As someone who manages ecommerce stores and is also a frequent consumer of products from various online stores, I see a lot of waste when it comes to packaging. There are a lot of single-use plastics lying around our office and my house that I often feel guilty about contributing to all that waste. While we still try to re-use what we can, I do hope that there will be better packaging solutions that can be adapted by the general public.
Craste is a company based in India that is the country’s first 100% tree-free packaging solution. Since the country produces 500 million tonnes of crop residue every year which contributes to 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere, they thought of using crop waste to create eco-friendly packaging. They collected crop residue from the farmers and then convert it to tree-free pulp through a circular fiber technology (whose patent is still pending). This process uses less water consumption and Zero Level Discharge from the unit.
The pulp is then turned to high-quality paper that can be used for different kinds of packaging like boxes, paper bags, envelopes, etc. The packaging created is also food-grade so it’s safe for food products. It is also strong but flexible that it can retain the form and shape of the packaging it is turned into. They also aim to create “highly durable, environmentally friendly, cost-effective, wood-equivalent crop residue derived straw panel board with a formaldehyde-free adhesive”.
One issue with alternative packaging of course is the cost. Things like single-use plastic, bubble wrap, and the likes are pretty cheap and the more eco-friendly options are more expensive. Hopefully if companies like Craste can create more sustainable packaging for brands, we’ll be able to have better packaging consumption in the next few years.
Our unhealthy practices and way of living are truly harmful to the environment and have been slowly leading to its deterioration. And the world has been changing (for the worse) because of this. Hence, it is extremely important to live sustainably and consciously and to take care of the environment in 2024! Integrating sustainability into our day-to-day lives has become crucial. And we can do this in various ways. Designers and creators are coming up with sustainable alternatives for almost everything. Every product that is necessary and utilized by us in our everyday routine has an eco-friendly alternative to it. Replacing our usual mass-produced designs with these greener options will make a huge difference to the environment and Mother Earth. And on World Environment Day, we’ve curated a collection of eco-friendly designs to help you live more green – check them out!
1. EasyFreeze
In countries like Nigeria, power outages are a daily occurrence, and they can tend to last for hours. In these difficult living conditions, a traditional fridge is of no use. Hence, Amped Innovation designed EasyFreeze – a solar-powered fridge that will function effectively irrespective of power conditions.
Why is it noteworthy?
The fridge will function off-grid, or irrespective of an unreliable grid. It is an excellent solution for regions with abundant solar energy, but poor infrastructure. It is a thoughtfully designed fridge and freezer, which can refrigerate in 20 minutes, and freeze in less than an hour. It can maintain its temperature for up to 40 hours even during power outages, or days when the sun isn’t shining.
What we like
Provides reliability and efficiency even in challenging conditions
Uses an ice battery instead of typical lithium-ion batteries
What we dislike
Priced at $900, and intended for middle-class families, low-income groups may find it difficult to purchase
2. Sustainable Cutlery Set
Named the Sustainable Cutlery Set, this guilt-free dining product is built using Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers or GFRP. It is a sustainable set comprising of light and durable utensils, packed in reusable and recyclable packaging. The utensils are designed to last a long time, maybe even longer than you!
The Sustainable Cutlery Set is quite mechanically strong, which means the knife and fork wont break if your steak is a bit too tough. The different utensils can be split in half, making them portable in design. The various parts can be easily screwed and unscrewed, while also ensuring they are durable.
What we like
Eco-friendly and yet long-lasting
Portable and easy-to-carry form
What we dislike
The handles of the cutlery might be too thin for large hands
3. Briiv Pro
Called the Briiv Pro, this eco-friendly purifier combines nature and technology to offer you clean air in your home. The newly designed version is more powerful than the previous one, and it can purify a 16 sq.m. room in 21 minutes. It is a ‘mini forest’ that is 6900% more effective than house plants.
Why is it noteworthy?
Briiv Pro is 6900% more effective than house plants, which is truly commendable for its size. It is super functional, and quite hood-looking, unlike other air purifiers in the market which tend to be bulky and visually displeasing.
