Why Do We Care? | sustainable development
In our world today, we are fortunate enough to think of things in excess. We have free and unlimited access to clean drinking water as well as utilize simple means of exchanging goods and services to receive basic needs, for example food and shelter. We have endless amounts of information at our fingertips that was formerly thought to be impossible less than two decades years ago. However, with such great power comes great responsibility. The main problem or concern facing us today is the thought that we have reached the world’s population cap and have now substantially exceeded it. The population cap is hard to concretely determine because there are many ways to go about the
problem. All conclusions are come to by the simple evaluation of resources gained and resources lost – our fundamental assets for means of survival. So, the question is how do we prevent our own extinction and what factors can sustain our development? Sustainable Development. What is it and why should we care? When did the idea of sustainable development start? Well, back in 1968, a group of scientists and thinkers called the Club of Rome gathered to discuss problems facing the world from short term thinking in the long term world. They wrote their conclusions in a book called: “The limits of growth”. In this book that the definition of sustainable
development is also up for interpretation. For example, when we talk about sustainability in the world today it is hard because the meaning is so diverse. We can say that the most accurate definition is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This idea is based upon something called the “3 pillars” of development, which are used to gauge success of particular development programs. The pillars include the: economic, ecological, and cultural approaches to sustainability and a balance between the three are needed to make it work.
Economic sustainability is used to define strategies that promote the utilization of socio-economic resources to their best advantage. A sustainable economic model proposes an equitable distribution and efficient allocation of resources. The idea is to promote the use of those resources in an efficient and responsible way that provides long-term benefits and establishes profitability. A profitable business is more likely to remain stable and continue to operate from one year to the next.
ronments ability to maintain the resilience and robustness of biological and physical systems. In sustainable development, the importance of maintaining essential ecological processes and life supporting systems is imperative to the preservation of genetic diversity and sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems. It is important that we preserve the natural balance that exists in nature because healthy ecosystems and environments are necessary for the survival and flourishing of humans and other organisms.
The second pillar of sustainable development is the ecological approach or environmental protection, which focuses on the importance of the envi-
The last pillar is the social approach focuses on maintaining the stability of social and cultural systems by increasing the standard of living for the poor.
Once a basic standard of living is met, it is believed that the human race will be better off because everyone of the 7 billion people living on the planet will be able to reach their potential and the world will be a richer place and will be able to reach beyond current defined limits. It is through a careful balance and understanding of these 3 aspects of sustainability that allow programs of development to become successful. Another question towards the other way of thinking of sustainable development is: “are we better off than we are before?� Through the Brundtland report, it is thought that sustainable development must rest on politi-
cal will of the government and that the government determines to what means of extremes that state should go to. If this action were to take effect, we could see different ecological problems throughout the world acting completely independent of the people. However; on another note, the legal enforcement of limiting resources for a limited time could be what the world needs to be successful in the consumption vs. replenishing argument in sustainability. Another solution to our sustainability debate is raised by an organization founded by bioregional development and world wildlife, One Planet Living. OPL raises the suggestion that our
problem is not one scarcity but one of accessibility. Recent statistics have found that at our current consumption growth rate, we currently use 30% more resources than we can replenish. Also if we were to continue the rate at which we consume today, we would need 3 planets if everyone wants to live like Europeans and 5 planets if everyone wants to live like Americans. One planet living has a positive outlook on our resources and in contrary says that it is our technologies that are just not there yet. In terms of solar energy efficiency, it is thought that we are only achieving 1:5000 the potential of capturing solar energy; therefore, it is only a matter of time for us to be able to capture
the abundant energy source that is our sun. So what’s been done and what’s currently being done about all of these raised statistics? The Earth Summer Conference (UN Conference on Environment and Development) 1992, addresses problems concerning pollution, alternative energy sources, public transportation, and water scarcity and a total of 172 governments participated in this convention. The main points taken away from this conference was Agenda 21, an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations, and individual governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and global levels.
Also discussed were the present poverty levels in developing countries, wanting to promote health, protect the environment, and mitigate pollution. In order to make these goals successful, it was stressed that the role of every person and government is important as well as the increase of science, technology, and education. The IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] gathered in 1995 to address the climate change due to human activity via environmental, socio-economic consequences and ways to alleviate these consequences. A few years later, in 2000 the MDG or Millennium Declaration and Development Goals were formed. The con-
centration was to discuss and plan out planetary goals that reasonably should be achieved by 2015 which include: an end poverty and hunger, achieve education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, fight AIDS and other diseases, promote environmental sustainability, and establish global partnerships to achieve these goals. The Rio conference is held every 5-10 years where progress is accessed from the year’s prior and new challenges ahead are addressed. At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, come together to
shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want. They have highlighted seven areas that they hold at priority attention; these include decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.
UN Millennium Deveopment Goals
Several of the central United Nations Millennium Development Goals have been achieved three years ahead of “schedule” (2015). Poverty is halved, as many girls as boys are attending school AND access to clean water sources has been increased. However there is still much work that needs to be done in order to realistically achieve these goals. The reports shows that extreme poverty has been reduced in all regions. For the first time since the measuring of poverty tendencies began, both the total number of people who live in extreme poverty as well as the total number of poor people has reduced. Preliminary calculations show that the
number of poor people living below the poverty line in 2010 was less than half of what it was in 1990. This means that the first UN’s Millennium Development 2015 Goal – stating that the number of people living in extreme poverty compared to a 1990-level must be halved by 2015 – has already be achieved. And halving poverty is not the only success you can read about in the report: The goal to reduce the number of people without access to improved drinking water conditions has also been reached. From 1990 to 2010, more than two billion people thus gained access to clean drinking water. That is an increase from 76% to 89%
of the world’s population being able to drink clean, safe water. The report also points to another milestone: The equal distribution of boys and girls in primary school. Successful national and international efforts have led to many more children being enrolled in primary school – nine out of ten children. This development really accelerated in 2000 and has especially been beneficial for the girls. In 2010, 97 girls were thus enrolled in school for every 100 boy, compared to 1990 when the same ration was 91 to 100. The UN helps many countries by providing incentives to children-especially females who attend schools. They will provide free meals for the
children each day as well as give girls a bag of rice to bring to their families after a day at school. Despite these successes, alarming prognoses show that 600 million people will still be without clean drinking water in 2015, that almost 1 billion people will continue to live for less than $1.25 a day, that mothers unnecessarily will die giving birth and that children will die from diseases that could have been easily treated like diarrhea. But, even though the report optimistically describes the progress that has been made, it still warns us that the 2015 deadline is rapidly approaching.
So, if we are to have a realistic chance to achieve the goals that still have not been reached, then governments, international societies, civil society and the private sector needs to intensify their efforts. The 2015 campaign
makes up a solid basis of experience ideal to draw on, and at the same time its successes makes us believe that it is possible to achieve even bigger results in the future.
Design Matters
To develop innovative, viable products, the designer must have a thorough knowledge of the market. Knowledge of what already exists, where optimization is required, where solutions are required. The essence, function, and meaningfulness of a product are the subject of intense study and research. The suitability of materials is considered. Forms are sought that are more integral to their intended functions. Preliminary concepts are developed on the basis of these considerations and sketched out by hand. Preliminary models then give concrete form to the sketches. Once that form is completely understood, final products are conceived. Products that are unique with a personal imprint left on every detail.
Technology, the choice of materials, and workmanship reflect the identity of the designer. How things are designed can have significant implications for sustainability. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that 75% of UK consumers’ carbon emissions come from the use of products and services. We also know that 80% of the environmental impacts of those products and services are determined in the early stages of design. The impact of said products or services should be considered at the design stage. This is the differentiating factor that separates sustainable design, rather good design, form bad.
So design really does matter, not only in how we shape and order our world, but also in determining our impact on it. We’ve made some serious headway on sustainability reporting and monitoring, governance, production, supply chains and communications, but paid much less attention to how we design more sustainable products, services and systems. One probable reason for this is a lack of leading influence on sustainable design as part of the broader solution. There’s a growing sense that in the next wave of sustainability – focused on creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, and practical solutions, – will heavily utilize the designer and our creative process. Californian design professor and
Why Design for Sustainability?
Papanek contemporary, Nathan Shedroff, captured this well when he said: “Design is the problem as well as the solution”. If environmentalism’s success was in spotlighting sustainability problems to the world, the success of design will be in helping deliver solutions.
It may be fair to ask how much designers have earned the right to play in the sustainability space if they lack sustainability leadership. Yet there are positive signs of change, from the take-up of design methods like Cradle-to-Cradle and biomimicry (nature inspired design). What benefit is it to turn to a designer, rather than a supply chain manager, factory manager, communications/ad agency or technologist to create your product? Great design makes the heart beat faster, solves tricky problems creatively, makes weird, new stuff seem normal, makes things cool, can make lives better and make businesses richer. Steve Jobs understood this intuitively in stating that “design is the fundamen-
tal soul of the human-made creation”, and great design helped Apple become the wealthiest company there is. We now need to take design way beyond what Apple has done with it and turn its skills whole-heartedly and single-mindedly to the challenges of sustainability. We need people saying “wow,” “ah ha”, and “yes” to really great sustainable design. All of these factors will help with sustainability’s “sex” appeal and promote it to be the new must have design that everyone wants to be a part of.
Whats Inside...
It’s far better and easier to explain design in action, so we put together a series of 10 example categories that illustrate our points about design and sustainability in more detail. The gallery chiefly focuses on industrial or product design examples of everyday products and services. Design is multi-faceted, tackling many types of challenges and sustainability is obviously complex too. The examples in the gallery cover a breadth of areas, from small changes to giant leaps, from redesign to new design, as well as covering a range of different sustainability issues considered and balanced as part of a design brief. Rather than exhaustively detailing these here, take a look at the whats inside:
Water Globally, diarrhea is the leading cause of illness and death, and 88 per cent of diarrheal deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and unsafe drinking water. More than 40% do not have access to safe drinking water.
