Tag Archives: biodegradable

This eco-friendly takeaway packaging was inspired by the stacked Indian tiffin

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The Dip-In Tiffin by Srishti Garg is a clever solution that takes cues from traditional practices to make single-use takeaway food packaging eco-friendly, modular, eye-catching, and culturally relevant! Its stackable design is directly inspired by the vertically stackable steel boxes found in Indian tiffins (the Indian equivalent of a bento-box), and it uses easily available natural materials to store food, making it safer to dispose than plastic.

The Dip-In Tiffin was designed primarily for dry/semi-dry foods. Since the packaging isn’t air-tight, it tends to exclude foods that are gravy-based, limiting its options, but making it great for dry snacks like doughnuts, sandwiches, etc (the Indian context uses savory doughnuts and fermented rice-cakes). The tiffin’s main vessel is created using a dried, thermoformed Areca leaf, an eco-friendly alternative to conventional disposable plates. These vessels hold semi-dry, saucy, and oily foods really well too, offering a more reliable alternative to brown paper bags/boxes. The Areca bowls are covered with a simple branded paper sleeve, and slots along the sleeve allow multiple boxes to be suspended to each other vertically, resembling the tiffin. The solution was devised mainly for airports, which see patrons quickly grabbing meals and eating them within hours of checking in. It doesn’t use any glue, staples, or seals either, making it safe, and the all-natural makeup of the packaging means it can easily be disposed of after use!

Designer: Srishti Garg

This sustainable biodegradable PC didn’t make it to CES 2021, but it could save our planet

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A biodegradable PC is surely something that should be setting the internet abuzz, but with the tsunami of information that is the Consumer Electronics Show, it’s really difficult to focus on the truly innovative instead of on the big-brand announcements.

Meet the Pentaform Abacus. It looks like a keyboard because it is one, but lying underneath it is an all-in-one PC furnished with ports wrapped up in a neat, portable avatar… but that isn’t all. The Abacus Basic is also designed out of an entirely biodegradable polymer, so once it gets discarded, the tech can be recycled, leaving the outer body to safely degrade into the soil with zero negative impact.

The Abacus by Pentaform is touted as an eco-friendly and easy-to-use affordable computer built into a portable keyboard. It comes fully ready out of the box, and just needs a display to get started. On the tech front, the Abacus includes the full set up of USB Ports, an ethernet port, HDMI as well as VGA output, a built-in speaker, integrated track-pad, and pre-installed Windows 10 (with an option of Linux too). Everything is built right into the Abacus’ keyboard-esque shape, allowing it to be carried anywhere and simply hooked to a monitor, TV, or projector to power it. In doing so, the Abacus brings an unusual experience to computing that isn’t quite like the laptop. For starters, with its $121 price tag, it’s literally a fraction of the price of even the most budget laptops. It’s as portable as a laptop too, but provides the ability to work with any sort of display (even 4K ones)… and it even comes with more ports than most slim laptops can accommodate, and has a quad-core processor with as much as 4Gb of RAM and 512Gb of storage.

The Abacus’ most impressive feat, however, is its commitment towards showing that tech can be sustainable too. In a world that’s literally drowning in e-waste because people want slim products, and slim products are notoriously difficult to recycle efficiently, the Abacus was made with a very clear cradle-to-grave strategy. As an all-in-one PC, the Abacus has 63% lesser of a footprint than a desktop, and with a 31kWh/year power consumption rating, it’s about as energy-efficient as a lightbulb. The Abacus’ internal components are entirely reusable, and its outer body is made to be fully biodegradable. Moreover, even the product packaging is crafted from mushroom, allowing it to easily degrade into soil when inevitably thrown away. Who knew great tech could be cheap, energy-efficient, AND eco-friendly?! The tech giants could surely learn a lesson or two, don’t you think?

Designer: Pentaform

This biodegradable shoe is crafted using waste materials and 3D knitting!

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Sneaker culture has encouraged creativity but also added to a lot of waste since it is a part of fast fashion. Traditional sneakers have a short lifespan and with ‘drops’ increasing, people tend to buy and throw much faster. The complicated construction and the use of different materials (rubber, textile, various plastics, etc.) make these almost impossible and unprofitable to disassemble or recycle which is why Burfeind designed Sneature which is a sustainable sneaker alternative for the eco-conscious sneakerheads.

The shoe is crafted from many waste materials. The yarn made of dog hair (Chiengora) which is a biological waste being upcycled – this is innovation. Sneature is biodegradable as well! The design does take into account the functional requirements of a trainer and individual customization by the user. The process uses a 3D knitting technology that allows for customization and on-demand production while using the lowest possible energy consumption method.