What we like
The purifier works at a whisper-soft noise level
Features an AI-based sensor
What we dislike
Isn’t as fast as other air purifiers in the market, and they’re more economically priced as well
4. Earth-Friendly Tumbler
Meet the Earth-Friendly Tumbler – an eco-friendly made using PAPLUS, a new thermoplastic resin that combines biodegradable paper to add more durability, moldability, and heat resistance. These are qualities that normal PLA lacks, so this tumbler is quite exceptional.
The Earth-Friendly Tumbler utilizes PAPLUS, an eco-friendly material-, to form a unique texture that is similar to ceramic or wooden cups. As you take a sip from the tumbler, you taste a wonderful flavor, while also experiencing an engaging sensation on your lips.
What we like
Elevates the basic act of drinking water, and adds a whole new sensory experience
Has a heat resistance of f 120°
What we dislike
The natural color does become uneven and fade from use, which may not be preferred by all users
5. Cloche Table Smoker
Meet the Cloche table smoker – a smoker that uses aromatic pants and wood ships, allowing the food you’re cold smoking to retain its original flavors, with a touch of smokiness added to it. This smoker also functions as a dining table decoration, owing to its beech and stainless steel aesthetic which elevates the ordinary atmosphere of your meal.
Why is it noteworthy?
It creates a soothing ritual for you, one that involves arranging the food, lighting the fire, putting it out, and displaying the food for eating. The sustainable smoker ensures that you don’t need to use an actual smoking grill, and it in fact doubles up as a table decoration or food container too.
What we like
Eliminates the need for an actual smoking grill
Serves as a table decoration too
What we dislike
A bit small in size, so you can only use it if you’re having a few guests over
6. Earth-Friendly Stacking Cup
Called the Earthly-Friendly Stacking Cup, this stylish yet minimal stacking cup is designed to save the environment. The cup is built from eco-friendly synthetic materials which lend it a unique texture. The cup is made from a material called PAPLUS and it includes biodegradable paper.
The unique texture of the cup is much like ceramic or wood, and it offers a sensory experience to your lips and mouth. It embodies minimal aesthetics and sustainable practice and produces a soul-enriching drinking experience that you’ll never forget.
What we like
Built from a plant-derived biodegradable resin
What we dislike
It looks similar to other cups on the market, with nothing special aesthetically to set it apart
7. Cambio Pods Container
Designed by Zenpack, this container is made using eco-friendly materials, and it also functions as a mini recycling bin for the pods, before they’re sent to the actual recycling bin. The container is made using molded pulp with vertical ribs to offer it more structure. The container can hold 10 pods. It is sustainable as it is essentially a glue-free belly band with a tear strip.
Why is it noteworthy?
The elements of the packaging can be later thrown into a respectable recycling bin. You can also use it as a temporary compost bin for your coffee grounds, and kitchen scraps. It is an added functional product in a world where sustainable brands are growing, and evolving.
What we like
Serves as a mini recycling bin for the pods
What we dislike
There aren’t different sizes and colors to pick from, no variety
8. PLANETCARE 2.0
Dubbed the PLANETCARE 2.0, this microfiber filter attachment is designed for your washing machine. A lot of the ocean’s microplastic problem, or to be precise 35% of it comes from the washing machine, as it involves a blend of synthetic fibers that mix with water, and then land up in the ocean.
Why is it noteworthy?
This nifty little filter can be easily snapped onto the side of the washing machine. The filter cleanses out all the water the machine drains out after a cycle. It is the water equivalent of sorting through your trash.
What we like
You can be easily attached to your washing room
Removes all the microplastic from the machine’s drain water
What we dislike
You may need to change/adjust the position of the filter to ensure adequate water pressure
9. Stack Chair
Called the Stack Chair, this innovative chair includes a compass-like four-legged base, allowing you to stack the chair almost to infinity! However, you will be limited by the vertical space available, and how safe it is to reach there. But it is a great space-saving design, especially for when chairs are not being used.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Stack Chair consists of the base and the shells, and both parts can be connected by snapping the base under the shell’s designed rim. This allows both elements to form a single piece of furniture, which is quite stable. This also simplifies the entire manufacturing process, and assembly and shipping too.
What we like
You can mix and match different base and shell colors or even materials
What we dislike
The chair doesn’t look too comfy to sit on for long durations of time
10. Grass-Fed Bone China
Dan Barber and Ceramist Gregg F Moore collaborated to build a line of tableware that is made from grass-fed bone china. The ceramic is made from the bones of grass-fed cows, and these cows are raised by Barber on his farms – he is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant.