Wellbeing & Health Only 36% of Africans have access to proper sanitation.
Food Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger. It is estimated that some 800 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition, about 100 times as many as those who actually die from it each year.
Education Home to 15% of the world’s population, Africa produces less than 1.5% of the world’s scientific knowledge. All levels of education need to be upgraded. 38 million children are still out of school.
Energy 70% do not have access to electricity. Those who do are experiencing “a power crisis.” This is characterized by frequent interruptions in service.
Other Relevant products that do not fit into the criteria listed above.
About the Authors
Two Lehigh University Product Design Seniors took a sustainable development class in hopes of learning more about the power and importance of design in the efforts of sustainability. This book looks closely at 76 products that are upcoming and substantial in terms of creating a sustainable future for generations to come. Here’s a little bit about each of us:
Robert Garthwait III
Jessica Ernst
Robert is a designer-turned-entrepreneur who uses his creative talent and drive to make an impact. His work ethic, motivation, and yearning for success make him an excellent team player, he always brings new ideas to the table. He sees opportunity and delivers focused decisions and insight, along with creative solutions. With experience in design, manufacturing, and startups, Robert will continue to follow his own path after Lehigh without losing sight of his love for the outdoors, photography and travel.
Jessica is a senior product designer, graphic designer and engineering minor Being a designer means you have control over things around you and are able to see inspiration everywhere and constantly observe interactions around you. Driven by a passionate and successful athletic carrier, she takes every opportunity in life as a challenge and is determined to learn from every experience.
Cactus Gum | purify water cheaply and effectively
Counterintuitive as it may seem, cacti might be the key to cheap and easy water purification. Assistant Professor Norma Alcantar at the University of South Florida in Tampa has discovered that when mucilage (a type of gum used to store water) from the prickly pear cactus is mixed with water that contains high levels of sediment or the bacterium Bacillus Cereus, both the bacteria and the sediment sink to the bottom. The mucilage, in other words, acts as a cheap and effective natural filter, which could be employed by millions of people in developing nations to produce clean water.
The discovery means that residents of the developing world could potentially boil cactus and add it to water that needs to be purified. Of course, it will be difficult for cactus users to gauge how much bacteria and sediment has been filtered. And its hard to say how much water and land would be necessary to grow cacti for widespread water purification. Although not a physical product per say, this discovery is worth mentioning with its potential to influence future designs.
Lifesaver Jerrycans | transport storage and purification
The bright yellow Jerrycan is equipped with a built-in filtration system that eliminates both bacteria and viruses present in contaminated water. The LIFESAVER can process about five gallons of water at a time and it’s a great tool for campers and the developing world. Gizmag reports that the LIFESAVER Jerrycan eliminates 99.999995 percent of bacteria and 99.999 percent of viruses in contaminated water, making it a fantastic solution for people who live in areas that lack decent water treatment facilities. But its size is what sets this apart from other water purification devices that typically provide only enough water for drinking.
The LIFESAVER also comes with an optional shower attachment, allowing users to purify water for cleaning themselves as well. There are two water filters available to purchase: one that processes up to 2,641 gallons and another that can clean up to 5,283 gallons of water in its lifespan, which, as Gizmag notes, equates to using the jerrycan 540 or 1,080 times. When the filter is about to expire, it gets harder to pump water, and when it is completely expired, it actually stops pumping water altogether, alerting its owner that it’s time to get a new one. Trouble is, the costs are way too high for the developing world. People who barely have enough money to buy
tomatoes and onions at the market won’t be able to shell out $260 for this water purification device, or $468 for the family pack. Getting aid organizations or governments to purchase the LIFESAVER Jerrycan is the only way this product will achieve worldwide distribution.
Solar Bottle | water-purifying drinking container
Good design can save lives and improve human society. That’s the thought behind the Solar Bottle by Italian designers Alberto Medo and Francisco Gomez Paz. Winner of a 2007 INDEX award, the sleekly designed Solar Bottle uses simple solar technology to purify dirty drinking water and prevent water-born diseases. Case studies around the globe have shown that the purifying drinking water through UV radiation can significantly decrease the incidence of fatal dehydration from waterborn diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and dysentery. The Solar Bottle design builds off of the SODIS (Solar Water Disin-
fection) process. Developed by the Department of Water and Sanitation at the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Research, SODIS works with the sun to allow UV-A radiation and increased temperature to destroy pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water. The slim PET container holds 4 liters of water and can be easily arranged back-to-back for ease of carry. A specially designed handle allows balanced transport and doubles as a stand to provide optimal solar incidence. UV-A exposure and thermal gain are maximized with a bi-color blown injection molding that creates both a transparent side and a dark,
heat-absorbing side. Iconic graphics on the back of the container provide directions for proper usage. A real life example where design is essential for universal communication of direction without the use of words. The SODIS process provides a sustainable solution and the Solar Bottle increases the ease of implementation. Designers Alberto Medo and Francisco Gomez Paz have perfected a profoundly simple idea – disinfect dirty water with available resources – with intent and good design that has the potential to save millions of lives.
Lifelink | sustainable water management solutions
Grundfos LIFELINK is a sustainable drinking water solution for the world’s poorest. It is designed to provide safe drinking water to small communities, marketplaces, hospitals, orphanages and schools in rural areas around the world. Drilled into the groundwater, the device consists of a manual turnkey water solution for remote communities without access to water and electricity. It encompasses both the water solution itself and a business model, ensuring the 3 pillars of sustainability in achieving long-term environmental, financial, and social sustainability. The machine is operated using a simple mobile phone. Even in the poorest areas of the world, mobile
phones are widespread. In Kenya for instance, people are accustomed to using mobile phones when selling livestock. The process begins when the underground water is pumped and powered by solar panels or wind turbines. The pumped water is stored in an elevated water tank and then led by gravity to an automatic water tapping unit. Users insert a SmartCard with a built-in chip in the slot at the water tapping unit in order to tap water. A display shows how many water credits are available. Water credits are pre-paid to the SmartCard. When inserted in the slot, the water flows automatically until the card is removed or the
water credits have been exhausted. Water credits are transferred to the SmartCard via mobile phone banking. It is fast and simple. A percentage of the payment for water is allocated to service and maintenance, which means that lengthy downtime and negligence due to lack of funds are history. Depending on the quality of the raw water source, the required water capacity and the community layout, Grundfos LIFELINK engineers can adapt the design to suit the needs of the individual community. The solution and its optimal components are then chosen on the basis of the results of our community evaluation and mobilization processes.
The LIFELINK isn’t cheap, which is why three business models are in place. They focus on engaging partnerships with governments, NGOs, knowledge and research organizations, corporations and foundations to help finance the pumps. The smartcard systems depend entirely on how much the communities are able to invest.
WADI | solar-powered water disinfecting device
Worldwide, there are over 780 million people without access to an improved drinking water source. An additional 1.5 billion people have just limited access to safe drinking water. The problem is usually not water shortage as such, but lack of disinfected, drinkable water. In Africa, Asia and South America, the water is often contaminated with coliform bacteria, viruses, and other kinds of pathogens. According to the UN, 80% of all illnesses and deaths caused by diseases in developing countries derive from insufficient or contaminated drinking water supply. Over 50% of all hospital beds in developing countries are occupied by people who suffer from dis-
eases caused by contaminated water. And it is always the most vulnerable who have to pay the highest price: Each year, 1.5 million children under the age of five die because of unsafe water. This is equal to around 4,000 children every day. To tackle these problems, Helioz has developed an inexpensive and easyto-use water disinfection tool called WADI™. Its use is simple and does not need much training on part of the end customer. WADI™ is put on a water-filled PET bottle like a screw cap and indicates the microbial reduction in the water through solar disinfection - illustrated by a smiley face. With its built-in solar panel, WADI™ works
energy self-sufficient and has a guaranteed life time for at least two years. The device can be used and shared by several persons and families since many bottles of water can be purified simultaneously. Internationally understandable pictograms on the device facilitate correct usage. While until today, solar water disinfection has only been used by several million people worldwide, WADI™ has the potential to make solar water disinfection a widely used method around the world.
Kor | personal sustainable hydration vessels
Kors mission statement: “Better Me, Better World” because we believe you can make a difference without giving up everything you love. These water advocates has stood by its commitment to encourage individuals to stop buying disposable bottled water with its smoothly styled BPA-free water vessels. They announced a limited-edition series of “Thirst for Giving” bottles that feature beautiful art and provide sales proceeds to non-profits that are working to preserve the environment. $5 from the sale of each Special Edition Kor bottle goes toward their Thirst for Giving program, which supports select non-profits: The
Algalita Marine Foundation, Blue Planet Run, The Container Recycling Institute and The Wetlands Initiative. “The people at KOR prove that a company with a conscience can succeed in providing a durable, fashionable, high quality product that not only is good for the environment, it gives back to protecting the environment as well,” said Susan Collins of The Container Recycling Institute. KORs success is attributed to their well-made, beautifully designed products that are inherently more sustainable than commodity products that are quickly discarded and end up in landfills.
Solarball | clean water by evaporation and condensation
Monash University grad Monash Liow sought to aid underdeveloped populations that lack access to clean drinking water. The Solarball is a personal and portable water purification device, capable of producing water out of contaminated water. This is a cylindrical shaped device that utilizes the power of the sun to purify water. The device can produce up to 3 quarts of clean water daily, by absorbing heat from the sun, causing dirty water contained inside to evaporate. As evaporation occurs, contaminants are separated from the water - generating drinkable condensation. The lower half of the Solarball is insulated by a pocket of air - allowing
the dirty water inside to absorb and retain heat more efficiently. Dirty water can be inserted (from the top) and clean water dispersed (from the front) without the need to take the device apart. This reduces significant heat loss whenever water needs to be inserted or dispersed - increasing the speed at which evaporation takes place. However, the design does pose a few problems. The size, although convenient and extremely portable, does not generate enough water for one person, let alone a village. Another factor is that the Solarball would need to be made of a durable plastic that can withstand constant exposure to the hot sun, and not become weakened.
