Tag Archives: recycled

Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and 5 offer reliable performance to mainstream users

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Not everyone who needs a computer has steep requirements and deep pockets. That said, it doesn’t mean that these people don’t deserve a respectable product that gives what they need at a more accessible price point. There is a never-ending balancing act between price and features in the computer market, and thankfully Lenovo has a wide portfolio to capture these different segments. While the ThinkPad line mostly targets business customers and professionals, the IdeaPad family aims for everyday users with more varied needs. In that regard, the upcoming IdeaPad Pro 5i and 5 laptops might just have the perfect balance of powerful features in a package that won’t burn a large hole in your wallet.

Designer: Lenovo

Just because you don’t want or even need all the bells and whistles of a premium laptop doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a decent portable PC. Since different people have different needs, such a computer will still need to check all the right boxes to be usable for all people from all walks of work and school life. That’s the ideal of the Lenovo IdeaPad, and the latest iteration of its “Pro” tier gives buyers the freedom to choose what they need and want, from the size down to the processors inside.

The IdeaPad Pro 5i and IdeaPad Pro 5 are nearly identical in specs, differentiated only in the CPU they use, both the latest in their category. The “i” in the IdeaPad Pro 5i signifies that it’s an Intel machine, while the IdeaPad Pro 5 goes with the rivaling AMD Ryzen. For the former, buyers get to choose whether to use Intel’s built-in graphics or spend a bit more to get a next-gen NVIDIA GeForce mobile GPU, turning the serious laptop into a light gaming machine. There’s also the choice between display sizes of 14 or 16 inches, depending on what you need to be productive.

Whichever configuration you choose, Lenovo promises a balanced set of features to cover any type of use case, from work to study to entertainment. A physical privacy shutter for the camera guarantees your online safety when you’re not on a video call, and a Smart Power feature learns from your habits to automatically adjust the laptop’s power and cooling functions to deliver optimal performance and battery life. As for that battery life, Lenovo advertises that charging the IdeaPad Pro 5i/5 for just 15 minutes will give it 25% more battery life, already equivalent to hours of use.

Sustainability has been a very big deal for Lenovo of late, and the IdeaPad family embodies those objectives. The IdeaPad Pro 5, in particular, uses 50% recycled aluminum for its bottom cover, a small but important step forward for the brand. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and 5 will be available in May 2023 with a starting price of $1,499.99 for the 16-inch Intel model. Unfortunately, this will be the only configuration available for North American markets, while other models will be available in the EMEA region.

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This peculiar furniture set gives styrofoam a new home inside yours

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The way our brain works, we become almost numb and blind to the most mundane things that we see every day. It’s a survival tactic that prevents our brains from blowing up at every external stimulus. For example, we easily take styrofoam for granted in whatever form it comes in, be it large slabs or tiny balls, because they’re easy to ignore in all the packaging, cups, and containers that we see day in and day out. These synthetic objects, however, obviously have a negative impact on the environment, and the measures taken to reduce that ironically still stress both natural and human resources. That’s why these pieces of furniture try to nip the problem in the bud by giving styrofoam a new purpose inside or outside your home without having to travel far from where they’re taken.

Designers: we+

Styrofoam, by nature, is not only non-biodegradable but also potentially harmful to our own health, which makes its use as food and beverage containers sound almost ironic. The good news is that styrofoam can actually be transformed into materials for recycled plastic products after they have been melted and treated, presuming they’re even disposed of properly. The bad news is that these materials are often sent to other countries, which makes the entire process inefficient, wasteful, and still harmful to the environment in the long run.

Japan, for example, often exports styrofoam melted into ingots only to have those become the foundations for products bought in bargain stores. Rather than going through that roundabout and expensive process, Refoam starts and ends in Japan, right where the styrofoam is melted. This recycled goo is then immediately used to build up structures with unique textures and surfaces. Structures that can become tables, chairs, and furniture that will give any space a distinct look.