Why is it noteworthy?
The cows consume grass, instead of the usual grain-based farm diet. They consume the grass, move around, and roam freely to look for greener pastures. This makes their bones stronger in comparison to cows who are raised on conventional farms. This makes the ceramics stronger, creamier, and durable.
What we like
The ceramics are stronger and more durable compared to the regular ones
Of all the things I’d want an AI to help me with, this might just be the most useful. While companies like Google and OpenAI have been showing their AI’s multimodal capabilities at identifying the color of objects, or human expressions, an AI hardware company is putting the power of LLMs to good use by having them identify trash. Binit, a Finnish startup, has developed a tiny hardware device that scans your trash and then tells you how to accurately dispose of it. It doesn’t just identify objects like coffee cups and vegetable peels, it tries to analyze materials, looks at brands to identify their manufacturing techniques to determine the best ways to dispose of trash, and effectively tells you (with 98% accuracy) how to segregate your household waste so that the wrong items don’t get disposed of in the wrong channels.
Binit’s core technology is a dedicated AI-powered hardware device designed for the kitchen. Mounted conveniently near your bin, this gadget uses camera vision and sensor technology to identify items before they’re tossed. The system integrates with powerful large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-3, enabling highly accurate image recognition of everyday household waste objects.
Binit’s secret weapon? Rather than training their own AI model from scratch, they capitalize on the vast knowledge base of pre-trained LLMs. This approach has yielded impressive results – Binit claims near 98% accuracy in trash recognition. The system can even distinguish nuances – like whether a coffee cup has a lining based on brand recognition.
But Binit isn’t just about identifying your trash. The system analyzes the data it collects, generating insightful feedback through a companion app. This app provides users with a weekly “rubbish score” and gamified elements to motivate positive behavioral changes. Imagine a friendly nudge reminding you that you’ve been discarding a lot of plastic lately, along with suggestions for sustainable alternatives.
The free tier of the Binit app offers basic analytics, while a premium subscription unlocks additional features. The company also envisions itself as a potential data provider – offering anonymized insights on consumer waste habits to entities like packaging manufacturers. This data could be invaluable for businesses aiming to reduce their environmental footprint.
One might wonder – isn’t environmental awareness enough? Binit argues that while most people acknowledge the importance of waste reduction, ingrained habits are hard to break. They liken their approach to sleep trackers – providing data-driven insights that can empower users to make positive changes, even if they’re aware of the general principles.
Binit’s pilot programs across the US and Europe have shown promise. Users reportedly reduced mixed waste by around 40% after engaging with the system’s transparent feedback loop. The company plans to launch commercially this fall, likely in the US, offering both a dedicated AI hardware device and a free app-based scanning option.
Have you ever wondered what happens to all that water that customers leave at their tables in restaurants? We sometimes see glasses and pitchers left on the table which obviously, the staff can’t reuse anymore for drinking purposes. If the management or staff are conscious about water usage, then they will be used for other things like washing dishes or watering plants. But a lot of times, they’re just thrown into the sink. This concept proposes a more intelligent and eco-friendly way of saving and re-using that water and involving the customers in the process.
Designer: Sebastian Delerba
Withless is a concept for herb growing panels that restaurants can put up in their spaces. This way, not only do they have plants around for decoration and for environmental purposes, but they can also encourage customers to raise awareness in saving and reusing water. The stackable panel can hold up to twenty pots and has a grid design which can be expanded to multiple grids depending on the space and the needs of the establishment.
If you’re like me that doesn’t really know much about plants, there is a risk of over-watering plants if there’s no one to tell me that it’s too much. This is where the Withless concept comes in. The pot and the front area are connected so the water reaches the textile when you pour into it. It will show you when the ring and the textile have the same color which means the plant is growing efficiently. When there is a contrast to the color, then it means there needs to be some adjustments. The humidity of the area also affects this so it will reflect that as well.
The establishment can also use this to grow their herbs and other edible plants and get the customers to help them take care of the plants. This is an interesting way to teach people to reuse water and help grow plants as well. Hopefully, something like this gets made and that restaurants and cafes can adapt it.
