Ecofriend

Eco Factor: Skyscraper with a rooftop-based ecosystem.

Whenever it comes to vertical farming, people mostly envision high-rise buildings where veggies are grown at different levels. Architectenbureau Paul de Ruiter have a different thought to vertical farming, where structures won’t just grow lettuce but also comprise houses, offices and other complexes for which skyscrapers are commonly built. The green area will be centered around a rooftop-based ecosystem that will sustain and enrich the structure.

Eco Factor: Home built from trashed beer bottles.

We’ve probably seen hundreds of uses of old beer bottles, and though many DIYers plan out products that take no more than a few weeks to build there are more patient recyclers that opt for an extreme approach. If the 25-year DIY to build a temple from more than a million beer bottles is just too much for you, Jenna Mack’s venture should be more than just an inspiration. Collecting building material doesn’t make Jenna go to a hardware store, but to parties and fairs where there is no dearth of beer and eventually empty beer bottles.

Eco Factor: Helmets equipped with wind turbines to power a two-wheeler’s lights.

A team of students at Cheng Shiu University have developed a new helmet that generates wind electricity to power two-wheeler’s headlights, tail lights and direction indicator lights. Equipped with a set of five small wind turbines, the helmet starts generating electricity when the bike is in motion.

Eco Factor: A series of lights made from recycled objects.

Anne-Cécile Rappa, a Swiss designer, has come up with a series of lights called Najah, Lazara and Ilham. These lights are made by enclosing objects in knitted plastic bags. These lights are exquisite, portraying flawless craftsmanship.

Eco Factor: Zero-emission bike powered by electricity.

The Eagle by JD Group is the newest entrant to the e-bike market, which is a one-of-a-kind bike designed especially for the green youth of today. The bike is technically sound and well designed. It has an axial torque sensor providing convenience to the rider as it assists the rider with electric power, hence reducing the pedaling force.

Eco Factor: Interesting bookshelves made from skateboards.

Here comes a bookshelf that is unique, trendy and definitely original giving a stylish look to your wall. Designed interestingly these bookshelves will certainly grab a good deal of attention. Three longboard skate decks are placed horizontally and three others vertically to design this awesome piece of furniture. Every skateboard lover would love this innovative bookshelf immensely. The shelves are available in maple or color with a branded deck option.

Eco Factor: Rainwater harvesting system made from recycled materials.

One thing that you’ll find in almost all developing nations is clogged drains and gutters laden with plastic bags. These plastic bags end up polluting freshwater sources, hence leaving the population hunting for new sources of fresh water. Industrial designer Kelly Kunkel has designed an innovative solution to both the aforementioned problems, which he calls the Rainwater Catch and Storage System.

Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered by electricity.

Mitsubishi Motors did its bit for the environment on the World Environment Day, by unveiling the production version of the i-MiEV new-generation electric vehicle, describing it as “the pioneer that will open the door to the next 100 years of our automobile society.” The i-MiEV will go on sale on the Japanese market in late July of this year.

Eco Factor: Solar-powered system extracts water from humid air.

Access to clean drinking water is not as common as people living in urban areas think it to be. With billions of people thirsty for water, inventors had to design systems that can help provide potable water from something that is omnipresent. Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB have sought answers for the problem in air.

Eco Factor: Exploded party poppers converted into stunning chandelier.

Parties are often regarded synonymous with waste, much of which isn’t easily recycled or is not recyclable at all. From disposable utensils to plastic bottles and party poppers, there are a variety of things that need a place to be discarded safely. Industrial designer Stuart Haygrath has made sure that the parties he has attended don’t have a catastrophic effect on the environment by collecting exploded party poppers and reusing them in artistic chandeliers.