Recycled Cardboard Made Into Furniture

Krooom focuses on environmental performance and makes products which are produced with at least 60% recycled paper. Their technical team has developed and invented patented technology that has enabled the creation of products which are strong, sturdy and lightweight. They ship folded flat and require no tools for assembly. According to Nitzan Bertele, their Chief Design Officer, “advanced patented technology ensures no visible corrugated edges. Our products are completely printable, and meet many of the standards for moisture resistance.  Their production facility in China is supervised by our own staff, strictly working under international and local labor laws.”

In a typical re-manufacturing process, recycled cardboard is dropped into a water-based solution in which it dissolves, contaminants (tape, staples, dirt, etc.) are removed by gravity, flotation, or filtration, the recycled pulp is blended to produce a mix with the characteristics required for production of a specific paper product, and the pulp is pumped to a paper machine where the final product is manufactured. Paper production from recycled cardboard consumes less energy, produces fewer emissions to air and water, and generates less solid waste than production of similar products made from virgin fiber.

Please visit Krooom for more information.

China Shooting for “The Green Olympics”?

Just in time for the Summer Olympics, China’s capital is moving forward to improve air quality and help preserve the Earth. This year’s Olympics have been branded as the “Green Olympics” and China has been putting forth new systems, regulations, and buildings to better themselves for the future. One new rule made by the government prohibits fried food to be sold in the farmers’ market by vendors. Cooking fried foods requires the use of coal stoves, which contributes to air pollution. Although this is a great start to reduce the use of coal coming from China, vendors are still cooking with their coal stoves and selling the product but doing so before authorities arrive at 8:00 a.m.

The Beijing government has also been promoting public transportation by improving the systems, introducing incentives, and adding regulations on local vehicles. Two subway lines have been added to Beijing’s original two, and seven more are in construction. Some of these seven will be open in time for the Olympics. Tourists will find it convenient to take the metro directly from the airport to downtown. New bus routes have been added to street transportation, with buses running at more times. Fares have also been significantly lowered, and the government hopes that locals will utilize public transportation rather than driving. In fact, depending on the number of their license plate, local vehicles are allowed on the street every other day. This is to reduce both air pollution and traffic in the city. Beijing also went as far as to inspect every car, giving vehicles that don’t pass the smog test a yellow sticker, preventing it from the streets until September 20. Vehicles coming from other cities will be turned away unless they acquire a “Green Olympic Pass.”

China as a whole is following suit. On June 1, the Chinese State Council prohibited all stores and markets from offering plastic bags for free. This regulation has reduced the use of plastic bags by a whopping 80 percent in department stores and supermarkets and 50 percent in farmers’ markets by the end of June. A department store in Beijing supported this change by offering an exchange program in the month of June, giving out reusable totes to customers that brought in 50 plastic bags. New event specific buildings have been built to support the Games, and one in particular, the Water Cube, is made of lightweight plastic on the exterior, which requires less structural support, and is a better insulator than glass. That saves an estimated 30 percent in energy costs. Other buildings use no-flush toilets, rooftop solar panels, and a rainwater collection system.

Even Video Games are Targeting Environmental Issues

“In a desperate, near future setting where controlling the planet’s depleting fossil resources determines the ultimate fate of civilization. A global war for oil is being waged between two superpowers, the Western Coalition (US/EU) and the Red Star Alliance (Russia/China).”

Jane McGonigal was a speaker at South by Southwest this year. She’s a game designer and future forecaster who “takes play seriously.” Her day to day work is as senior researcher at the Institute for the Future (what a great name). Jane spends a majority of her time writing and speaking about the power of digital games, virtual environments and other immersive experiences. She believes that they can change our current reality and also shape our future. Her specialty is focusing on designing collaborative games that mesh the real world with virtual environments. Originally titled “World Without Oil”, Frontlines: Fuel of War is a collaborative online game simulating global oil shortage. It’s the first mainstream video game to capitalize on the worst case scenario of a global oil shortage. According to Craig Anderson, the game “could in fact lead to changes in attitudes, beliefs, and ultimately, changes in behavior.” Craig is a well established professor who teaches psychology at Iowa State University. He is a leading expert in the study of how video games effect people.

Algae Shines Bright on our Clothing

We all know that traditional fabric dyes are toxic (heavy metals, synthetic chemicals) and wasteful (by-waste, and run-off). In the past couple of years, this problem has posed serious environmental issues in the textile industry. In the last year alone, prices on fabrics have risen due to efforts to mitigate environmental pollution in China.

Well fear not, help is on the way. British scientists and researchers at Oxford University have developed a way to color fabric with algae. The single-celled algae organisms, called diatoms, are composed of tiny little iridescent shells. Depending on the porous nature, these silica based shells reflect different colors that remain constant over time.

“As the paint dries, they will all align themselves horizontally at the surface, all reflecting light the same way,” said Andrew Parker, of Oxford to Wired Magazine. “So, even though you have completely transparent paint and completely transparent silica shells, they will produce a very strong color.” Thus color is created naturally without having to rely on any environmentally harmful synthetic chemicals.

Get Your Electric Transport For $32,500

ZAP is a leading distributor of efficient, alternative energy vehicles for the US market. They’ve established over 20 licensed dealers and have plans to expand their distribution significantly in coming years. The XEBRA was introduced in 2006 and retails for under $10,000. The car will reach an excess speed of 40 miles per hour. The company has a Chinese manufacturing partner that has the capacity to make about 1,000 vehicles every month. Zap is working to get all required federal and state regulations approved in the United States. In addition to making vehicles that run on electricity, they are working to release another alternative energy vehicle called the OBVIO, designed to run on ethanol, gasoline or both. Last May of 2007, ZAP worked on a feasibility study with Lotus Engineering, the very well known OEM company that has a stellar history of designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing their own products in the trans industry. According to Lotus, the study is a “comprehensive research project into the creation of a new generation of ultra-efficient electric automobiles from concept to production.”



Zap’s newest model is called the Alias and for the price of $5000 you can make your reservation for one today. The total cost? Right now the MSRP is in the range of $32,500. The vehicle has front wheel drive with motors in the wheels. Its peak Horsepower is slated to be 321.85 (240 kW), it can do 0–60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds while having the potential to travel at a maximum speed of 156mph. The electric vehicle is scheduled for release and delivery in 2009. It is estimated that the range it can travel without needing a charge will be over 100 miles.

For more information visit zapworld.com.