Lifesaver Bottles | personal sustainable hydration vessels
Another product from LIFESAVER is the The LIFESAVER bottle-the world’s first water bottle to remove all bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites, fungi and all other microbiological waterborne pathogens without the aid of any foul tasting chemicals like iodine or chlorine or the need for any power or UV light. Working much like the LIFESAVER Jerrycan’s technology, filters are strong enough to filter down to 15 nanometers, that is 0.015microns. With the smallest virus known being Polio at 25 nanometers, you are safe in the knowledge that LIFESAVER filters literally all bacteria, viruses, cysts and all waterborne pathogens from your water.
The LIFESAVER bottle 4000UF is used by Military customers all over the world, with over 30,000 in active service since 2007. It complies with all British, US and European Drinking Water Regulations for Microbiological Reduction as tested and certified by the London school of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The LIFESAVER® bottle is fitted with a replaceable cartridge, with a service rating of up to 6000 liters of water.
Ceramic Filters | affordable water filtration for Kenya
This system is an affordable ceramic water filtration system for Africa’s Sub-Saharan countries developed by two students from Penn State University. Working under the Penn State’s Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program, students Kory Hansen and Jin Ju Kim first tested and tried the filters on the Penn State campus. The system removed 99.9 percent of bacteria and it shows promise as a method of securing fresh water for homes in rural East African home, eliminating the need to go to long distances to collect it. “The filter itself, made of clay and sawdust, eliminates 80 percent of the
bacteria and pathogens. When it is coated in silver, it reacts and makes it 99 percent effective. However, silver is probably the only thing not local, and it had to be imported from India or China,” said Hansen. After working on the water filter system, the students took up another micro-financed project, dealing with social needs of women in African countries. It can be built in just two days for $200.
MiiR | one4one water bottles
One dollar of each MiiR bottle you purchase provides one person with clean water for one year. The full $1 donation, all 100 pennies, will go directly to those in need. Clean water transforms lives, communities and generations -- and at a surprisingly low cost. Just $20 can provide clean water for one person for 20 years.
“It’s not compelling to tell someone not to do something but then to buy your product,” says MiiR founder Bryan Pape. In 2009, Pape had a water bottle with an exclusive design that made it easy to use: it looked different from any other bottle on the market, and its perfect seal technology made it safer and easier to drink from. The product itself is also sustainable: it’s made from stainless steel, toxin-free, and 100% recyclable. From the very beginning, MiiR wasn’t building a brand around admonishing people for buying plastic Evians. Through one4one, MiiR has raised $70,000 to fund 9 water projects across southeast Asia and Africa. To
make these water projects a reality, MiiR has partnered with two nonprofits, charity: water and One Day’s Wages.
ers can log onto their website and track exactly where their dollar goes which encourages interaction with their product and powers sales.
Although the projects are complex, MiiR’s financial model is simple. Rather than using less transparent ways to give back – like a percentage that could fluctuate or depend on the product – Bryan wanted a concrete method that people could understand. And, as his research showed, 100 pennies is indeed what it takes to give an individual safe water for a year. MiiR’s next initiative is about making their picture even clearer. Beginning this winter, MiiR will register every single bottle they sell so that custom-
The 1 billion people who don’t have access to safe drinking water need a universal problem solving method that underlies human-centered design – ideas that create sustainable solutions and don’t, for example, just build wells without training people how to fix them if they break. Clean water doesn’t just require design in the form of wells and water systems – but also in design thinking.
Join The Pipe | help create the worlds longest water pipe
Jointhepipe.org is a non-profit foundation based in Amsterdam that consists of an international team. Their common dream is to create the longest “water pipe” in the world and eliminate all new production of plastic water bottles. Jointhepipe has created a system and community to help distribute water across the globe. The team designed a durable reusable water bottle to act as a symbol and represent a bigger idea a collection of water bottles in different shapes that creates “the world’s longest water pipe”. The idea developed out of a reaction towards the waste of water that occurs in parts of the world, while the rest of the earth suffers. But how does one redistrib-
ute water to those in need in a fairer way? By using design as a metaphorical tool and harnessing social hubs and networks to inspire and spread the word, Jointhepipe has created the first water community. The system is based on a collaborative effort where everyone can join in and contribute to building the longest pipe and giving water to those without. By joining the community, you get your bottle and become a part of the world’s first social community for tap water drinkers. As a member, you can follow the process and see how the network grows and how your money is being invested.
The money from the bottles sold is used to fund water projects around the globe and to install water fountains in cities, restaurants, stations, etc. where they can be refilled. The team recently received the Dutch Design Award 2010 for their ingenuity. Nothing makes us happier than discovering “real” green design projects and systems that -with the help of many will contribute to a better world. Let Jointhepipe.org stand as a good example for all designers aspiring to make a difference, caring for the less privileged and finding solutions to the big problems.
Ceramic Filters | rural water treatment in Cambodia
The International Water Association (IWA) awarded UNICEF and the Water and Sanitation Program with the 2008 Project Innovation Award Grand Prize for providing Cambodia with ceramic water filters. These water purification devices are made and distributed by Cambodian nationals, and have resulted in a 50 percent drop in diarrheal illnesses in the region since their implementation in 2002. Developed in a joint effort between UNICEF and the WSP, these ceramic water filters rely upon porous ceramic (fired clay) to filter microbes or other contaminants from drinking water. The units feature a pore size that is small enough to remove virtually all
bacteria and protozoa, and they work by gravity filtration, with flow rates of 1-3 liters per hour. There are 3 active factories in Cambodia today producing 5500 ceramic water filters per month, which have been tested to reduce E.coli by 99.99%. These filters are giving the community a chance to manufacture this life saving product in their own country which is a very powerful statement to those who are in need. The filters are distributed and marketed with the aid of a variety of NGOs and independent businesses in Cambodia. The hope is meet the needs of the two thirds of all Cambodians who don’t have safe water.
Life Sack | not your ordinary grain sack
A huge problem today is the packaging, shipping, and distribution of food and supplies to those in need. The Life Sack is a monumental approach to both shipping food and water purification. Jung Uk Park, Myeong Hoon Lee, and Dae Youl Lee are the industrial designers behind the ingenious water purification device know as the Life Sack. Not only does this clever design purify water — it also doubles as a container for shipping grains and other food staples. Once the package of food is received, it can then be used as a solar water purification kit. To filter contaminated water the Life sack uses SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection Process) technology: UV-A-radiation and the bag’s thermal treat-
ment process work together to kill deadly microorganisms and bacteria in water. The sack can also be worn as a backpack for quick and easy movement from the source to the community.
ÖKO | a filter bottle that can turn soda into clean water
This incredible purification water bottle can filter something as processed as soda into clean crisp water. Swiss company ÖKO has utilized NASA filtration technology to create a water bottle that provides easy access to clean, clear, crisp water. ÖKO’s water-filtering bottle is made from super-light materials, comes in three sizes, six designer colors, and with three levels of filters, allowing for the exact type of filtration needed. The filters use ÖKO’s patent-pending Upstream Valve that prevents any backwashed fluid from flowing back into the “unfiltered” water area for re-filtration and to ensure that every sip is pure, fresh and clean. The ÖKO Level-1 filter is carbon based and is
designed to effectively reduce present chlorine, taste and odor while providing crisp and clean tap water. The ÖKO Level-2 filtration was originally developed through a NASA grant for space stations and is described as “the stateof-the-art in water filtration technology”. However the ÖKO Level-3 filter is designed and produced on a customized basis and in large volume only for treatment of known elements in a given body of water. In addition to level-2 filter system, the level-3 filter includes necessary media enhancements and/or additions to create a system appropriate for extreme environments.
Pure Water Bottle | a UV sterilization filter bottle
Pure Water Bottle - another device that is capable of filtering soiled water in two minutes by using a combination of 4 micron-sized water filters and a wind-up ultraviolet light system. This combination removes up to 99.9% of impurities from any water source. Timothy Whitehead was determined to develop an alternative solution to water purification in Zambia. Pure Water Bottle was just awarded a James Dyson Award in the UK. The bottle is about the same shape as a regular water bottle and has an inner and outer chamber. To operate, fill the outer chamber with disgusting and undrinkable H2O, insert the inner chamber, turn the crank to
activate the UV sterilization, and in 120 seconds you’ve got yourself some tasty purified water that won’t kill you or make you sick. Pure could be an essential tool for people in developing nations, back country hikers and military forces in remote places. He’s engineered his prototype to not only be functional, but also to be ready for mass manufacturing. It has been 100% scientifically proven to filter water of 99.9% of contaminants and is ready for some big company to pick up the blueprints and start pumping them into the market.
SunGlacier | ice in the desert
An ice machine in the middle of the desert? Artist Ap Verheggen has hatched a plan in cooperation with Cofely Refrigeration to create a solar-powered leaf-shaped structure that uses condensation principles to create ice in the Sahara desert. It turns out that Cofely and Verheggen, who is also the Cultural Ambassador for UNESCO-IHE (the water training institute of the UN) have simulated desert conditions in a shipping container to test the product’s theory, and have already produced 10 cm of ice in a simulated environment. So how does this work? The 200 m2 elm-leaf shaped structure has a PV cell coated underbelly, which powers
cooling condensers that in turn convert humidity from the desert air into ice. Verheggen told the Engineer that although the Sahara desert may not seem to have sufficient humidity to create optimum ice-making conditions, it turns out that tests show that the air in Egypt has the same levels of humidity as the Netherlands. By heating the shipping container and running a humidifier, Cofely and Verheggen have reproduced the desert’s unique climatic conditions. A fan, which is designed to simulate fierce desert winds, is pointed at the ice that collects on an aluminum shield. As the ice grows from the condensation, water collects at the
base. Given that the Middle East region is facing chronic water shortages, this is quite possibly one of the most important projects to look out for in the near future. Climate change = Culture change
Eliodomestico | percolate the salt out of water
The Eliodomestico is an open source design for what is essentially a solar still, but with thoughtful details to make it even more functional and easy to use for those in coastal areas where salt water is abundant, but fresh water isn’t. Technology doesn’t always have to be complicated; sometimes the simplest materials and concepts are the best. The Eliodomestico works like an upside-down coffee percolator to desalinate salt water. The ceramic oven has three main pieces. The top black container is where the salt water is poured. As the sun heats the salt water and creates steam, the pressure that builds pushes the steam through a pipe in the middle section. The steam condenses against the lid of
the basin at the bottom and then drips into the basin, where it is collected. The design can be built for about $50 and local craftsmen can use whatever materials are most abundant where they live. The basin’s design allows it to be comfortably carried on the head, which is common in sub-Saharan Africa and other places around the world.
