istand - Stand and drive

A two person car for the city that has an ultra small footprint for parking and recharging The car has three independent wheels combined with a 'standing room only' volume for passengers.
This is part of SOFT cars project of Mitchell Joachim.
There are some more projects (including some bamboo!) on this website and the intention is to comprehensibly establish a green framework for solutions that fit within the natural environment and urbanized areas.

The Thin Green Line

Toyota's campaign to brand its "hybrid synergy drive" avoided the word green, instead focusing on simple environmental claims such as "Less gas in. Less gasses out."
This article (CMO Magazine) is worth reading for its insight on "green marketing" - what works, and what doesn't. The article makes the point that deliberately branding youself as "Green" carries with it quite a bit of risk.

Sustainable Designers

Part IV, Best of Treehugger

Sustainable designers! sounds very interesting, right? This link published in TH and these designers had to do more than just one thing well. The designs had to be numerous, varied and excellent, and after much research, time and thought, blabla blabla... ...

check out also previously selected designer series: Part I, PartII and Part III

Next Generation

DESIGN COMPETITION
To a designer or architect seeking seed money to develop a Big Idea that will make our designed environment better, safer, and more sustainable.
Deadline: 12.15.2005 Late Deadline: 1.15.2006 Download here the application
Metropolis seeks to identify the next generation of Big Ideas by the next generation of designers. The offer is $10,000 to an individual or team of designers seeking to develop a Big Idea that will make our designed environment better, safer, and more sustainable.

Ecodesign 05 Fotoalbum

D4S blog has its own fotoalbum. Check some pics from Ecodesign 05 Symposium in Tokyo (side bar).

Business Week Special Report

Normal stuff!

Trash-can made from 99% re-claimed automobile tires and recycled plastic or aluminum trim.

Eco-friendly toothbrush

from recycled yogurt containers
Its toothbrush from recycled yogurt containers. Yes, the whole of the brush handle. Recycline, Inc., partnered with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to design the brush. And the Stonyfield Farm Yogurt is to supply the material. Recycline, Inc., the manufacturer of environmentally-friendly products is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The toothbrush is simply designed. Narrowing at the head, the brush handle is sleek, with a subtle curve out from the base. Apparently allowing for a gentler brushing technique, the brush is curved reverse, ie the handle backward. To increase the ease and benefits of brushing, the brush handle is made curved.

More eco-friendly products and lifestyles at http://www.ecofriend.org/

Re-use of wate materials with real purpose

Recyclicity.net
The objective of Recyclicity is to promote re-use of waste material for construction applications with as little added energy as possible for transport and processing of materials.

In Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, recycled advertising billboards serve as rain covers on the tents of earthquake refugees. source: sfgate.com

Look for more examples at recyclicity.net

Creative Sustainability #1: Magazine stool

Our favorite magazines' collection requires lots of space in the house. By tightening the magazines with a suitcase belt (€1.5) they acquire a new functionality as seating artifact.

More pictures

Ecodesign Brains

Ecodesign 2005 was non-stop networking and thinking for la crème de la crème of sustainable design.
Taeko Aoe (Panasonic), Casper & JC. More insiders’ pics to come soon.

Rapid recharge batteries

0.3mm thick and recharges in 30 seconds

NEC has debuted some ultra-thin and flexible quick charging batteries named ORB, for Organic Radical Battery. Their 0.3mm thickness that allows them to be flexible, or the fact that they can be recharged in about 30 seconds. The organic radical materials inside the battery are in an “electrolyte-permeated gel state,” which is supposedly about halfway between a solid and a liquid. This helps ions make a smooth move (no, the other one), reducing resistance, allowing the batteries to charge faster. 1 square centimeter will give you about 1 miliwatt hour. That’s not enough to power your laptop!! it it is may be th efuture for electronic paper, wearable computers, and other such technologies stepping up to the plate in the coming decade.

Uri Dreams Away in Dream Machine

Live report from Tokyo.... Uri is in love with this minimalistic massage chair, good design.... No worries, I am on my way to the Eco-Products Fair and hope to comeback with better examples...

Bamboo products

Here one can find 1000 examples for Bamboo applications. One can wonder for some products why it need to be in Bamboo! check it out.

Climate Change special issue Economist

That the climate is warming now seems certain. And though the magnitude of any future warming remains unclear, human activity seems the most likely cause. The question is what, if anything, can or should be done.

ECO PRODUCTS 2005

Eco-Products" is the largest eco-related exhibition in Japan.
Over 150 thousand people from every walk of life gather to this exhibition to exchange their views on "spreading eco-products" and "protecting the environment." And as you kno DfS is hanging around over there....so if you need some specific form this exhibition, let me knwo and I will explore it.

The new world map of tehmillenium goals

See the world map based upon achieving the millenium goals (in Dutch).

hOLAnDA Latin American Design

Cultural exhibition filled with the latest living, furniture, and design accesories from Latin America. The event centers its attention in four main areas: new materials, aware products, domestic design, design & crafts, and t-shirt design. Within the range of products you can find the work of Escama from Brazil.

Visit the exhibition during 1-4 December at Poosthornkerk (Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam).
site hOLAnDA