The membrane is a protein-based 3D knit made from dog hair. It transports the functional properties of flexibility, stiffness, and air circulation with a very second-skin feel, similar to the sock sneaker style we’ve been seeing. These materials have natural properties that provide water absorption and release and anti-static properties. A thin layer of flexible bio-rubber/bioplastic forms the transition from the membrane to the sole. The junction of the membrane and sole is water-repellent against splashing or moisture from below awhile protecting the membrane in areas that quickly wear out. The transition also serves as a cushion and protects against rapid abrasion of all other areas in order to extend the lifespan of the shoe. The sole is made of mushroom mycelium which can be used as a composite material with local vegetable waste. The area is designed to be made of bioplastics which means this material can be produced at home or in a maker‘s lab like DIY materials.

“The sneaker was segmented into functional and structural areas (membrane, transition, sole) in order to implement the tested materials in a suitable way, taking into account the functional properties of the different areas. Because of the possible integration into an industrial production process, the membrane – the integrative core of the shoe – was created using a 3D-knitting technique. In order to approach the problem and conceptualize a solution, a fundamental factor for the ecological properties of every product – the material was examined. The design is based on a series of material experiments with natural raw fibers,” says Burfeind.

Designer: Emilie Burfeind

This coffee machine comes with biodegradable single-serve pods so you can ditch your Nespresso & Keuring

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My first thought each morning is “coffee” and I always make mine at home instead of getting it at the office to do my part in reducing the waste single-serve pods create. While looking for an alternative that was just as convenient, I came across the Bruvi coffee machine and it comes with biodegradable pods! Nespresso and Keurig, we are in 2021 now so I hope you are taking notes.

Many of us who love coffee often struggle to find a balance between good flavor, convenience, and environmental impact – somehow you can only always pick two. The majority of people and offices use single-serve coffee pods because of the convenience factor but they are only escalating the waste problem by large numbers on a daily basis, this is where Bruvi steps in. Just like other coffee pod systems, it comes with a water reservoir and a pad to put your mug on. But what makes it different is the pod that goes into the coffee machine – ‘B-pods’ not only offers premium coffee brands but they are produced ethically and certified sustainable. They are 100% recyclable and are designed to degrade naturally without leaving any microplastics behind. The LED touch screen interface makes it easy to use and customize your drinks right to the level of acid and temperature. It also features sustainable bamboo on the handle, drip tray, and water tank cover.

The appliance also makes matcha lattes, teas, and infused drinks apart from all coffee-based beverages so there is something for everyone and no excuse for anyone to be creating more waste with single-serve pods. In fact, it is the first single-serve system to make quality cold brew (no, not the same as cold water and instant coffee or the coffee you leave in your refrigerator) which can also be more economical for those who have iced coffee all year round. Bruvi is a smart coffee maker and can be controlled remotely using their mobile app. This can reduce the heaps of disposable coffee pods that are clogging up landfills. The innovative brand has also eliminated adhesives and uses water-based inks for packaging. The premium B-pods meet the Golden Cup Standard of the Specialty Coffee Association so you are truly getting the best of flavor while being eco-conscious.

Designer: Bruvi

Click Here to Buy Now!

A 100% biodegradable adhesive-free shoe you can fully disassemble + compost in your backyard!

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At the back of our minds, we all want to make some difference to the deteriorating environment, and we do a thing or two consciously to prove a point. But one thing that we’ve all been doing otherwise – knowingly or unknowingly, there aren’t many options you’d argue – is using a pair of sneakers made from plastic or rubber. According to researchers, a pair of joggers you wear for the morning run takes upward of 30 years to decompose completely. While there is no clear definition of what makes a shoe sustainable, there are companies such as Adidas, Allbirds, and a few others, trying to build sneakers with recycled materials to address the issue – but it’s just not enough!

Almost every pair of shoes currently being billed as sustainable uses some recycled or biodegradable materials. However, a strong adhesive is used to join these materials, which makes separating them difficult – leading to issues in end of life management. Designer Rik Olthuis from the Massey University of New Zealand has thought of a very innovative shoe design to overcome this lapse in eco-friendliness of footwear dubbed sustainable. The Voronoi Runners are made from 100-percent biodegradable materials, each of which can be separated easily at end of life to be composted. The result is a pair of sneakers you can wear and when done; you can separate each part of the shoe and send it down your backyard/kitchen compost to one day be used as manure for your garden – nothing remains behind, the Earth can breathe lighter and you can jog with your head held high.