Ocean Cleanup Array | marine litter extraction
A purely conceptual idea called the Ocean Cleanup Array was manifested by 19-year-old Boyan Slat and could in theory - remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans. The device consists of an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms that could be dispatched to garbage patches around the world. Instead of moving through the ocean, the array would span the radius of a garbage patch, acting as a giant funnel. The angle of the booms would force plastic in the direction of the platforms, where it would be separated from plankton, filtered and stored for recycling. At school, Boyan Slat launched a project that analyzed the size and amount of plastic parti-
cles in the ocean’s garbage patches. His final paper went on to win several prizes, including Best Technical Design 2012 at the Delft University of Technology. Boyan continued to develop his concept during the summer of 2012, and he revealed it several months later at TEDxDelft 2012. Slat went on to found The Ocean Cleanup Foundation, a non-profit organization, which is responsible for the development of his proposed technologies. His ingenious solution could potentially save hundreds of thousands of aquatic animals annually, and reduce pollutants (including PCB and DDT) from building up in the food chain. It could also save millions per year, both in clean-up costs, lost tourism
and damage to marine vessels. It is estimated that the clean-up process would take about five years, and it could greatly increase awareness about the world’s plastic garbage patches. On his site Slat says, “One of the problems with preventive work is that there isn’t any imagery of these ‘garbage patches’, because the debris is dispersed over millions of square kilometers. By placing our arrays however, it will accumulate along the booms, making it suddenly possible to actually visualize the oceanic garbage patches.” This visualization will help stress the importance of recycling, and reducing our consumption of plastic packaging.
FOOD
FEED | one bag at a time
FEED. A simple yet addictive concept trend over the past few years. FEED’s Projects’ mission is to create good products that help feed the world. Co-founded by Lauren Bush, the FEED Foundation is dedicated to ending world hunger – one child at a time. The Foundation was started to supplement the efforts of our retail partner, FEED Projects, to raise valuable funds and support for the United Nations World Food Program’s school feeding efforts. This is achieved through the sale of FEED bags, bears, t-shirts, and other accessories by building a set donation into the cost of each product. Thus the impact of each product, signified by a stenciled number, is understandable, tangible, and meaningful. FEED
uses environmentally-friendly and artisan-made materials, along with fair-labor production, in the creation of all of their products. FEED has since grown to encompass school feeding efforts both stateside and abroad and provide aid during natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide. As of 2011, the FEED Foundation, in partnership with FEED Projects, has provided 60 million free, nutritious school meals to kids around the globe. Ultimately, FEED believes that everyone has the right to basic human necessities, such as healthy and nutritious food. FEED is proud to help FEED the world, one bag at a time.
WikiCells | packaging you can eat
On average, every citizen in the 27 Member States of the European Union generated 164 kilograms of packaging waste in 2008, and the trend seems to be that we will produce a lot more in the future. The packaging we discard is stuff like paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, wood, and metals, and it all ends up in huge landfills or as trash polluting nature. WikiCells is a new technology addressing this growing, global issue in a simple a unique way – namely via commercial food products with edible packaging. David Edwards, a French-American Harvard bioengineer has taken inspiration from natural food packaging found in fruit – such as peaches and grapes – and engineered edible food pack-
aging called WikiCells. “We can basically surround any food or beverage with a skin like a grape skin that’s fully edible, and then consume it,” he says. The soft skin of WikiCells is made from vegetal elements such as fruit, nuts, grains, and even chocolate, using only a tiny portion of chitosan (chemical polymer) or alginate (algae extract). These particles carry an electrostatic charge and can be gelatinized with ions of e.g. calcium or magnesium, in order to create the skin. In fact there is no limit to the flavors, and the team continues to expand its range. The WikiCells typically come in monobites, serving ice-cream, yoghurts, mousses, juices, cheeses, and even coffee and cocktails. In mass-distri-
bution outlets, WikiCells come in the form of shells, not dissimilar to a coconut shell, which is fully biodegradable. After much anticipation, WikiCells finally unveiled their tasty invention at WikiBar in Paris in March 2013. The suitably chic bar offers a plethora of choice, such as the martini wrapped in an olive that you can stick in your pocket and rinse off when you’re ready for a toast. The goal is to widely popularize the idea of edible food packaging, and eventually release domestic machines for food packaging, enabling consumers themselves to limit excessive food packaging one taste treat after the other.
SafteyNet | fish filtering trawling system
Every year, fishermen return over 7 million tons of unmarketable fish, dead, to the sea. The problem is that many current fishing techniques are not selective, leading to juvenile and endangered fish being caught along with more marketable ones. The SafetyNet is a new trawling system that cuts down on the catch and subsequent discarding of juvenile and endangered fish. By exploiting fish behavioral habits and physiology the trawl separates different species and ages of fish. Using the SafetyNet system, the fishing industry can become more sustainable. This will give security not only to the 40% of the world’s popu-
lation who rely on fish as their primary food source, but also to the fishermen within the industry itself. The project began as a graduation project while studying on the Product Design Engineering course at the Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow University. Created by Royal College of Art graduate Dan Watson, the SafetyNet is a specially constructed fishing net that features a series of illuminated rings designed to allow fish that have not fully matured to escape back into the ocean. According to Watson’s research, up to half of the fish caught in the North Sea near the UK are too young to bring to market and are thrown back into the ocean
dead, leading to a rapid depletion of the overall fish stock. Watson’s hope is that the SafetyNet might put a dent in that number by saving millions of unnecessarily destroyed fish. The battery-powered construction is set to be put into limited trial use by the UK government in the near future.
Local River | home storage unit for fish and greens
The Locavores appeared in San Francisco in 2005 and define themselves as ‘a group of culinary adventurers who eat foods produced in a radius of 100 miles (160 km) around their city’. By doing so they aim to reduce impact on the environment inherent to the transport of foodstuffs, while ensuring their traceability. Local River anticipates the growing influence of this group (the word ‘locavore’ made its first appearance in an American dictionary in 2007) by proposing a home storage unit for live freshwater fish combined with a mini vegetable patch. This DIY fishfarm-kitchen-garden is based on the principle of aquaponics coupled with
the exchange and interdependence of two living organisms - plants and fish. The plants extract nutrients from the nitrate-rich excrements of the fish. In doing so they act as a natural filter that purifies the water and maintains a vital balance for the eco-system in which the fish live. The same technique is used on large-scale pioneer aquaponics/fish-farms, which raise tilapia (a food fish from the Far East) and lettuce planted in trays floating on the surface of ponds. Local River responds to everyday needs for fresh food that is 100% traceable. It bets on a return to favor of farm-raised freshwater fish (trout, eel, perch, carp, etc...), given
the dwindling supplies of many saltwater species due to over-fishing. It also demonstrates the capacity of fish-farmers to deliver their stock live to a private consumer as a guarantee of optimum freshness - impossible in the case of saltwater fish that has been netted. They aim to replace the decorative ‘TV aquarium’ by an equally decorative but also functional ‘refrigerator-aquarium’. In this scenario, fish and greens cohabit for a short time in a home storage unit before being eaten by their keepers, the end-players in an exchange cycle within a controlled ecosystem.
Aqualibrium Garden | modular aquaponics
Introducing Aqualibrium Garden, an aquaponic system that allows the urban user to reduce their carbon footprint by easily growing food virtually anywhere. With increasing pressures like high food costs and the desire to avoid genetically-modified food as much as possible, there’s been a growing interest in practices like aquaponics. Now, with the availability of more off-the-shelf-systems, aquaponics (hydroponics plus aquaculture) is catching on. Aqualibrium Garden, a pre-assembled, modular aquaponics system, which was successfully funded by Kickstarted recently, means that growing food and fish in a small apartment could be aquaponics’ next frontier. Designed by two law students
and an aquaponics professional, Aqualibrium is aimed squarely at the urban denizen who doesn’t have the time nor space to develop their own food-growing system. This convenient hassle-free solution, allows anyone to grow their own crops on a small scale to greater benefit everyone. The point is to give consumers control over what they eat. People in urban environments typically don’t have the necessary environment for growing their own food. Right now, there is no product on the market that allows for substantial food production using either aquaponics or hydroponics that is designed for urban living and is cost-effective. Aquaponics builds a symbiotic and romantic relationship
between fish and food plants: the fish provide nutritious fecal matter for the plants through water which is circulated from below up to the plants, which eventually filter clean water back down to the fish tank, usually via a pump. Built on a larger scale, aquaponic systems can also therefore provide sizable fish for food. GMOs, pesticides, and all the negative issues currently associated with mass-produced food are causing a growing number of Americans to demand more locally sourced food. This product is as local as it gets. It’s sitting in the living room.
FreshPaper | food preservation
The world’s farmers harvest enough food to feed the planet, inefficiencies in food distribution leave 800 million hungry and lead to staggering energy and natural resource waste – hundreds of millions of acres of wasted farmland, billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, trillions of gallons of wasted water and fuel, and countless hours of lost human labor. Spoilage contributes to major inventory, transportation, and labor inefficiencies across the global food value chain, costing $450 billion in economic losses each year. With 9 billion mouths to feed by 2050, addressing the challenge of food waste is particularly urgent. Fenugreen is taking on this enormous, yet often overlooked,
global challenge with a simple design. Inspired by an Indian spice home remedy for sickness, Kavita Shukla discovered a remarkably effective way to keep food fresh. FreshPaper is a simple sheet of paper infused with organic spices, which inhibit bacterial and fungal growth and the ingeniously simple idea has the properties to keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer. FreshPaper focuses on saving food as opposed to producing more. With its simple, organic sustainable approach it offers a low-cost, compostable, method to change how the world keeps its food fresh.