Whether from near or from a distance, it’s easy to see that any piece of Refoam furniture has a unique and almost odd aesthetic. It’s like a cross between cracked concrete and molten lava that has been cooled after it was given shape. Given the process involved in melting pieces of styrofoam and placing the resulting goo into molds to cool, that’s a rather accurate representation.

The Refoam series’ rocky appearance makes it almost perfect for outdoor use, but it can still fit in some interior motifs, particularly those aiming for cold, earthy tones. More importantly, however, it provides not only a more sustainable process for recycling styrofoam waste but also gives the material new value, even in its raw, melted form.

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This striking couch makes a powerful statement on face masks

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There was a point in very recent history when it seemed that the world had run out of single-use face masks, sometimes referred to as surgical masks. Eventually, however, supply did finally catch up to demand, and the use of such protective gear became so common that people would acquire them in bulk. Unfortunately, these masks weren’t made exactly made with regular people in mind and in situations where they would not be disposed of properly. What was a tool that helped save human lives, unfortunately, became poison to the planet, especially our already polluted waters. Although restrictions have been lifted in many places, these single-use masks are still in high demand and use, including outside the medical field, and the harm that these discarded masks pose to the environment has been demonstrated with dramatic effect in a pouf made almost completely out of this personal protective equipment.

Designer: Tobia Zambotti

Surgical masks look simple enough that most probably take for granted the materials used to make them. Most probably presume that they’re made from biodegradable material since they feel like cloth or paper, but that’s not exactly true. They are made from a certain kind of plastic, and they can’t be recycled because of their use in medical scenarios. Thus, they become dangerous pollutants, whether they’re burned by incinerators or thrown into the waters.

Given the volume of single-use masks produced and discarded on a regular basis, that can easily cause an environmental problem. What makes the situation worse is that very few people are aware of this situation, let alone of the harmful potential of these masks. What better way to call their attention, then, than by putting this number into perspective in a rather shocking manner?

That is what COUCH-19 does in a way that is both meaningful but also useful. Hundreds of used masks are collected and then sanitized using ozone before they’re entombed in a pouf made from recyclable crystal PVC. Each pouf is modular so that it can be combined with others to form a couch to one’s specifications. The poufs are shaped irregularly to give the semblance of the masks frozen in time. The iceberg-like design is intended to be a reference to global warming.

As a couch, the COUCH-19 looks both interesting but also a bit unsettling, which is part of the message. While there’s no doubt that it can function as a piece of furniture, its appearance is alien enough to give our brains pause, forcing us to face the reality that those masks convey, that of a world where we might be forced to live with the very trash that we so mindlessly throw away.

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This zero-waste laptop bag tries to make up for your laptop’s environmental sins

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Our civilization now relies heavily on all sorts of computers, but these products are sadly also killing of our planet in the process. From their production to their daily use to their disposal, desktops and laptops contribute to the sad state of our planet. Even worse, we tend to buy accessories for these devices that themselves create more problems for our environment. Fortunately, designers and brands have started to become more conscious of how even small things like accessory can pile up to become a sustainability disaster and are taking steps to minimize their negative impact on the environment. This laptop case, for example, is made from leftover fabric to become something fashionable that also shows a bit of university spirit, too.

Designer: Shelly Xu Design (SXD) x Harvard Innovation Labs

It’s easy to take for granted how clothes can be harmful to the environment because they seem biodegradable enough. While some textile and dyes aren’t exactly sustainable, those aren’t the only environmental problems they cause. The fashion industry alone is responsible for million tons of textile waste every year for leftover scraps and wasted fabric. This waste that would have otherwise piled up on landfills are the very source materials that Shelly Xu Design (SXD) uses to create masterpieces that make a statement in more ways than one.

It’s that kind of boldness that SXD is bringing to an industry outside fashion, with a laptop case that similarly uses those wasted fabric to produce something that will keep your laptop safe and snug while you go about your business in school or in the office. The main bag is made from white neoprene taken from scuba diving sets while the red handle and pockets are source from leftover polo shirt materials. The entire bag is made waterproof using ecorepel which biomimics how waterfowl feathers are able to repel water, hence the name.