The main structure of Voronoi Runners is 3D printed using a robust, flexible biodegradable filament used to create the outsole and the midsole. The polyurethane foam is replaced by biodegradable alternative foam made using gelatine and glycerine, which offers comfy cushioning to the foot. Using 3D printing to create the midsole allows the Voronoi Runners to adapt to the individual wearer’s foot. The toe and heel caps printed from plant fibers add substance and shape to the Merino wool upper of the trainers that are also comfortable for everyday use. To eliminate the use of adhesive, the shoes are sewn using organic cotton thread and finished off with linen laces. This makes the Voronoi Runners easy to be dismantled fully and composted responsibly. Check out an on-foot video of the Voronoi below to get a hang of it.

Designer: Rik Olthuis

This natural eco-friendly deodorant will safely biodegrade with its packaging in 10 weeks

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Every aspect of the Wellow deodorant was designed with a cradle-to-grave mindset. Whether it’s the ingredients inside the container, the container itself, or even the information printed on the container with ink… the guys behind the Wellow realize that a product shouldn’t just make its users happy, it should make the planet happy too. Meet Wellow, a solid deodorant made from hand-poured natural ingredients (with zero sulfates, parabens, toxins, or unwanted chemicals), encased in a paper tube made from 95% recycled paper, glued with water-soluble adhesives, and printed with plant-based ink. The fact that it’s a solid deodorant means it also uses 80% less water than liquid deodorants, and lasts much longer too.

Striking a balance between traditional and modern, between self-hygiene and planet-hygiene, the Wellow deodorant bases itself on an au-naturel recipe that uses only nature-based ingredients like shea-butter, coconut oil, beeswax, arrowroot powder, and 6 other environmentally safe ingredients in its deodorant-base. The sticks are safe enough for your skin, providing 24-hours of odor-busting protection, and are safe enough for the soil too (you can quite literally compost the entire Willow in 10 weeks). Willow’s scents include Activate Charcoal, Coconut + Vanilla, Bergamot + Citrus, along with a scent-free option for people with sensitive skin or noses. The entire deo-stick comes packaged in an all-paper tube, made from 95% FSC-certified recycled paper, and lasts through 3 full months of daily use before running out. When it does, feel free to just throw the tube into a compost pit or even in your backyard. Nature will absorb the ingredients and break down the packaging into dirt in just under 70 days.

Designer: Wellow

Biodegradable testing kit helps drastically reduce medical-waste created by the pandemic

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We’ve generated more medical waste in the past few months than we have in all of 2019. The pandemic has seen a surge in the demand of items like masks, face-shields, and PPE, ggravating our plastic waste problem. Countries have ramped up production for medical kits too, and more testing often leads to more waste being created. Fernando Sánchez from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico proposes a solution to this rising waste problem with his Biodegradable Medical Test kit. Made entirely from plant-based materials that can easily biodegrade into soil, these kits help ramp up testing without leaving a massive ecological footprint behind.

“Each test is made of cellulose and contains no plastic, fiberglass, or nitrocellulose, elements found in almost all single-use diagnostics. It can be disintegrated in wastewater and is safe for most plumbing systems, even those with septic systems. The test can biodegrade in the soil in less than 10 weeks, just like a banana peel”, says Fernando, who designed the Biodegradable Testing Kit as his final-year project. The kit consists of a nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic test that helps detect antibodies present in a blood, serum, or plasma sample. The tests are accurate and easy to read as the results display in under 8 minutes. At the end of the test, users are required to upload their results to a database using a mobile application and the QR code provided on the side of the test. Each testing kit has a unique serial number to ensure results are logged into the database with accuracy, preventing errors or repetitive entries. Once done, the testing kit can be safely collected and disposed of, allowing it to decompose into soil and leaving no waste behind.

Designer: Luis Fernando Sánchez Barrios

Vollebak’s 100% biodegradable plant+pomegranate hoodie can be composted in your backyard!

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Vollebak continues to push the limits every time on how innovative, functional, and sustainable their designs can be while I push the limits on why I need more hoodies in my closet. I didn’t choose the hoodie life but Vollebak did and they are making the most of it in their latest hoodie made from compostable plants and pomegranate!