Once upon a time, mobile phones weren’t the fragile and replaceable devices they are today. Sure, they were still expensive during their period, but accidentally dropping one didn’t always mean the end. Replacement parts, officially or unofficially, were easy to come by and the actual process of repairing these phones didn’t require a degree. But as mobile phones turned into powerful yet complicated smartphones, much of the repairability of the past also got thrown out the window. Granted, very few consumers will dare to open up their iPhones or Pixels on their own, so why is there a lot of noise these days about having the ability to repair yours? As it turns out, the ability to repair smartphones more easily benefits not just the planet or buyers but even the phone brands themselves.
Designer: Fairphone
Right to Repair
Part of the rhetoric around the smartphone repair situation involves the general Right to Repair movement. As the name implies, it is pushing for legislation, policies, and awareness that would allow owners, as well as third-party businesses, to repair the products that they have bought. It might come as a surprise given how it seems to go against common sense, but the situation with electronics, which includes smartphones, basically disallows anyone but the company and its authorized service centers from opening up and repairing these products. Although it’s not an accurate comparison, it would be like being forbidden from repairing the dress or furniture, requiring you to go to the boutique or shop you bought them from to have them fixed.
Designer: Apple (via iFixit)
To be fair, smartphones are complex beasts, and opening them up risks further damaging the device. Companies also have the obligation to protect their intellectual property from snooping eyes, but that isn’t a blanket reason to design phones to be nearly impossible to repair. iFixit, one of the biggest proponents of this Right to Repair movement for consumer electronics, has reached a middle ground with companies, providing official repair guides and a store for buying replacement parts so that anyone with the skill and courage can do it, whether they’re the owner or a small repair business.
Repairable Phones Are Sustainable Phones
Legal arguments aside, proponents of making smartphones more repairable often appeal to the harmful effects the current state of business has on the planet. The number of smartphones made and shipped every year has probably already exceeded the population of the world, which raises the question of what has happened to these devices over the years. While manufacturers do have programs for sending them your old or broken phones for proper disposal, just how many people actually make the effort to do that? More often than not, they simply stow old phones until they’re forgotten or, worse, mindlessly throw them in the trash so that these non-biodegradable objects ultimately end up in landfills.
Designer: Fairphone
Smartphones aren’t immortal or invincible, of course, but the longer we can keep using them, the longer they’ll stay out of the trash. Truth be told, the biggest reason why people change phones isn’t because of the latest trends but because their old ones have become nearly unusable. A cracked screen, bloated or failing batteries, or a broken charging port are the most common causes, so being able to change these easily helps keep electronic waste down to a minimum and for longer periods of time.
Repairable Phones Save You From Stress
There are definitely people who switch to the latest and greatest models after just two years or sooner, but the majority of users would like to keep their phones for years as long as they’re still usable. It isn’t as much about fondness for the device as the stress of switching to a new one. Even with all the advancements in cloud storage, backups, and phone transfers, people still experience loss and stress when their phones no longer work and have to switch to a new one, often from scratch.
Designer: HMD Global
You still should back up your phone and its data regularly, of course, but improving these devices’ repairability lessens or shortens the anxiety and stress that owners experience. Your phone goes empty in less than a day? Simply change the battery and it’s as good as new. USB charging port feel loose and unreliable? Swap it out for a new one and be on your way. It also saves people from the stress of an unplanned major expense, especially when they can get a better model when the time really comes for them to upgrade.
Repairable Phones Are Good Business
Being able to repair smartphones easily might save consumers money and give small repair shops some business, but manufacturers and their shareholders will probably see it more as a revenue loss. After all, the longer people hold on to their old phones, the less they will buy new ones. Unfortunately, there is definitely some truth to that, which is why even big phone companies hesitate to encourage self-repairs or third-party services. It is, however, an outdated mentality that no longer reflects the reality of our present. Even Apple is realizing that profits are no longer coming just from outright hardware sales but also from software, services, and other sources. It’s definitely high time for these brands to be creative in how they can make more money without busting people’s wallets or killing the planet.
Designer: Samsung
Manufacturers can, for example, profit from selling those replacement parts, but that also needs to be done in moderation. Recent news on this front demonstrates not what to do, which is to make those parts too expensive to the point that it becomes less economical to repair the phone in the first place. iFixit announced it is cutting ties with Samsung for that very reason, with parts beyond the reach of most people anyway.