This zero-waste “ILab Bag” is simple yet fashionable while also being functional. The bag is reversible, so you can choose between a plain white appearance or accented red. The red cloth parts also function as pockets and handles, going beyond mere embellishments. And when the laptop bag is fully unfolded, that side forms a red “H” on white, a nod to Harvard’s name and colors.

The SXD zero-waste laptop case might not be extraordinary in terms of form and function, but that isn’t its primary objective anyway. Instead, it tries to serve as an inspiration and model for how recycled waste materials can be transformed into high-quality, beautiful products. If more companies start producing swag these way, it could eventually lead to a transformation of an industry that often doesn’t give a second thought to its long-term effects on the only planet that we have.

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Sony LinkBuds S in Earth Blue is designed to help keep the Earth green

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TWS or Truly Wireless Stereo earbuds have now become almost a necessity for anyone that has a smartphone these days, thanks to the retirement of the headphone jack. While it does reduce the number of cables produced for typical wired earphones, especially for phones that don’t ship with a pair, it also means that there are more electronics being made each year. These products normally make use of plenty of plastic, even in small devices like earbuds and their charging cases. The somewhat good news is that manufacturers are becoming more aware of their effects and responsibilities when it comes to the environment, which is why Sony is launching a new option for its latest TWS earbuds that tries to help reduce the damage, even in small doses.

Designer: Sony

Compared to earphones whose cables regularly get tangled up, wireless earbuds are more convenient to use and carry around. Their diminutive sizes, however, also make them too easy to lose as well. And when one piece goes missing, it’s pretty inconvenient to use the buds, even if it’s possible to only use a single one for one ear. Unless you’ve heavily invested in a rather pricey pair, chances are you’ll just end up buying a new one and simply discarding the incomplete set. That’s great for users and companies but not so much for the planet.

Sony seems to have the right idea by introducing the new Earth Blue color option for its LinkBuds S TWS earbuds. Rather than just a different splash of paint, the buds are Sony’s eco-friendly option for more conscientious music lovers. While the headphones themselves do still have your typical electronic components, parts of it are made with recycled materials from automobile parts. To some extent, that helps reduce the number of new parts that have to be made and the raw materials that have to be consumed for each and every pair.

The more interesting aspect of these more sustainable earbuds is their charging case. The case and some parts of the buds themselves are made from recycled water bottle materials, which also happens to give them a unique marble pattern. It’s a design that could remind one of seas and oceans, which is probably the effect that Sony is aiming for. Along those lines, the company is also committing to support ocean conservation activities through donations to NGOs.

While Sony does deserve some praise for its attempt to make a sustainable product more accessible and more attractive, it sadly comes a bit short of making a bigger commitment in that regard. The Earth Blue option, after all, is just one out of four colorways, and limiting the recycled materials to just one color means that it won’t appeal to those who don’t like Blue. It would definitely be better if these materials were made available on all LinkBuds S models, but, as it stands, that’s as far as Sony is willing to go for now.

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This modular housing concept floats on water and is made from recycled plastic

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Some people are already fantasizing about setting up colonies on the Moon and Mars, but we have barely begun to understand and conquer our own seas and oceans. Granted, we might already be killing off these bodies of water because of your carelessness and neglect, but a large portion of the planet’s maritime territory remains unharnessed. Hopefully, however, we can be smarter about how we use this invaluable resource, especially when it comes to building homes below or on top of our waters. There have already been numerous ideas about how houses and even whole communities can be built to float on water, but this more sustainable concept not only respects the marine environment but even creates potential habitats for the creatures of the sea.

Designer: MAST

Although it will definitely require more thinking and resources, it would probably be easier if these new aquatic buildings were made using traditional materials and methods. Of course, that would also mean destroying the very environment that we’re building our new lives on. That’s nothing new as far as what we’ve been doing so far on the ground, but we already should know better by now. A new environment also means being able to start anew using the lessons we’ve learned over the past millennia, and this “Land on Water” vision is exactly that.

