a new lid that lets us drink like a boss from virtually any wide mouth canning jar. It's a simple eco-friendly alternative to poor-performing and messy disposable hot cups, and over-built and expensive travel mugs.

Panone and Resnikoff are "proud to have developed a product that we look forward to using every day... it works great, it's super durable, it's made in the USA, it's BPA free, it's recyclable, and it doesn't break the bank."

See it in glorious, sun-drenched action:

(more...)

Kinesis concept vehicle converts mechanical energy to electricity
by: Ecofriend, 2012-01-11 11:52:15 UTC
Saurabh Jain:

A concept proposed by Marcus Martinez, the Kinesis electric vehicle concept is a combination of a bicycle and a car, also having some features of a motorcycle. This concept is based on kinetics which is the energy of a body gained because of its motion. A tricycle driven by electricity is an interesting concept. Meant for a single person, this vehicle would run on batteries. You may now think that it is another such vehicle that is being driven on batteries and is low on the pollution scale. But wait before you frame any perception regarding this vehicle. This utilizes the concept of transformation of mechanical energy into electrical energy, which in turn is used to drive the motor and thus propel the vehicle forward.

The mechanical energy has to be created by the driver of the vehicle through pedaling. But relax. The extent of pedaling that has to be applied in this vehicle for creation of mechanical energy is not much in comparison to a conventional bicycle. Now your mind may ponder over the issue as to what would happen at various signals while driving the vehicle on the road. Well, the energy that you had created previously by pedaling gets stored and thus can be used for further propelling of the vehicle to a greater distance without any problem.

This vehicle has an impressive design and boasts of a chassis that can be folded according to convenience of the driver. The seating capacity is quite comfortable and thus the driver faces no hassles in adjusting himself. The cover of the vehicle is suitable for protection in every climate. Ventilation has also been taken care of and the vehicle ranks high on the environmentally friendly scale, thus making it a perfect choice for futuristic drivers.

Via: Behance

What is the Greenest Insulation? The Case for Mineral Wool
by: TreeHugger Design, 2012-01-09 15:44:27 UTC
Greg Lavardera throws another spanner in the works with a rant about the batts

Static Bubbles by Nendo for Carpenters Workshop Gallery
by: Dezeen, 2012-01-10 12:52:29 UTC

Japanese designers Nendo will present three new projects for Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris next week, including this series of lamps, vases, bowls and tables made by heating agricultural nets. (more…)

Sprint to Require Green Certification for All Cell Phones
by: Greener Design, 2012-01-09 18:41:34 UTC

All cell phones sold through Sprint must go through the certification process for the UL-ISR 110 standard, although it's likely that all phones won't meet the standard, which Sprint helped to develop with UL Environment.

Gallery: XYZ Note by Hyunjin Seo
by: mocoloco, 2012-01-09 14:23:33 UTC

VW electric e-bugster concept at detroit auto show
by: Designboom - Weblog, 2012-01-09 12:45:00 UTC

on exhibition at the detroit auto show, the concept vehicle features volkswagen's 'blue-e-motion' electric propulsion system, designed for use in future production models.
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