The best eco-designs of 2020
These designs will make hopeful for our future!
On our Instagram platform @Greendesigns_ we share innovative and sustainable designs almost every day to inspire and create change. Now, we want to share with you the 5 posts that were the most successful seem to inspired many individuals:
NUMBER 5: Danish brand Projectkintravel is creating sustainable alternatives for mindful travellers. They make sure to use eco-friendly, non-toxic, high quality materials, create highly functional products, minimize their CO2 footprint as much as possible, and to be transparent throughout the whole process.
Their suitcase shell is made from a mixture of flax and a bioplastic, which are natural, low-impact material and biodegradable. They have tested the suitcases in many ways to ensure their durability. The other features are made from bioplastic, flax linen (inside) and vegetable-tanned leather to avoid harmful chemicals. The wheels and zippers have been chosen from other manufacturers, as they have proven to be the most durable ones on the market and ensure longevity. Additionally, they created a plastic-free packaging, made from FSC-certified recycled cardboard, tags made from hemp and wood and non-toxic, soy-based ink.
Moreover, PROECTKIN also offers other bags for travel, such as a weekend, a tote, wash, laundry and shoe bag. These obviously carry the same sustainability standards as the suitcase.
NUMBER 4: Coral Carbonate by Alex Schofield is a a research project that shows how 3d printing calcium carbonate can help marine animals and corals, as well as remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Coral reefs are being decimated by human-induced conditions quicker than can recover and grow. However, novel application of a 3D printed coral, in the form of the material substrate Calcium Carbonate, can help combat this phenomenon. More specifically, Calcium Carbonate is 3D printed to mimic the materiality which makes up the hard structural home of Coral’s living polyp inhabitants. This unique material development has led to the invention of a working prototype in support of a wide range of ocean life ecosystems by fabricating and reseeding a 3D printed synthetic calcium carbonate scaffold.
The 3D printed coral is currently being tested with 3D printed structures, tiles, and frags used to further research and test live applications and support of coral seeding, regrowth, as well as a biological substrate for the growth of other ocean life. In fact, research and prototyping has shown that not only does this 3D printed calcium carbonate support coral growth but many other aquatic organisms that together foster the health of aquatic ecosystem. New techniques of Carbon capture and sequestration from our atmosphere, essentially removing harmful CO2 from our environment, can also create a renewable source of Calcium Carbonate while helping diminish our growing CO2 pollution.
NUMBER 3: These beautiful stamps by former design student Pablo Dorigo are made with polluting algae from Venice Lagon. He was searching for a product that could ideally convey the story and the beauty of the Algae Paper®. Based on the findings of my experiments and in dialogue with the leader paper company Favini (based in Venice) the outcome was a collection of stamps for the city of Venice, that tells the story of this paper revealing the nature of his ingredients, all around the world.
With digitalization the codes are replacing more and more the expensive watermarks techniques hitherto used to make counterfeiting difficult. The idea was to reconsider the design of these codes to make them graphically appealing but still readable by optical sensors. Alga Paper® was born in 1992, when the Italian government asked the Venetian paper company Favini to find a technique to use the build-up of algae that was harming the ecosystem in the Venetian Lagoon. They patented the process and product of manufacturing paper using polluting see weed, by which the polluting algae is dried and then ground in a special mill. Today this concept has been extended to other fragile marine areas.
NUMBER 2: These plates by Oda Biovajilla are purely made from potato peels. As they are made from just one natural material, they are biodegradable and organic!
In order to be manufactured, the waste material is being pressed into a mold and that’s it! The plates have an immense potential for becoming a great sustainable alternative to plastic plates and more appetising than than plastic will ever be.
NUMBER 1: Meetlia is the first flushable pregnancy test! This is possible, as it is made from paper and will biodegrade within 10 weeks. Not only is this extremely conveniant, but also a great sustainable alternative to plastic ones. On top of that, the test is 99% accurate. The Lia test is made of the same natural, plant fibers as most toilet paper. Each test is made from cellulose and contains no plastic, glass fibers, or nitrocellulose — elements found in nearly all single-use diagnostics. Over 2 million pounds of plastic waste is produced annually from pregnancy tests in the U.S. alone. Lia provides the only sustainable, discreet, plastic-free disposal option. Lia works similarly to other home pregnancy tests, just without plastic, privacy concerns, and the sanitary issues that come with tossing a test in the trash. Unfortunately, the product has not launched yet, but let’s hope that happens soon!