The literal foundations of this modular building system actually find their roots in ancient times. It inverts the typical gabion cage design, which is usually filled with rubble to create low-cost foundations and is instead filled with locally sourced, up-cycled floatation support to hold whatever structure is built on top. The flat-packed cages themselves are made from reinforced recycled plastic, making it easier to transport these sturdy modules and assemble them on location.

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In addition to avoiding the toxic anti-fouling paints used on steel and concrete foundations, these modules can potentially become new habitats for fish and crustaceans, as well as anchor points for mollusks and seaweed. In other words, Land on Water won’t just be building homes for humans but also homes for marine life that could help support the human community above in turn.

The modular cages can be used to build anything from floating houses to campsites to even pools and saunas, as odd as that might sound for structures built to float on water. Land on Water can even become the blueprint for a new kind of dynamic, off-grid floating community of the future instead of the grand structures painted by some visionaries that still embrace the traditional and harmful practices that are killing off the planet. It might not be a scalable design for supporting large and heavy buildings, but that’s exactly the point of creating smaller, more agile structures that are also more respectful of the environment they’re built on.

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Acer Chromebook Vero 514 makes a huge leap in sustainability

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Consumer electronics are hardly the most sustainable products on the planet. In addition to the tremendous use of plastics and the electricity they consume, the industry is hell-bent on encouraging people to just buy newer stuff even if their current devices are still serviceable. Worse, there are systems in place that make it almost too inconvenient to continue using aging products through repairs and upgrades. Fortunately, the past few years have seen a rise in awareness of how the destruction of the planet would be bad for business in the long run, pushing manufacturers to lay out their plans to help reduce their negative impact on the environment. Building on the Earthion initiative it announced last year, Acer has come out with a new Chromebook brandishing its eco-friendly Vero brand as its most sustainable laptop yet.

Designer: Acer

Acer made big waves last year when it debuted two sustainability efforts. Earthion is the company’s overarching program to integrate eco-friendly strategies across its many product lines, covering the entire production pipeline from sourcing materials to packaging design to logistics. From Earthion came Acer’s Vero line of eco-conscious devices that now include not just laptops but also monitors, accessories, and even projectors. The new Acer Chromebook Vero 514 is the latest to be added to that family, showcasing advances that the company has made toward its green goals.

It is nearly impossible for computers and smartphones to completely remove the use of plastics, so manufacturers can only mitigate the situation by using post-consumer recycled or PCR plastics. In that light, the Chromebook Vero 514 boasts that the plastic in its chassis and bezels around the screen are made from 30% PCR plastic, while keycaps have it at 50%. In addition, the material used for its internal fan housing and “OceanGlass” touchpad use recycled ocean-bound plastics to help reduce pollution in our waters.

More than just its composition, Acer made this new laptop also more recyclable and repair-friendly to prolong its life. The use of standard screws will make repairs and upgrades easier, and the paint-free chassis is 99% recyclable. Even the packaging, which people tend to take for granted, takes part in the sustainability game. The box is made from 90% recycled paper, and the notebook bag and keyboard sheet are made from 100% recycled plastic. The inner packaging can also be transformed into a triangular laptop stand so that nothing needs to be thrown away.

All of these eco-friendly measures would probably be pointless if the Chromebook Vero 514 wasn’t attractive enough to be bought. In addition to its durable and no-nonsense design, the Chrome OS laptop packs quite a wallop in terms of hardware, utilizing 12th-gen Intel Core processors or an option of a more power-efficient (read: slower) Intel Pentium processor. And since it uses Chrome OS, it will actually be less resource-intensive, helping prolong the laptop’s overall life.

Acer has been making big strides towards its sustainability goals, including running on 100% renewable energy by 2035. That’s still a long way to go, but every step in that direction matters. We’re still from having the perfect sustainable laptop, but the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 definitely offers one of the best combinations of performance and eco-friendly solutions that won’t make you feel short-changed for investing in a green laptop that will serve you well for years to come.