Companies also need to see repairable phones from a different angle, particularly in how they actually reduce their operational costs and waste. They can cut down on the production of surplus units, keeping their stocks tight. This, in turn, reduces their reliance on costly materials that are either hard to acquire, harmful to the environment, or might even be controversial for being conflict materials. It forces companies to rethink their business, which is currently unsustainable both in the environmental sense as well as the economic sense, driving innovation that could hopefully create a greener tomorrow for its customers.
Brazil apparently has one of the most effective (and affordable!) water filtration systems in the world. You can find clay water filters in almost every home and markets and they are actually created by local craftsmen. There are some challenges to this though as it is not always aesthetically pleasing and some people say there is a certain aftertaste to the water that goes through this system. There is even sometimes a problem about mold as well. Now a reinterpretation of the clay water filters may have solved some of those issues.
Designer: Estúdio Biologique
A Brazil-based design studio has come up with the Biologique water filter which still uses the same filter system. However, it uses white ceramic so that the water should taste about the same but of course it is filtered. It also doesn’t leave any mold but is also easy to clean, which was also a problem with the traditional filter. The important thing though is that it is able to bring clean, drinking water with the simple filtration system that doesn’t require any complicated installation or instructions.
For those that are concerned with the aesthetics of the water filter, then this is also where Biologique shines. It has a simple, minimalistic design that still keeps the original idea of the clay water filter but brings a more modern feel to it. It has two round parts on top of each other, a wooden stand, and a faucet that looks like those you find in draft beer machines. It comes in different colors: terracotta, rosé, green, brown, off white, black, gray, and capuccino.
The Biologique water filter comes in 9.0L and a petit version in 4.5L so you have two options depending on your space and the drinking water capacity of the people you live with. Of course it is more expensive than the traditional clay water filters that you’ll find in the usual Brazilian households. That’s the price you have to pay to have something prettier and better designed. Estúdio Biologique says their products are done by hand and on a small scale, so that’s also one of the reasons for the price point.
Did you know that the most widely used substance in the entire world, after water, is concrete?? You’d think it was paper or plastic or wood even, but more concrete is used every single day across the world than any of those materials… and for what it’s worth, it’s considered one of the least nature-friendly materials ever, but researchers at RMIT University of Melbourne are working on a concrete that uses an unlikely recycled material – coffee! The researchers have developed a new type of concrete that incorporates waste coffee grounds in a way that not just makes the concrete more sustainable, but also makes it 30% stronger than regular concrete!
The secret ingredient? Biochar. By heating coffee grounds in a low-oxygen environment at 350°C (662°F), researchers transform them into this charcoal-like material. Biochar doesn’t decompose over time, making it a perfect candidate for concrete reinforcement. This innovative method tackles two environmental concerns simultaneously. It reduces reliance on sand, a finite resource that’s increasingly strained by demand, and diverts coffee grounds from landfills, where they decompose and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
The project is now taking a crucial step from the lab to real-world testing. The researchers have partnered with a local council to lay down sections of sidewalk made with coffee biochar concrete alongside standard concrete for comparison. This side-by-side trial will provide valuable insights into how the new material performs under everyday wear and tear from foot traffic.
The potential benefits extend beyond environmental sustainability. The increased strength of coffee concrete could lead to reduced construction costs. The researchers believe that the higher strength might allow for a decrease in the amount of cement needed in the mix, potentially by up to 10%. This translates to lower material costs and a smaller environmental footprint from cement production.
“We’re taking those experiments and putting them in ground and in the field today, we’re going to have people walking across the concrete that includes these products, and RMIT is going to be coming back and doing testing to see how they stand up,” said Shane Walden, the Council’s Director of Assets and Operations. “This not only helps improve the knowledge level of our contractors and our staff, but it also has lots of other benefits and benefits that are important to our community. This includes helping the environment, acting sustainably and, most importantly, reducing waste to landfill and having a circular economy.”
However, coffee isn’t the only contender. The researchers are exploring the use of biochar derived from other organic waste materials as well. Each type of biochar has unique properties that could influence the performance of the concrete in different ways. By understanding these variations, researchers can tailor the biochar type to achieve specific desired qualities in the final concrete product.