As for usage, FreshPaper only needs to be placed wherever the produce is stored – in a refrigerator drawer, fruit bowl, or any other container (in or out of the fridge). “The design is a remarkable way of re-thinking, re-purposing and re-combining an old tradition with industrial knowledge into an easy-touse everyday consumer product for everyone,” says INDEX: Award jury member Patrick Frick. In a sustainable way, and by simple means, FreshPaper has great potential to reduce the need for refrigerating produce and thus holds the potential to improve the lives of people in the industrialized world and the developing world. FreshPaper also received the award for being a transformational design
idea that raises global awareness about food waste. Today FreshPaper is available in stores across the United States, including Whole Foods and Wegmans, and used by farmers and families in over 35 countries.
Baker Stove | efficient cooking
A fire holds the key to survival. It provides warmth, heat for cooking, light, and comfort. Cooking on an open fire, a process that is both dangerous and environmentally destructive is still common throughout the developing world. The majority of women in the developing world do their cooking on what is called a “three-stone fire“: three stones supporting a pot with a fire beneath it. This type of fire is both inefficient, because it requires a lot of wood to cook a meal, and may be harmful to the person cooking, because it emits a lot of smoke. Stockholm-based design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has developed one possible solution with the new
Baker Cookstove, an energy-efficient stove that uses just one-third of the wood required for an open fire. With the Baker Stove, the design team sought to produce a simple stove that burns fuel more efficiently while enabling people to retain their cultural cooking techniques. The inexpensive stove greatly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter produced while cooking a meal. During recent tests at the University of Nairobi, the Baker Stove is capable of achieving a 56% reduction in carbon monoxide emissions, and it reduced the amount of particulate matter by more than one-third. The stove is made of sturdy recycled aluminum,
and it will be manufactured locally, by a company that is registered in Kenya, contributing to local economies. The first Baker Stove store opened in Kenya in March, and the store is reportedly selling stoves faster than they can be stocked. The stove retails for $59, but if buyers provide socioeconomic data, they will be able to get it at the discounted price of $29.
Wonderbag | empowered cooking
Empowering women is a hugely under-appreciated factor in creating a more sustainable world. In underdeveloped parts of the world, women spend many hours, traveling up to 10 miles away from their home each day simply to collect enough firewood too cook food for their family. During these walks, they are susceptible to violence and injures without medical treatment. In addition, it is also time not allotted on other things, such as going to school. With the number of trees that are cut down, widening the distances people have to travel to forage also increases. In addition to time wasted on foot travel, tending the fire requires consistent attention, which means more long hours
spent watching a pot boil instead of studying, working or doing other important jobs.. This simple, electricity-free slow cooker called The Wonderbag addresses all of these problems. Designed in 2008 by the Durban, South Africa-based entrepreneur Sarah Collins of Natural Balance, the Wonderbag is a simple idea, but the changes it creates for women can ripple out to create positive change in a number of ways. Collins inspiration for the Wonderbag came from rapid power outages and observing her grandmothers simple action to preserve the food temperature by wrapping it in blankets. Because it works by using a little fuel
to bring foods to a boil before putting the hot pot in the bag, Collins notes that the Wonderbag greatly reduces the use of additional energy and frees up women’s precious time. Cooking with the bag can reduce a family’s fuel usage up to 30% - saving money and easing poverty. It reduces CO2 emissions and toxic fumes which means less respiratory problems and a cleaner environment. It reduces accidental burns in the kitchen, because stoves are used less. It also saves precious water, because less evaporation occurs, meaning moisture and flavor stay in the pot. And it saves food. 20% of all staple food in Africa is burned, due to pots being placed on open fires and unregulated stove tops.
Like other slow cookers, the Wonderbag won’t burn the food. All of this means women can cook delicious, hot meals while saving energy and money for their families and spend more hours looking after children, learning or earning their own income. Collins hopes to have 100 million Wonderbags distributed throughout the world, which will free up the time of women and girls, so they are more likely to become more highly educated, get better jobs and have better lives and improve the environment, as a result.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Child ViSion | self-adjustable glasses
Universal vision allows prescription free eye care for anyone with a simple tightening of a screw. Not everyone can afford to go to the doctor’s for an eye check-up and then buy expensive prescription eye wear. Created by the technology company Dow Corning and The Center for Vision In The Developing World (CVDW), these glasses are self-adjustable to allow kids to adjust or give themselves a prescription, cutting out the cost of visiting a doctor. The contraption is formulated and designed by keeping utility, ease of use and cost of manufacture in mind. The glasses look ordinary except that they come attached with a small barrel of silicone liquid on each side that are connected to the fluid filled
lens. Kids can use eye-sight boards to check their vision and then modify the strength of the lens using the dials of the adjusters that drives liquid in and out of the lens changing the curvature of the lens. Once the kid reaches his or her correct eye strength, the sealing buttons are pressed, ‘locking in the lens’ and then the fluid filled adjusters are detached and disposed. These innovative glasses are designed for 1218 year olds in developing countries but the concept, utility and design is so cool that it can really be sold to just about anyone, anywhere in the world who needs a quick eye-check up.
Modularflex | foldable disaster housing
Anyone who has ever struggled to pitch a tent can attest to how difficult it can be to assemble a temporary shelter. Add the stress of a natural calamity, and every second saved by quick and simple construction is a blessing aided by the genius of good design. Argentine architects Matias Alter and Matias Carrizo have created the Modularflex, a foldable disaster housing unit that packs flat and can be assembled in about half an hour. Lightweight, flexible and sturdy, the Modularflex modular units are able to be folded flat when not in use and packed six to a group on the back of a truck. They can also be collapsed like accordions into flat panels. The walls are made from insulated thermal
panels, similar to a supermarket cold storage room. Each model comes with electrical wiring and LED lights. By being compact and easy to set up, the homes take less energy to move and assemble. These attributes help the Modularflex to conserve fuel in transportation and provide much-needed shelter in a short time frame. Able to be quickly deployed at the point of a disaster without the need for cranes or heavy machinery, the small houses can be stored, saved, and reused in areas that are prone to storms, seismic activity, or other forms of disruption. The Modularflex was launched in 2012 and negotiations with mining companies to provide housing for workers as well as the Argentine mili-
tary are being held.
Pact Underwear | sexy yet sustainable
San Francisco designer Yves Behar of Fuseproject has designed a range of sustainable underwear for online clothing retailer PACT. The range is made of organic cotton, is shipped in compostable bags and is made according to strict environmental and social standards. Ten percent of profits will be given to social and environmental organizations, with the print pattern on the underwear reflecting the organization that will receive the money. “We looked at underwear through the lens of 360º design,” said Jeff Denby, PACT Chief Creative Officer and
Co-Founder. “Having fuseproject as an equity partner in PACT illuminates the fundamental importance of design to the PACT brand. Our collaboration is key to generating what we believe are the most innovative ideas at the intersection of business, design and sustainability.”
Lifesaver Syringe | safer disposable syringe
The LifeSaver Syringe is aptly named. Once opened, the intelligent ink in the syringe turns blood red in less than 60 seconds, signaling that it’s no longer safe to use. Invented by Dr. David Swann of Huddersfield University, the ABCs–A Behavior Changing Syringe– not only warns patients of contaminated needles, but also aims to teach people that the reuse of dirty syringes is a risky and often lethal practice. Injections are one of the most common health care procedures worldwide, with at least 16 billion shots administered in developing and transitional countries every year. According to the WHO, 40% of those injections are given with unsterilized needles
and cause an estimated 1.3 million early deaths annually and add a burden of $535 million in direct medical costs. These life-saving syringes hope to prevent those unnecessary deaths. Here’s how it works: the transformative syringe contains a nitrogen-filled pack, which ensures that the syringe remain colorless until the seal is broken. Once exposed to the air, carbon dioxide activates chemical reactions in the o-crestolphthalein ink that turns the syringe barrel the red color. The design of the syringe also prevents tampering and installation of normal pistons, thus avoiding unsafe reuse. When the ABCs were tested in In-
dia, 100% of the literate and illiterate men, women, and children correctly identified the red syringe as dangerous. Created with the belief that good design should be affordable, the cost-effective technology in these life-saving syringes only adds 1% to the retail price. Other auto disposable syringes can cost 200% more than ordinary syringes.
Andrea | plant power
Plants are nature’s natural air filtration system for the earth and now with the use of technology, a plant’s filtering efficiency can be vastly accelerated to its full potential inside the cool new Andrea – plant powered living air purifier. This innovative planter/air purifier has a whisper-quiet fan that draws polluted indoor air into a clear dome that houses an ordinary houseplant, then down through a natural multi-stage system of leaves, roots, soil and water, before finally being re-circulated back out into the room. This process improves a plant’s filtration ability to efficiently remove airborne toxins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
such as formaldehyde, rapidly from the air, using low power consumption. The result is more purified air than an ordinary houseplant could produce on its own, all inside a cool, futuristic pod planter. Any plant can be used, but the Peace Lily, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Spider Plant, and Aloe are the most effective. French designer Mathieu Lehanneur in collaboration designed the Andrea with David Edwards of Harvard University; it was based on NASA research. Upon the return of the first space flights and many analyses, NASA discovered a high level of toxic volatile compounds in the astronauts’ body tissues. The American spacecraft mostly constructed of plastic, fiberglass, insulating materials and
fire retardants gradually poisoned the astronauts. The same effect is experienced in our living spaces. Each manufactured product gives off or - more precisely - emits toxic compounds even several years after having been manufactured.