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Samsung sustainability initiative takes a step forward with Unpacked 2022 devices

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Smartphones are one of the most ubiquitous pieces of consumer electronics in the world today. An overwhelming number of people have one, some might even have two, and millions of phones are shipped every quarter. In fact, there might be too many smartphones out there in the world, and not all of them are actually in use or even in one piece. As wonderful as smartphones are, their production and disposal contribute to the worsening state of our environment, especially because of how many they are. Smartphone manufacturers have thankfully started to be more aware of their critical role in this broken ecosystem and, even better, are starting to take action. As one of the world’s biggest smartphone makers, Samsung is thankfully taking that responsibility seriously and is boasting the achievements that take it closer to its grand goal in 2025.

Designer: Samsung

From the cradle to the grave, a smartphone’s life is filled with materials and processes that harm the environment or even people. From the plastics used in electronics to the chemicals for treating different parts to the materials used in packaging, these powerful computers in our pockets and hands are almost like death traps for the planet. It’s too late to turn back, of course, so smartphone manufacturers are instead trying to reduce their negative impact little by little on all fronts. Samsung’s “Galaxy for the Planet” initiative tries to cover those different fronts, and the newest batch of devices it just announced demonstrates the progress it has made since the program was announced last year.

Samsung started with the Galaxy S22 earlier this year by using plastics made from recycled fishing nets that would have otherwise ruined our oceans and aquatic life. Since then, Samsung has expanded the use of that material to other Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy Book 2 Pro laptop and the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets. The new Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 continue that tradition and are even joined by the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. In fact, Samsung boasts that 90% of its new pro earbuds are made using recycled materials. Given its smaller size and fewer components, that is admittedly not that hard to pull off.

The company has also been trying to improve its packaging, and no, it’s not just about removing the charger. The company now uses 100% recycled paper for the packaging of its flagship phones, which does raise questions about the state of its non-flagship phone packaging. Samsung is also trying to reduce how much single-use plastic it puts inside the box, though it’s not yet ready to get rid of them entirely. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 boxes are less than half the size of their original models, which results in more efficient transport and reduced carbon emissions overall.

Sooner or later, phones do reach their end of life, mostly because they no longer meet the needs of their owners. That doesn’t mean they’re completely useless, though, especially if they’re actually still functional. Rather than simply breaking these down and having them undergo recycling processes that consume a lot of water and energy, Samsung is proposing upcycling phones to serve other needs, like acting as smart home hubs or cameras. In one specific case, old Galaxy devices even become eye diagnostic tools used in underserved communities.

These small steps forward take Samsung closer to its ambitious goal for 2025, but it might still be quite a ways away from that milestone. In three years, Samsung envisions itself as having eliminated all plastics in packaging, achieved zero waste to landfill, and used recycled materials on all mobile products, not just the flagship ones. Those are lofty goals, indeed, and some might say almost impossible to reach by 2025. When it comes to sustainability, however, every step, no matter how small, counts toward healing the planet and making sure there will still be people around to buy those fancy smartphones in the future.

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Fluff Stack is a fluffy furniture set made from denim waste

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There are a few things in life that humans can never get enough of that aren’t food. These include furniture for living spaces and clothes for our bodies. Fortunately, these two classes of products are quite ubiquitous, mostly thanks to manufacturing technologies and cheap materials. Unsurprisingly, mass-produced products aren’t the most sustainable products, and even seemingly innocent textiles have their own dirty laundry, no pun intended, when it comes to the environment. There’s also the matter of wasted unused materials like scraps and overruns that are simply discarded, often at the expense of the planet. Finding a good use for these bits and pieces might not be that easy, but one such artist thought outside the box to turn denim waste into the unlikeliest of new products: pieces of furniture.

Designer: Lenny Stopp

Common fabrics are often dyed using processes and chemicals that tend to be toxic to the environment, making it one of the textile industry’s worst secrets. Simply throwing clothes could still end up harming the planet in the long run, but even their production can be problematic from a sustainability point of view. Some pieces of clothing or fabrics might be recyclable, but scraps and bits of material aren’t so easy to reuse because of their small sizes.

