Ecolect’s Materials Petting Zoo at IDSA Rhode Island’s Nextup Conference!

On Thursday September 25th, designers, business owners and individuals gathered together for ISDA Rhode Island’s Sustainability Conference in Providence. Presentations were given by four speakers; Meaghan O’Neal of TreeHugger.com, Sean Brennan & Kelly Sherman of Continuum, and Emily Pilloton of Project H Design spoke on the importance of understanding consumer behavior and choices. Emily discussed her current ongoing project, Hippo Roller, a water transportation device. Meaghan educated us about a new form of eco-friendly graffiti, and Sean and Kelly spoke passionately about the importance of the consumer mindset and understanding how consumers think about the environment. Most importantly, all of the guest speakers discussed ways of designing to guide consumers in choosing greener options. Afterwards, guests and speakers took part in an engaging discussion of causes, relevant issues, and solutions. Everyone congregated on the green roof of the historic and sustainably redeveloped, Peerless Lofts Building for cocktails and a small version of Ecolect’s Materials Petting Zoo, the cutting-edge traveling exhibition of environmentally considered materials.

Project H
Tree Hugger
Continuum

Day4 Energy Has Introduced A New Solar Panel Technology

Day4 Energy, A startup company in Burnaby, Canada, has introduced new solar panel technology, which will increase energy efficiency and decrease costs by 25 percent. President of Day4 Energy, George Rubin, has estimated that the cost per watt of solar power would be about $3 compared to the $4 for conventional panels. After months of research and experiments, Day4 has developed a new solar panel that has evolved in design and performance. The company has redesigned the solar-cell structure and has also developed a new electrode that allows these solar panels to absorb more light and operate at a higher voltage. This increases the efficiency from an industry standard of 14 percent to 17 percent, and these solar panels will generate more power than conventional panels do.

In conventional solar panels, the silicon that converts light into electricity is covered with a network of silver lines that feed into thicker wires called bus bars. Day4 replaced these bus bars with rows of fine copper wires coated with an alloy material, creating a new electrode. It covers up less silicon than the bus bars, leaving more area for absorbing light. In addition, less silicon was used in the production of this electrode, which allows more light to pass through to be converted into electricity. Although the new panels won’t be available for another 18 months, they are already in production.

Day4 Energy

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.

Toys for Elementary Math Education in the Developing World

Project H Design is an Ecolect partner and a global design nonprofit who believes design can change the world. Their team has assembled a group of industrial designers, social entrepreneurs, and manufacturers to conceive and produce a toy for elementary math education with applications in the developing world and the US retail markets. Their case study is the Kutamba School for AIDS orphans, located in Uganda. Project H’s team will develop a locally-made version of the toy for Kutamba and broader distribution in the developing world, along with a sister US retail version based on the same system.

In addition to taking donations on their site, Project H is submitting their proposal on Ideablob “the living, breathing community of ideas”. Their team is striving to delve more deeply into the design development, prototyping, user testing and distribution. According to Emily Pilloton, Founder of Project H Design, “We will be able to fund the initial production of the math toys for both the Kutamba case study school as well as the US retail production and associated legal/intellectual property protection.”

If you like what Project H is up to, sign-into Ideablob and give them a vote!

Nau We’re Talking!

For anyone who missed it, Nau (the cutting-edge, amazing eco-friendly clothing brand) who closed their doors this May, have announced they will re-open this October. Their new line will release for the fall and holiday season, incorporating the same design philosophy of balancing beauty, performance, and sustainability. The re-opening of Nau is being taken on by a group of former Nau employees, and they’ve found a partner to purchase the bulk of the company’s assets. The partner company, called Horny Toad, is a successful Santa Barbara-based lifestyle apparel business. Nau will continue to source materials and produce garments in the most environmentally possible ways, while adhering to their high factory standards and practices. Clothing will still be available for purchase on nau.com, however they will not be operating their own retail stores (at least not yet) upon this re-launch. To quote their site, “we’re coming back. Smaller and a little wiser, our ambitions tempered a bit by the experience, but our passions most definitely intact.”

To learn more about Nau and their re-launch, visit their blog - The Thought Kitchen.

A Twist On The Classics

SKATE STUDY HOUSE, also known as ‘SSH’, is a line of products conceived through the eyes of a skateboarder. The furniture aims to mix contemporary lifestyle, art and sports culture, and align with some of the bestselling modern furniture, while paying tribute to the renowned Case Study House. “The SKATE STUDY HOUSE finds its inspiration here by recreating furniture, and giving a feel of déjà vu-with-a-twist by incorporating skateboard decks. The introduction of this new element responds to the popularity of action sports, street art and design culture with a consciousness on our environment.” You might ask where they got all of these decks from which to construct the furniture. It’s easy to realize when you discover that the project is a collaboration between Jim Gray and Jonjon of ACME, Steve Lake of Sector 9, Chris Bullard and Al Collins of Premier Displays, and designer Eric Crandell.

Learn more at skatestudyhouse.com

Modular Home Recycling

Recycling plays an important role in achieving sustainability. It conserves natural resources, energy, and landfill space.  And in contrast with standard recycling bins, having something a little more convenient and intrinsic to use, makes the process of recycling more attractive. Thomas Deckert, a student in San Francisco, developed a very useful device for a wide range of kitchen environments. In a product design class, he designed a container system which utilizes space for general recyclables and compostables, including food waste. Constructed with reclaimed plastics and spare parts from around the house, the Household Recycling System provides a bin for plastics, separate bagged spaces for toxic waste, and a compartment for decomposable waste. In the end, Deckert’s goal was to provide something that common households could use in one compact unit.

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.