JalaPira | water safety device
According to organizations such as The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in the UK and UNICEF, nearly 18,000 children in developing countries drown each year. Bangladesh is identified as being particularly vulnerable to water accidents and the prime candidate for the JalaPira, a tool aimed at helping kids rescue their companions in the event of an emergency. The recycled PET plastic flotation device is currently a contender for the James Dyson Award. The JalaPira is made from recycled PET plastic and doubles as a seat when at home. It was designed to be used by children, as many drownings occur when young friends or family
members are nearby. JalaPira holds 6.5 liters of air and consists of a large main body, seat, three large handles, retrieval line and whistle, and line housing. The JalaPira can be tossed to a victim at a range of six feet away. In initial prototype tests, children as young as four were able to easily and safely use the JalaPira. Costs to produce them remain low at £4 ($6 USD) each, even at the production level of 10,000 units. This makes the JalaPira suitable and affordable for NGO’s to purchase and disseminate. The JalaPira’s inventors hope to establish a partnership with SwimSafe, an organization already established in the country in order to save lives and help
Bangladesh with its Millennium Development Goal on Infant Mortality.
Embrace | infant warmer
Helping save the world one newborn at a time is Embrace, a $25 infant incubator designed to sustain premature and low birth weight babies, 80% of which are born in rural areas in developing countries. The cozy, sleeping bag shaped ‘Embrace’ is a thermoregulator, which regulates a newborn’s temperature, subbing in for an inaccessible $20,000 traditional hospital baby incubator. Embrace was designed by ‘Extreme Affordability’ students at Stanford Institute of Design with the intent of creating a low cost baby incubator, which could regulate body temperature without electricity or moving parts. The Embrace team traveled to Nepal to assess the needs of mothers giving birth to pre-
mature, low birth weight babies, 450 of whom die every hour in developing countries. They learned that the vast majority of babies born in outlying areas would never make it to a hospital, and “to save the maximum number of lives, their design would have to function in a rural environment… without electricity and be transportable, intuitive, sanitizable, culturally appropriate, and perhaps most importantly— inexpensive.” Here’s the simplicity behind how Embrace works: Ten to fifteen minutes after its PCM (phase change material) pouch is filled with boiling water, Embrace reaches the critical temperature necessary for a baby’s survival.
Embrace is able to retain heat for up to four hours before signaling that the pouch needs re-heating, and may then be re-charged by submersion in boiling water for a few minutes.
Releef | medical dispenser and initiative
Properly administering drugs to children is a continuing problem in developing nations. Often, health care professionals in these areas only have adult doses of medication, which are then incorrectly prescribed and can lead to increased child mortality. To answer this call Nectar Design has designed a new adjustable medicine dispenser that allows healthcare professionals to administer drugs to children in precise doses. This effort is in collaboration with The Releef Initiative, a non-profit pharmaceutical corporation that’s dedicated to reducing childhood mortality in the developing world through innovative pharmaceutical products. Properly administering drugs to children is a
continuing problem in developing nations. Often, health care professionals in these areas only have adult doses of medication, which are then incorrectly prescribed and can lead to increased child mortality. The genius of this design is in its simplicity. Administering drugs is not an arbitrary task, however this device makes the process intuitive. Bringing attention to the dosing and dispensing mechanism, one immediately notices that the dosing indicator is pictographic which allows for the device to be used in any country. Furthermore, the dispensing mechanism is a simple button, whose use is a no-brainer. So can design save lives? If applied properly and with conscience, yes.
Purerain | nanobubble technology
Bluemark Industries and Nectar Designs had challenge of developing something new in the home gardening products market. Bluemark wanted to adapt its water oxygenation technology—proven to help plants grow 30 percent faster in industrial agriculture—for the consumer home market. Nectar drew the assignment of leveraging the manufacturer’s microscopic nanobubble technology to create an innovative brand and product line. While nanobubble oxygenation technology would certainly differentiate Bluemark’s products, designing a nanobubble generator and incorporating it in design forms ranging from a hand-held nozzle to a watering wand to a sprinkler system
presented distinct challenges. Not only did Nectar need to innovate a nanobubble generator that would fulfill these different functions in terms of mechanical design and fluid path, it also needed to accomplish that objective while remaining true to the form factors that consumers know and
love. In short, the new line of garden watering systems had to be innovative in terms of performance yet familiar in terms of usage. Optimizing the handle angle—as opposed to the vertical orientation utilized by competing products—would increase comfort and maneuverability.
+Pool | floating swimming pool in NYC
New York’s East River offers a beautiful reflection of the city’s dramatic skyline, it services the cruises and ferries, but it fails the people. Except a microscopic sub-culture of swimmers who brave the polluted waters, the vast majority of New Yorkers never dip their toes in the river. On blisteringly hot summer days New York’s parks are brimming with people vying for a spot of shade. So it’s no wonder that: “the project came about because, quite frankly, when it gets really hot and gross in the summers in New York, there would be nothing better than jumping into the river”, say the designers of +Pool, Dong-Ping Wong, Archie Lee Coates and Jeff Franklin. The pool is designed to float in the
East River, and much like a gigantic strainer dropped into the river, the filtration system embedded in the pool’s membrane will ensure that only clean water will gush into the pool. The pool will simultaneously eject half a million gallons of filtered water back into the river every day, making a demonstrable environmental impact. These baby steps in cleaning-up the river are critical because they will engage the public’s interest in doing so, and hopefully propel the authorities to invest in a wide-scale clean-up – hopefully enabling New Yorkers to swim in the East River for the first time in over a hundred years.
Syreen Syringes | ‘green’ pre-filled syringes
Cambridge Consultants, a technology product design and development firm, today announced its novel pre-filled syringe concept ‘Syreen.’ A revolutionary ‘green’ syringe design, Syreen is effective, safe, and easy-to-use drug delivery device for self administration use, designed to ease the resource intensity and material wastage associated with traditional syringe development and manufacture. Instead of glass, Syreen Syringes are made with cyclic olefin polymer (COP) plastic, which has enabled Cambridge Consultants to shed the need for secondary packaging. The makeup of the Syreen allows syringes to clip together, nesting in a pack while the COP design doubles as the outer shell of the pack-
aging itself. The Syreen eliminates the need for wasteful fillers such as cardboard and styrofoam, reducing the packaging weight by 30% and volume by 50% from today’s standard packaging. The US alone produces 6,600 tons of medical waste per day, equaling well over two million tons per year— approximately 85% of which goes to landfills throughout the country. “What makes Syreen so exciting is that while it is a sustainable alternative to the status quo, it can truly introduce a paradigm shift in the existing supply chain,” said Phil Lever, Commercial Director of Drug Delivery Devices for Cambridge Consultants. “We found that typical glass syringes use many
materials from all over the world and that shipping costs are egregious due to inefficiencies in packaging. This marriage of economy and ecology shows that medical device companies will likely see competitive benefits by taking sustainability seriously.” Cambridge Consultants is currently seeking to develop the Syreen concept with large pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical packaging companies.
Life Cube | five minute shelter
Life Cube is an inflatable tent that can set up in just five minutes. Packed neatly into a recycled plastic container, it contains all the basic necessities needed post-disaster, including food, water, a battery, lights, radio, solar trickle charger and of course, a place to recuperate. Although the Life Cube hasn’t been vetted in a real world scenario, the company has at least had a chance to show it off to the Red Cross. Life Cube offers 144 sq ft of instant emergency space and requires no tools to set up. The shelter arrives in a crate made from post-consumer recycled plastic shipping pallets and can be rolled if necessary using these patented steel round frame inserts. Upon arrival to a safe location,
the plastic pallets are removed and laid on the ground in a square with an entrance pad. Then a CO2 canister included with the package inflates the canopy, which is manufactured by the Patten Company, who has made NAVY life-rafts for over 50 years. The inflatable canopy is made from polyester fabric that is tear-proof and fire-retardant and designed to withstand winds up to 50 mph. There are three doors, which allow multiple shelters to be lined-up and zipped together creating multiple rooms. Along with the shelter and plastic raised platform, Life Cube comes equipped with a table, food, water, communications, first-aid, warmth,
bedding, sanitation, and wash station. Optional equipment, like an electrical system with 12-volt battery, solar panel trickle charger, lighting, electric pump, and communications station, propane system with cooking stove and catalytic heater or an infrastructure system with table and telescopic uprights for wind support, could also be included.
Riders for Health | doctors on motorcycles
In Gambia, nearly 1 in 10 children die before they reach their fifth birthday due, in large part, to preventable diseases like malaria. As with most sub-Saharan African countries, the road networks in Gambia are poor, thus attempting to deliver even the most basic healthcare is extremely difficult. Riders for Health is a program that has improved healthcare to 12 million people across sub-Saharan Africa through a fleet of motorcycles, ambulances and trekking vehicles that enables doctors to reach even the most rural areas. Many diseases that we know how to cure or prevent remain widespread, simply because patients cannot re-
ceive treatment. The World Health Organization estimates that two thirds of the 34.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS are located in sub-Saharan Africa, with T.B. being the leading cause of deaths among patients in this area. Most of the time, the science, education and technology with the potential to prevent these deaths, are all in place; however their availability is stifled due to challenges with mobility. Without reliable transport, the vaccines, drugs, bed-nets, condoms and trained-professionals won’t do any good if they can’t get to where they are needed in time. Riders for Health, a British-based organization founded by Barry and Andrea Coleman, provide a simple solution:
a fleet of over 1,400 motorcycles, ambulances and other four-wheel vehicles. There’s nothing new about donating vehicles for healthcare in Africa, but often these vehicles fall apart after 8 months and aren’t suited to the context of sub-Saharan Africa, where most people live in rural areas that can only be reached by small dirt paths (at best). What makes Riders for Health so effective is that they charge a fixed price of 18 cents per km for motorcycles, which includes fuel. Riders for Health also focus on maintenance, so that the vehicles can be in constant use for years without breakdowns. The low and predictable prices allow government and aid groups to better incorporate maintenance in
their budget planning. These simple, affordable and straightforward solutions improve access to healthcare and the potential to improve the lives of 12 million people. A mobilized outreach worker can see nearly 6 times more people and can double the time they spend in communities as they cut down traveling time. This means that not only can they monitor diseases more effectively, but also serve as a link to the nearest health facility when necessary. The visible impact Riders for Health has had on healthcare in Africa, gives hope that dependable transport could do the same for those out of reach of water, education and energy.