This first-of-its-kind trial ‘paves’ the way for a more sustainable future in construction. By incorporating waste materials into building materials, we can lessen our environmental impact and potentially create stronger, more durable infrastructure. The success of this trial could lead to a future where our daily walks contribute not just to our health but also to a greener planet. Now if only our pavements also smelled like coffee!
There are plenty of designs that advertise being sustainable, but many of them stop halfway through the product’s life cycle. They are usually made from sustainable or renewable materials, and some, but not all, are made with a reduced carbon footprint. That said, not many cover what happens after the product has served its purpose, which often means adding to the already enormous amount of waste we produce annually. Fortunately, there are some designs that do take that into account, creating a circular economy where the product or its materials can be used for other purposes. One example is this cork-like stool that, true to its wooden nature, can actually be used like firewood to heat up a space or, better yet, fuel workshops that will produce the materials to be used to create another stool.
Wood is a much-loved material by designers and producers. It has an innate beauty and texture that’s hard to reproduce artificially, it is biodegradable, and, to some extent, also renewable. It takes time for trees to grow, however, and not all parts of the wooded material actually end up getting used. Many get left on the cutting room floor, either as small chunks or, worse, sawdust. The latter is easy to take for granted until they pile up and become pollutants themselves, at least until they dissolve and disintegrate over a long period of time.
Briket is a stool that tries to solve that material waste problem by giving a new purpose to waste byproducts not just from woodworking but also from the food industry. In a nutshell, this nine-legged stool is made from sawdust scraps as well as potato scraps, both biodegradable and environment-friendly materials we throw out by the ton every day. Creating the parts of the stool itself isn’t exactly hard either, as it mostly involves compressing these minute pieces until they become a rigid and solid mass. This, in theory, can be done anywhere there’s an abundance of wood waste, which practically means sawmills, carpentry shops, workshops, and other places that work with large quantities of wood.
What makes the Briket stool more interesting, however, is how it can be used for some unrelated purpose when it has reached its end of life. Inspired by wooden pellets used for bonfires and fire pits, it can serve as fuel to heat up a place or keep the fire of a workshop going, letting it serve people one last time before finally biting the dust, pun intended. In fact, the legs of the stool can be individually removed and replaced, making the piece of furniture almost immortal as long as there are replacement parts available.
In terms of aesthetics, Briket has a unique raw appearance and texture that is more similar to cork than wood, something that might not sit well with everyone’s tastes. Because of that, some people might even have doubts about its stability and reliability as furniture you will sit on. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case, and Briket stands as a shining example of a truly sustainable design from start to finish.
In the privileged corners of the world, it’s easy to take for granted the amenities that define modern life—consistent electricity, reliable refrigeration, and an abundance of technological conveniences. However, a significant portion of the global population struggles to access what many consider basic necessities. This disparity underscores a broader issue: our comforts, powered by unsustainable practices, contribute to long-term environmental degradation. EasyFreeze finds a good balance between the two, embracing more sustainable alternatives, which is not just a nod to the past but a necessary step toward a viable future.
Imagine living in Lagos, Nigeria, where daily power outages can last for hours. In such conditions, a conventional refrigerator is nearly useless, and consequently, very few people own one. However, Amped Innovation, a forward-thinking startup, has developed a game-changing solution: the EasyFreeze, a solar-powered fridge designed to operate efficiently even with an unreliable grid or completely off-grid. This innovation is particularly transformative for regions rich in solar energy but poor in infrastructure.
The EasyFreeze is a meticulously designed fridge and freezer capable of refrigeration in under 20 minutes (reaching 8ºC) and freezing in less than an hour (0ºC). Unlike typical cold storage solutions, it maintains its temperature for up to 40 hours during power outages or on cloudy days, ensuring reliability in even the most challenging conditions.
A significant innovation within EasyFreeze is its use of an “ice battery” instead of traditional lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, while common, are expensive, prone to overheating, have a shorter lifespan, and pose safety risks. The ice battery system in EasyFreeze utilizes ice pouches embedded within the refrigerator walls to absorb and release heat. These pouches are cooled by solar panels during the day or by grid power when available, enabling the fridge to remain cold for extended periods without active power. This system not only enhances safety and durability but also significantly reduces costs.