A better solution would be to use them as the base for something else that may not be directly related to the world of textiles and clothing. This three-piece furniture set composed of a side table, a stool, and a lamp is one such example, using denim waste not to simply cover the surface of the furniture as you might expect. Instead, the pieces of denim come together to form the furniture’s core and structure while also giving it a texture and visual that is truly one-of-a-kind.

The idea for Fluff Stack came from the observation that denim pulp is actually very strong. This new kind of material was made by putting denim pieces into an industrial pulp machine and then was mixed with cornstarch and water. The result was a material that looked and felt fluffy but had certain durability to it, allowing it to be pressed into molds to become more rigid shapes.

The ultimate test of the strength of this new kind of material is to use it for products that need to support a lot of weight or withstand rough use. Furniture, of course, is the perfect representative of such products, and, thus, the Fluff Stack series was born. Even without knowing the history behind these art pieces cum functional furniture, Fluss Stack easily captures one’s attention and interest. Rather than straightforward forms, the pieces are composed of blocks of solidified denim pulp arranged in a maze-like combination. The fluffy appearance of their surfaces also makes them stand out as if covered with fur all around.

Fluff Stack probably won’t become a common furniture design, but it does open the doors to what can be done with fabric waste. In an ideal world, nothing really gets wasted, and even scraps can be used as foundations for something else, forming a large part of a circular economy. And apparently, they can also look good, too, which goes a long way in making them attractive as functional decor or fancy furniture.

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These sustainable artificial floes try to stem the melting of Arctic ice

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We might finally be feeling the effects of irregular and extreme climate conditions only now, but global warming has been ongoing for several years already. Its most evident effects, however, are mostly seen and felt in the Arctic, where large masses of ice are melting at a rapidly rising rate. This has a domino effect on the world’s climate patterns and, unfortunately, is something not easily solved in just a few years’ time. Ice masses have to be preserved and regenerated, which is easier said than done. It’s not impossible, though, especially with humanity’s collective intelligence and creativity. A case in point is the idea of a biocomposite structure that could keep the Arctic waters cooler and even build up some pieces of ice over time.

Designer: Niklas Andreasen

Our weather systems have always been cyclical ones. In addition to the usual cycle of seasons, the natural melting of polar ice affects global temperatures, weather patterns, and even the duration of those seasons. When ice masses melt too soon and too quickly, the world’s sea levels rise, and less light is reflected off the Earth’s surface. This causes more heat absorption and rising global temperatures, which, in turn, makes it harder for ice to form in those polar regions, particularly the Arctic.

Of course, we can’t just simply make water freeze faster to compensate for lost ice, but we could at least try to keep the Arctic ocean cooler to prevent ice from melting too rapidly. That’s where Project ARCSTAR comes in, an initiative that will try to deploy man-made floes that are designed to do some of the work that ice masses do in order to let natural sea ice retain its shape for just a bit longer. Even better, these floes are made from biowaste materials and will degrade naturally over time.

The hexagonal floes are coated in a bright white color in order to reflect as much sunlight as possible. This has the effect of lowering the temperature of both the water and the air around it, which means that actual ice masses should melt a little bit slower. ARCSTAR’s abilities, however, go beyond just keeping the ice from melting fast but can even facilitate the formation of new ice masses.

Its shape, which is made up of ridges and perforations, and its sponge-like structure are designed to absorb and store water. And because it effectively lowers the temperature of the water around it, the floe can actually turn that stored water into ice and then retain that ice longer than a regular ice mass. Since it is made from biodegradable materials, the floe itself will eventually decompose without releasing pollutants or harmful chemicals into the ice and, eventually, the world’s oceans.

Those sustainable materials include sulfur-free lignin and calcium carbonate, both of which are waste by-products of wood, paper, fish, and other industries that we use daily. Mixing it with other bio-based materials allows ARCSTAR to be light and strong and, most importantly, decompose faster, allowing the formed ice mass to just be an ice mass in the long run. The project definitely sounds promising as a stopgap measure to stem the rapid melting of Arctic ice, but even the designer warns that it isn’t a long-term solution. That would require changing much of our lifestyle and our industries to embrace more sustainable options, which takes far longer than forming ice in the Arctic.

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