Inspired by our ancestors who made their clothes using grass, tree bark, animal skins, and plants, etc. the Plant and Pomegranate hoodie feels, looks, and lasts as long as a normal hoodie but it is far from normal. Think of it as the Clark Kent of hoodies – it looks ordinary and then when you take a closer look, you realize its superpower which in this case is helping our environment. Vollebak has been a leader in making sustainable apparel that is also super innovative like its solar power jacket, the indestructible hoodie, and the biodegradable algae t-shirt which is the closest product to the Plant and Pomegranate hoodie. “The thing that makes it different is simply the way it starts and ends its life. Each hoodie is made from eucalyptus trees from sustainably managed forests before being submerged in a giant vat of pomegranate dye to give it its color. As it’s made entirely from plants, the hoodie is fully biodegradable and compostable,” explains the team.

Once you feel your hoodie has completed its circle of life (it could be 3 years or 30!) then all you have to do is put it out with the compost or bury it in your garden. Vollebak’s hoodie was given birth from elements grown in nature and ends it’s life there too, you can quote Rafiki in the funeral if you decide to hold one in case you are as extra as me. Don’t hold back tears, they might just water a new pomegranate plant in your garden! Ending fast fashion and adopting a sustainable clothing style might seem like a small step but it is still an important step to reduce waste generation and help our planet. Your closet and the climate will both thank you for making eco-conscious decisions – so, let the hoodie life choose you!

Designer: Vollebak

Click Here to Buy Now!

A water-fueled power generator that instantly rescues you in an emergency

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“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the light,” said Albus Dumbledore. Now they had a spell called Lumos if they couldn’t turn on the light, but what would we do outside Hogwarts? Simple, we would add saltwater to HydraCell – technology is not magic, but it sure feels like it sometimes!

HydraCell was designed to give you instant power if you were outdoors or had an emergency. The water-activated fuel cell can charge your devices and provide light for days – a must-have for campers. It is also eco-friendly, all the waste generated from creating the HydraCell is 100% biodegradable and doesn’t add to toxic landfill waste like most flashlights. When you need power during a storm or outdoors we use batteries but are they really reliable? More often than not, batteries are dead, or faulty they haven’t been used, and while you can recharge some during a power cut that is not an option. HydraCell fills this negative gap that batteries have with positive innovation. It can provide up to 100 hours of light and charge up to 10 phones with a single charge plate.

Apart from providing 10x better performance than regular batteries, it also has a 25x longer shelf life. HydraCell is not only for outdoor enthusiasts but a great tool for first responders as well. With the way 2020 is going, this saltwater-fuelled power cube should make it into all of your emergency kits!

Designer: HydraLight

Steps to use HydraCell

Demo Video

HydraCell Accessories

This eco-friendly and biodegradable toothbrush can be returned to its manufacturer after use

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There’s probably a future where we don’t buy single-use plastic bottles anymore. It seems ambitious, but it still is possible if you decide to carry your own metal flask or glass bottle with you everywhere, you may just never need to buy a plastic bottle… but what about your toothbrush? A toothbrush isn’t a purchase that’s entirely avoidable, and the problem is that a majority of them are made out of plastic.

There’s a reason why plastic toothbrushes are so overwhelmingly more popular than natural bamboo brushes. They’re faster to manufacture, they look good, last long, and are exceptionally easy to clean/maintain. The guys behind the Reswirl toothbrush completely agree that plastic is a far superior material when it comes to manufacturing toothbrushes… they were just not convinced that manufacturers were using the ‘right kind’ of plastic.

Rather than opting for fossil-fuel-based plastic, the Reswirl comes manufactured from a cassava-based biopolymer called PHA that naturally biodegrades in land or water… a feature that’s handy when you eventually throw the brush away, but what makes the Reswirl special is that its designers don’t want you to throw it away. The toothbrush comes as a part of the Reswirl subscription program that allows the company to ship a new brush to you when you’re done with the old one. Each brush comes in biodegradable packaging that’s pre-paid for return, so all you need to do is put the used brush back in its old box and drop it into the nearest mailbox and it goes back to the factory. At the factory, the Reswirl brush can be cleaned, pulverized and recycled into a new one, effectively turning waste back into raw material. If the waste doesn’t reach the factory, you can rest assured knowing that it’s biodegrading wherever it is, and isn’t contributing to the vast amounts of plastic waste in our earth and oceans.