Amped Innovation is rolling out the EasyFreeze across more than a dozen countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, focusing on communities that are hardest to reach. Small businesses, such as corner stores, benefit immensely from the ability to sell cold beverages and ice, while medical clinics and hospitals can safely store medicines and vaccines at precise temperatures. The fridge’s design prioritizes off-grid efficiency, with proprietary circuits, software, and mechanical designs to deliver city-like performance in rural settings.
One of the distinguishing features of the EasyFreeze is its durability. Unlike many other solar refrigerators that fail within a year of use, the EasyFreeze is built to last. The equipment is assembled locally to avoid steep import fees and reduce costs, ensuring affordability without compromising on quality. This holistic approach to product design and distribution makes EasyFreeze not only efficient but also economically viable.
The EasyFreeze uses R-600a refrigerant, which has zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and a very low global warming potential (GWP). It is at least 38% more energy-efficient than other market options, thanks to its powerful 225W compressor and thick, 75mm closed-cell polyurethane insulation. These features ensure the fastest cool-down times and the longest autonomy—maintaining efficient cold storage for up to 18 times longer than other freezers during power outages.
While the EasyFreeze is not inexpensive, retailers charge around $900, it remains within reach of middle-class families in countries like Nigeria. This price point reflects a commitment to quality and long-term affordability, prioritizing the total cost of ownership over the initial purchase price. Amped Innovation’s focus on high-quality materials and efficient design means EasyFreeze offers unmatched value, making it accessible to a broader audience.
The EasyFreeze’s utility extends beyond developing regions. Following the wildfires in Maui in 2023, the fridge garnered interest from residents in Hawaii. With electricity costs in Hawaii being exceptionally high, EasyFreeze offers a payback period of just two years, making it an economically attractive solution for both disaster resilience and everyday use.
As we acknowledge the privileges that many of us enjoy, it is crucial to recognize the pressing need for sustainable innovations that can bridge the gap for those less fortunate. The EasyFreeze exemplifies how thoughtful, eco-friendly design can transform lives, providing reliable refrigeration in areas with unreliable power. Amped Innovation’s focus on efficiency, durability, and affordability positions EasyFreeze to become a conventional choice for refrigeration in parts of Africa and Asia that receive ample sunlight. This remarkable appliance not only meets the immediate needs of its users but also paves the way for a more sustainable future.
As expected, the Internet is abuzz over the new M4 iPad Pro’s ultra-thin design, but there are also reasonable concerns over the device’s durability and longevity because of that design as well. Fortunately, a bend test proved that the tablet has enough resistance to withstand accidents within reason, but accidents will still happen regardless. Displays will get cracked and batteries degrade and, sooner or later, the new iPad Pro will become old and will need to be repaired. When that time comes, how easy and expensive will it be to open up the thinnest iPad in the world and replace those broken parts? It turns out, that Apple made one very important step toward improving the device’s repairability, at least for one of the most common types of repairs.
Whether it’s a smartphone or a tablet, mobile devices have two or three parts that easily get damaged or need to be replaced. Screens crack or shatter after accidental falls, charging ports get damaged or blocked, and batteries start to lose their charge faster or, worse, start to bloat. For the iPad Pro, getting to any of these parts has always been a chore and a risk, but the M4 iPad Pro has surprisingly made it easier to remove and replace the battery without removing as many important parts.
Opening up the iPad Pro is still an exercise in patience and dexterity, perhaps even more so now with a new Tandem OLED display. A closer look at that screen reveals not the dual-layered panels that Apple used to explain the technology, but, for all intents and purposes, it practically functions the same way. Long story short, there’s a high chance that the screen will be damaged beyond repair when you try to open the iPad Pro just to replace the battery.
Fortunately, the battery itself is easy to reach, as it is immediately exposed after removing the display. There are a few parts that need to be unscrewed to gain access to the pull tabs, but there’s no need to remove daughterboards, logic boards, or even speakers. Considering this is Apple we’re talking about, that’s a rather ground-breaking change and a step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, Apple’s “size zero” design does also come with its drawbacks, like many of the parts now glued down rather than screwed down, just because there’s virtually no space left for screws. And then there’s the new Apple Pencil Pro that’s still an expensive disposable accessory as far as repairability is concerned. All in all, the M4 iPad Pro represents a significant step forward for Apple when it comes to making the tablet a more sustainable option on top of being one of the best of its kind.