Warbey Parker Do Good | buy a pair give a pair
Approximately one billion people don’t have access to affordable glasses. Glasses can increase one’s income by 20%, enable students to see a blackboard and offer dignity to those with poor eyesight. Warby Parker works with experienced non-profit partners to ensure that each sale of our frames will give someone in need access to affordable glasses. Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal previously served as VisionSpring’s director and helped pioneer VisionSpring’s model to train low-income women to sell affordable glasses in their communities. The model creates jobs for people in need, as well as the economic incentive to continuously provide glasses as their cus-
tomers lose or break their glasses and change prescriptions. Equally important, it provides community members the dignity to choose whether or not they want glasses and thereby avoids the culture of dependence that often accompanies foreign aid. Warby Parker is honored to partner with VisionSpring to grow our Buy a Pair, Give a Pair business model. In addition, Warby Parker is one of the only carbon-neutral eye wear brands in the world. They actively work to reduce our environmental impact by mapping out our greenhouse gas emissions– from frame production to shipping to warehousing to office work–and purchasing carbon offsets accordingly.
Kinsa | smart thermometer and health tracking
Kinsa is bringing health into the mobile era, to give families the tools they need to stay healthy. We are creating a real-time map of human health, beginning with contagious illness. Using data from mobile-enabled health products, this map will give parents better information – a health context – to keep their children healthy and help them get better faster. This map will help physicians better diagnose and care for patients. And society will finally have a tool to track – and stop - the spread of disease; whether that’s the flu or epidemics like Avian Flu and SARS.
Kinsa has revolutionized the world’s most common medical device, the first device anyone uses to confirm an illness: the thermometer. The Kinsa Smart Thermometer is a mobile-connected thermometer that allows us to communicate with someone who has just fallen ill, give them the information to get better faster, and collect the data we need to map human health.
Up-Stream | $4 washing machine
Aaron Stathum and Eliot Covena, two industrial design students from Philadelphia University, have designed and constructed the Up-Stream – a prototype low-cost washing machine for the developing world that if mass produced will cost as less as $4. All that’s required is a 5-gallon bucket, a plastic fiber rope, old water pipes, and a neoprene cover. The human-powered machine is then easily assembled with the neoprene cover acting as a stain remover. The user then simply fills the bucket with clothes, detergent and a little water before closing the cover of the bucket. Two loops of the plastic rope are then strapped onto their feet, which they move up and down to rotate the bucket.
Once the wash cycle is finished, the user simply rewinds the rope and pulls it with such force that the bucket revolves at a very fast rate, expelling all waster from the clothes. The clothes can then be hung out on a standard clothesline to dry. What’s even better is that it is so easy to assemble and repair that it could transform the lives of communities that don’t have access to regular electricity. Location was also a consideration. “Many people clean directly in the rivers, contaminating the water for everyone downstream; we isolated this problem by moving UpStream on to land,” they say.
Scanadu Scout | an emergency room for your pocket
The Scout is small and round - about the size of a double-stuffed Oreo cookie - and by holding it against your temple, it measures temperature, heart rate, and hemoglobin (that’s what carries oxygen in your blood) levels in a mere 10 seconds. It has a 99% accuracy rating. That information then transmits via Bluetooth to a smart-phone app, giving users the ability to track and analyze their own vitals, from home. Scanadu’s Scout closely simulates the doctor’s office experience, but from a tactile standpoint it’s different in almost every way: no scratchy nylon cuff squeezing your arm, no cold stethoscope on your skin, and no awk-
ward hand-offs of bodily fluids. Most important, patients don’t actually get to leave the doctor with any of that information. Scout gathers all of this data noninvasively and provides a safe little warehouse of information on your phone. Scanadu sits at a crossroads in the current ecosystem of tech and health products: It’s a health sensor, part of the big data boom, and a contribution to the burgeoning “mHealth” business.
Natalie Collection | reduce childbirth mortality
25% of all deaths among children under the age of 5, and almost 50% of maternal deaths occur on the day of birth. Most of these deaths are preventable. Every year nearly 1 million babies die from birth asphyxia, making it the second highest cause of newborn mortality; another million are disabled for life, due to compromised breathing during birth. A further million are classified as stillborn. Most of these babies can be saved.
Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (i.e. to reduce child and maternal deaths), Laerdal Global Health have developed a trio of needs-based, robust and extremely affordable devices and training solutions called The Natalie Collection. More than 100,000 midwifes and birth helpers in 54 countries have been trained using the Natalie Collection and applying their new-found knowledge to save lives by as much as 47%.
Every day, 3,000 newborn babies die from birth asphyxia along with 1000 birthing mothers. To support the countries where the percentage of preventable birth-related deaths is greatest and in efforts to achieve the
NeoNatalie Suction is a low-cost reusable suction device to clear airways of newborns and help them breathe. NeoNatalie Newborn Simulator is a training simulator that facilitates highly effective and affordable training
in essential newborn care and basic newborn resuscitation. MamaNatalie is a birthing simulator to train birth attendants help mothers and babies survive on the day of birth.
Kulinda | safe breastmilk
Two of the 8 UN Millennium Development Goals are ‘Child Health’ and ‘Combating HIV/AIDS’. Kulinda is an affordable, simple solution targeting both of these issues through a simple flash heating process making breast milk safe to drink for infants. This is Design to Improve Life at its very essence and therefore Kulinda is nominated for INDEX: Award 2013. Today, 22.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 90% of the 370,000 annual infections in children are thought to be avoidable and caused by mother-to child transmission – with 40% of these being through breastfeeding. Flash Heating is a process that enables HIV positive mothers with limited resourc-
es in sub-Saharan Africa to treat their breast milk before feeding to their babies, providing them with food and nutrients in a safe, economical way. Kulinda improves the reliability of the Flash Heating process with a simple, clear indicator to show when the milk is safe, reassuringly preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. When the breast milk has reached a temperature of 72˚C the two-way Shape Memory Alloy in Kulinda expands causing the blue indicator to rise and show in the clear slot, showing that the milk is safe. The Shape Memory Alloy then compresses again on cooling ready for the next use.
AR Wear | anti-rape underwear
What if, when threatened with sexual assault, a woman could delay the attack for a few minutes by keeping her undergarments firmly in place? Could it thwart the incident altogether? That’s the premise behind AR Wear, a fledgling line of underwear and shorts designed to stay locked in place on a woman’s body and, ostensibly, fend off a potential attacker. At a glance, AR Wear products look like any other boy short underwear, bike short, or pair of track pants found on the market. But they function almost like a new age chastity belt. The concept for AR Wear hit the designers when an article about a rape highlighted that the guy got the woman’s clothes off in 30 seconds. Some studies even told women,
you’re more of a target with a ponytail because there’s something to grab.” They wanted to find something where the wearer could passively resist. The clothing is made from average fabrics--cotton, lycra, and so forth--that includes a proprietary skeletal structure Yuvel developed with a team of designers. A non-elastic binding goes around the waist and thighs and can be locked in place with a button-sized dial that works like clock hands, with the time as the user’s code. The creators claim the garments are also cut and tear resistant, thanks to reinforced panels of webbing that deflect blades. Yuvel is seeking a patent
for the structure, so Ruth declined to describe the science or R&D behind the textile in greater detail. She did say that the science doesn’t make the clothing awkward to wear. “The model that was in them for a day or two found them to be surprisingly comfortable,” she says. AR Wear is just the latest in the long and troubled history of self-defense products for women; from Chastity belts and Mace pepper spray to Rape-X, a spiked female condom designed to painfully hook onto a man’s skin.
Float Beijing | pollution fighting kites
Float is an interactive design project using air quality sensing kites. Through the poetics + playfulness of kite flying, float sparks and initiates dialogue on urban environmental health issues, and gives agency to city dwellers to map, record and eventually transform their environment through policy. China’s rapid industrialization, high rates of car ownership, dependency on coal power and lax attitude towards environmental regulations have made Beijing one of the world’s most notoriously polluted cities. Several times this year, the air quality has gone 30 times over the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum level. The US embassy’s air qual-
ity index rates air quality above 150 to be unhealthy, with the chart ending at 500. Beijing’s air came in with a reading hovering over 500 for several consecutive days. FLOAT Beijing now allows the city’s citizens to take matters in to their own hands by monitoring their local aerial environment themselves, using flying kites equipped with air quality sensors. The project was launched in 2012 by students Xiaowei Wang, from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and Deren Guler from Carnegie Mellon, combining technology, design, environmental activism and the local tradition of kite-flying. Through the playful act of kite flying, FLOAT Beijing
has empowered hundreds of Chinese citizens to take action and protest current air quality standards, leading to people-driven policies for healthier lives. FLOAT modules are designed to be cheap, open source, accessible and reconfigurable without prior electronics knowledge. Residents challenge the invisibility of official data by flying their air quality-sensing kites in highly visible public spaces. Kites have a strong cultural history in China, which draws in diverse users connecting them to new technologies.