The Reswirl’s plastic design immediately feels familiar to the touch, but without the guilt associated with non-biodegradable plastics. It comes with a textured cylindrical body that’s ergonomic, robust, and easy to use, but at the same time hollow, so as to minimize the amount of material used and maximize the toothbrush’s ability to decompose. Pretty clever, if you ask me. The bristles on the brush are bio-based too, made from a special nylon derived from castor bean oil – which does biodegrade, but at a slower pace as compared to the handle, which is why the company believes that it’s much better to have a cradle-to-cradle approach rather than to rely on nature dealing with our waste. I could definitely rally behind that sort of thinking. Plus, the company makes it incredibly effortless to recycle your brushes too. Instead of throwing the old one into the trash and heading to the supermarket to buy a new one, Reswirl sends you a new toothbrush every three months, and the only thing you need to do is to pop your old toothbrush into the nearest mailbox and let Reswirl take care of the rest… and in the event that you forget and accidentally throw your brush in the trash, nature will come to the rescue!

Designer: Conway Daw

Click Here to Buy Now: $7 $7.78 (10% off). Hurry, only limited to 300 brushes.

Reswirl – The Biodegradable Plastic Toothbrush

Reswirl is the world’s only returnable, sustainable and remouldable plastic toothbrush. A new option for the eco-conscious. This infinite toothbrush has a body that is made from an alternative plastic that is fully biodegradable.

It looks, feels and functions like any other toothbrush but, unlike other plastic toothbrushes, it won’t stay around as a problem for future generations. Better still, the makers want every used toothbrush back so they can remold them into new brushes.

The Plastic Toothbrush Problem

Humans have discarded more than 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic since we started to use it and one way or another we are still living with nearly all of it. Over half of all the plastic made since 1950 was made in just the last 14 years. And did you know that around 3.5 billion toothbrushes are sold worldwide every year. 99% of them are fossil-fuel based plastic.

Recently on the beaches of the tiny Cocos(Kneeling) Islands, pop.600, marine scientists found 373,000 toothbrushes washed up among other plastic debris.

Reswirl is Made from Bio-plastic

Reswirl toothbrush handles are made from a special blend of bio-based plastics which are also biodegradable even at low temperatures like home compost or the sea. One of the main ingredients is polymerized directly from plant feedstocks, while the other is derived through a microbial fermentation of crops like corn or cassava (all non-GMO). The ingredients (all certified as safe for food contact too) are blended carefully and prepared as pellets for injection moulding.

At the end of its life, the plastic blend returns to nature as carbon dioxide, water and biomass. The team have sourced ingredients that have been certified compostable as packaging films. They will compost as a toothbrush moulding too, given a bit more time. Their biodegradability is a safety feature. The team would much rather you sent them back to their facility for recycling.

The bristles in a Reswirl brush will also be up to 100% bio-based. They are a special nylon derived from castor bean oil and can be recycled – another good reason for sending your used brushes back to them.

Design Features

Cylindrical body for maximum comfort, ease of use and fingertip precision when brushing those hard to reach areas.

Grip –  where other toothbrush makers mix hard and soft plastics in their handles making recycling impractical, the team have moulded in a patterned surface for a good grip.

Comfort – after extensive testing the team has settled on a head size that they think you’ll find just right. Not too big to make access difficult, and not too small to be ineffective.

Gentle – the tip of the head is gently rounded to make it easy on your mouth and gums.

Bristles –  a choice of four fresh colors (Aqua, Gold, Purple and Natural), in medium stiffness to match your style or keep track of which brush belongs to whom. The tips of the high quality, bio-based bristles are rounded and polished to be kind to your gums.

Handle – the hollow design reduces material use and speeds up biodegradation. If ever a brush ends up where it shouldn’t, then the soil or water microbial breakdown can begin from both outside and in, returning the material to natural elements all the sooner.

No Compromise – even with the use of bio-based, biodegradable plastic you don’t need to worry about the capabilities of your toothbrush. Before shipping, the team we will ensure Reswirl toothbrushes satisfy the EN/ISO standards for toothbrushes including tuft retention, handle impact strength and fatigue resistance through 75,000 cycles.

The Reswirl Cycle

Step 1 – Reswirl toothbrushes are made entirely from bio-based plastic, even the bristles.

Step 2 – The team sends you a new toothbrush every three months. Your toothbrushes are sent to you in a box made entirely from recycled and recyclable cardboard.​

Step 3 – Use the brush.

Step 4 – Send the old brush back to us in the same prepaid box that the new toothbrush arrived in. ​

Step 5 – Returned brushes will have their bristles removed for separate recycling before the handles are ground down for moulding into new ones. The team will compost any material they don’t need, returning it to natural elements rather than cluttering up landfills or polluting oceans.

Click Here to Buy Now: $7 $7.78 (10% off). Hurry, only limited to 300 brushes.