ECO-FRIENDLY TECH

It can be hard to ally a love of tech with a love for the environment. Most gadgets soon fall victim to the rapidly evolving technology industry, discarded for newer models to add to the toxic wasteland of landfill sites. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are five ingenious products that are kind to the Earth and will last for years.

Telling the time with sunshine… Seiko Solar Watches

One thing we Tanzanians are not short of is sunshine, but these solar watches only require a couple of hours of sun all year to run. These Seiko watches, not only do away with the need for batteries – which are a toxic threat when disposed of in landfill sites – but they come in a range of stylish looks for men and women sure to ramp up your wrist game. This SUT322P1 model for women is waterproof to 100 metres so great for divers and has a beautiful mother-of-pearl dial.

seikowatches.com US$ 277

Image: Seiko Watch Corporation

Keep your water and the beaches clean... LARQ Self Cleaning Water Bottle

Anyone who has seen our beautiful rivers and beaches littered with discarded plastic, will know that reusable bottles are the right choice. However eco-friendly these bottles are, they can harbour not-so welcome germs if not washed thoroughly between uses. The LARQ range solves this issue by using ultraviolet light – widely used today in hospitals to sterilise surfaces – to wipe out 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. This germzapping function activates every two hours so you never have to worry about the cleanliness of what you are drinking. The bottles also keeps your drinks cold all day or will ensure your flask of coffee is still hot up to 12 hours after you first made it.

livelarq.com US$ 108

Image: LARQ

A big sound without the big footprint… Google Nest Mini

The latest generation of the Nest Mini comes with 40 per cent stronger bass than the original. As well as these new lower registers, the smart speaker has a lower carbon footprint with it now being made entirely from recycled products. Its attractive knitted fabric cover is now constructed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recovered from used-plastic water bottles.

google.com US$ 67

Image: Google

See the light on saving energy… Dyson Lightcycle Task Lamp

Lamps don’t come much smarter or sustainable than this. In fact, though you might not enjoy thinking about it, the Dyson Lightcycle Task Lamp will probably have a longer working life than you. This is thanks to a vacuum-sealed copper tube, which constantly draws heat away from the LEDs, maintaining light quality for 60 years. That light will self-adjust its intensity by detecting changes in background light or the time of day or you can personalise it to your needs with 20 customised setting to suit your work or mood. There is no place for on/off switches in the Dyson next-gen world. Using an infra-red sensor, the light comes on when you are near and should it detect no movement for five minutes it will switch itself off.

dyson.co.uk US$ 554

Image: Dyson

Plant-based protection for your phone… Incipio Organicore

Up to 80 per cent of a mobile phone is recyclable, so when you feel you need to move on to a new model, don’t send it to landfill or leave it in the drawer – recycle it! As for replacing your phone case, if you have bought an Incipio Organicore, which is made up of 100 per cent plant-based materials, you can just put it in your garden compost bin where it will dissolve completely and harmlessly. The cases come in sizes to fit the latest Samsung and iPhone models and with their form-fitting and flexible shell they will protect the phone from drops from up to over two metres. Of course, they also do their bit to protect the environment.

Incipio.com US$ 39.99

Image: INCIPIO