Ecological Urinal | creating a value-chain around urine
Imagine sharing a toilet with 1000 others. Imagine risking being raped or harmed on your way to the toilet. Imagine drinking water that is contaminated with urine and faeces. Imagine the stomach-churning smell of open sewers wafting through your window. For millions of slum-dwellers these horrors are a daily reality. Worse still, one of the biggest culprits of disease and death in slums is the lack of sanitary toilets. In a world where the Japanese are producing state of the art toilets that do everything from warm the toilet seat, scent the air, cover the noise with the sound of birds chirping, and delicately wash your behind, it is abominable that there are people without access
to toilets. In fact, more people have access to a mobile phone, than have access to a toilet. Design without Borders (DwB) teamed-up with Sustainable Sanitation Design to undertake a 16-month long participatory design process, whereby the community had a hand in designing the ideal toilet. The key to addressing the gross sanitation issues was approaching it in a holistic way: creating a value-chain around the waste product, urine. In partnership with a local plastics provider, Crestanks, DwB designed an adaptable funnel that connects to locally available jerrycans, creating an inventive urinal called The Ecological Urinal. At only $3 it is a steal, making it
widely affordable to all slum dwellers, and this unisex urinal provides clean, accessible, and safe access to toilets inside homes. It has been built to prevent odor, and requires minimal maintenance. The Ecological Urinal allows slum dwellers to capitalize on their waste, because the urinal refines the urine into high quality fertilizer that they can sell.
Smile Squared | help treat preventable decay
Smile Squared has launched a cool new program that gives an environmentally-friendly toothbrush to a child in need in a developing country for each one sold. Because dental care is an important part of preventing chronic diseases and keeping a healthy smile, Smile Squared is aiming to give away one million toothbrushes by 2015 – and they’re not stopping there. Since over 50 million pounds of toothbrushes are tossed in the trash each year in the US alone, rather than adding to the waste, the company is trying to offset mainstream toothbrush trash by making their toothbrushes out of biodegradable, compostable, BPA-free bamboo. The program was started by husband
and wife entrepreneurial team Eric and Geri Cope, after a trip they took to Guatemala in 2011. The couple joined a dental clinic and began performing charitable dental work for the underprivileged children in the area. There, says Eric, “We saw children who had preventable, and sometimes severe dental problems. But many of the same children didn’t own a toothbrush.” When the couple looked at the facts from the World Health Organization, they realized that dental diseases are the most prevalent chronic diseases, with an estimated 5 billion people worldwide suffering from tooth decay. Globally, the prevalence of decay among school age children is reported at 60-90%, and in
most developing countries, more than 90% of this decay goes untreated.
Ruby Cup | low cost menstrual hygiene
A new social business aims to provide a sustainable, low-cost solution to the problem of menstrual hygiene, while facilitating empowerment and growth for women entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid. Women in developing countries face challenges when dealing with menstruation, as disposable menstrual hygiene products are often unavailable or too expensive. Moreover, making disposable hygiene products available to women in developing countries poses a serious environmental problem, as there is rarely an appropriate infrastructure to handle this type of waste. As a result, girls miss school, up to 50 school days a year, and women are unable to attend work while menstru-
ating. And consequently, girls often drop out because they are unable to follow their courses any longer. UNICEF (2010) and UNDP (2007) call menstruation an overseen issue that hinders reaching the Millennium Development Goals of education, gender equality and economic development.
Ruby Cup is a menstrual cup made of medical grade silicone that is affordable, healthy and environmentally friendly, as it can be re-used for up to 10 years. A menstrual cup is, however, not a new invention; in fact it is already offered in mainly Western countries. But by producing the cups themselves, the Ruby Cup organization is using the technology of an existing proven quality solution, and make it affordable and available in low-income markets while generating local growth and education through an innovative business model. This way, they create development and sanitation through business and education. The women and girls who today do not have proper menstrual hygiene
protection could benefit a lot from Ruby Cup, as they will not feel ashamed and/or miss school or work. The female vendors, who will sell Ruby Cup in their local communities, could increase their monthly income and purchasing power, which could empower them in the household. Finally, through capacity building and education, menstruation could be de-stigmatized, which would benefit the whole community.
Swirl | making washing a fun and easy experience
In many developing countries, water sources are located far away from homes, making washing clothes a hard and laborious activity — hauling the clothes, washing them at the water source and then lugging them back. ‘Swirl,‘ a new concept for a non-electric washing machine, designed by German-based Designaffairs Studio for children and adults in developing nations. ‘Swirl‘ turns a burden of a chore into an entertaining activity — by playing and moving the ball around, clothes are easily transported, rotated, and cleaned inside the washing ball. To use Swirl, one simply loads the clothes into the barrel, locks the lid, and rolls it to the water source. Once filled up with water, the ball can
be rolled or kids can play with it. The rolling and playing rotate the inner wash basket inside, which washes and scrubs the clothes. Swirl doubles as a water transport system, much like the Hippo Rollers designed by Project H Design.
Husk Power | waste into energy
More than 125,000 villages in India are without electricity and therefore millions of people rely on unhealthy kerosene for power and cannot improve their health, education and livelihoods. A local company installed microgrid power plants
that are able to convert agricultural husk into electricity, thus providing income and sustainable ecosystems for local farmers and entrepreneurs. Often, the only source of power is dirty gasoline-powered generators. This makes air pollution unavoidable, as CO2 fumes fill towns, workplaces, and even homes. This dire state of things, however, is anything but hopeless. Husk Power Systems have taken it upon themselves to bring new hope of cleaner, more sustainable, and widely available energy in remote places where electricity is in low supply. This is made possible to biomass-based power plants, utilizing proprietary gasification technology, converting abundant agricul-
tural residue into usable electricity. The advantages are apparent at first glance: the power generated is better quality, fewer outages, a steadier supply and cheaper. To put this into perspective, Husk Power Systems has already improved over 200,000 lives, and reduced toxic kerosene consumption by 9,244,800 liters. Husk Power Systems deserve to be singled out as a force, which truly addresses the ever so important energy issues at hand; one that strives to better more than 10 million lives over the next five years. This design to improve life will trickle down through generations in areas ranging from health and well being, through education, all the way to development and employment.
ENERGY
Soccket | energy-harnessing soccer ball
The SOCCKET is a durable, energy-harnessing soccer ball. Using Uncharted Play’s patent pending technology, the pendulum-like mechanism inside the SOCCKET captures the kinetic energy generated during normal play, and stores it in the ball for later use as an off-grid power source. Just 30 minutes of play can power a simple LED lamp for 3 hours. About one ounce heavier than a standard soccer ball, the SOCCKET is constructed from custom water-resistant EVA foam that is both durable and soft to the touch. Designed and assembled in the USA, the SOCCKET is currently being piloted in select resource-poor areas of North America and South America.
Loowatt | transforming waste
Designed for use in developing countries, the LooWatt is a waterless toilet system that transforms human waste into a highly valued commodity – energy. The low-cost mechanical eco commode encourages people to trade in their waste for biofuel, creating an urban infrastructure that encourages proper waste disposal, cuts down on the spread of water-born illnesses, and provides a reliable source of energy. In designing the LooWatt system, Virginia Gardiner sought to provide a solution for the 40% of the world’s population that lives without toilets. In many developing countries the installation of sewage systems
is impossible, and improper waste disposal spreads devastating waterborne illnesses that afflict millions. The LooWatt aims to solve this global sanitation crisis by creating an entirely new waste disposal infrastructure. The composting toilet is molded from 90% horse dung, and features a biodegradable lining that stores excrement in a sealed, odor-free container. Once the toilet is full, the user takes the waste package to an outdoor biodigestor, which in exchange provides a free source of biofuel for cooking.
GravityLight | free light
The World Bank estimates that 780 million women and children around the world inhale a volume of smoke equivalent to smoking two packets of cigarettes a day – leading to the statistic that 60% of female lung-cancer victims in developing nations are non-smokers. Much of this smoke comes from kerosene lamps. The fumes also cause eye infections and cataracts, while 2.5 million people per year suffer severe burns from kerosene lamps in India alone. It also comes with a huge financial burden: the cost of kerosene for lighting alone can account for 20% of household income. The GravityLight is simply charged by a bag that is filled with around 9kg of material and hung from
a cord below the light. As the bag descends, a series of gears inside the device translates this weight into energy, providing 30 minutes of light. The light strength can be adjusted, from strong task lighting to a longer-lasting low-level glow, and two terminals on the front allow it to be used as a generator so it can recharge other devices including radios and batteries. It is a revolutionary new approach to storing energy and creating light. It takes only 3 seconds to lift the weight, which powers GravityLight, creating 30 minutes of light on its descent. For free. Following the initial inspiration of using gravity, and years of perspiration, the makers have refined the design and it is now ready for produc-
tion. When mass-produced the target cost for this light is less than $5. This design is great for people who live in less sunny places. They cannot rely on solar power, and need new, cheap technologies to provide them with lighting.
The Revolution Door | power by the people
The designers at New York City based Fluxxlab studio have come up with an ingenious sustainable energy harvesting idea that makes you wonder why no one else has thought of it before. Their Revolution Door manages to capture otherwise wasted human energy from the revolving doors we all see at various large buildings. The Revolution Door technology can be used with any new or existing revolving doors. At its core, it contains three parts – a redes igned central core replacing that of any existing or new revolving door, a mechanical/electrical system that harnesses human energy and redistributes electricity to an output, and an output device that maps the harnessed energy. The
revolving doors in large office buildings are always in use at any given moment during the day and by capturing that kinetic energy this project can provide free electricity to the installation site. Also in development is Powerslide, an innovative product that turns the sliding motion of common building components such as sliding doors, windows, and drawers into a source of energy.
Ecozoom Zoom Versa | versatile cooking
EcoZoom’s Versa Stove can burn wood, charcoal, or dried biomass and is our most versatile cook stove. The Versa is an emergency preparedness model in the United States and is also great for camping. It features an abrasion resistant and durable ceramic combustion chamber with a 10 cm in diameter vertical section that forces the gases to mix with the flame, decreasing harmful emissions and adds a refractory metal liner to the inside of the combustion chamber that protects the ceramic insulation, increases the life of the stove, and improves combustion efficiency. This stove features our new hinged combustion chamber doors enabling for an effortless conversion from
wood to charcoal fuels. Both the main combustion chamber door and the damper door (bottom door) have reinforced metal frames and have hinges that serve to securely close the doors and regulate airflow. An improved heat transfer makes cooking more effiencnt. The cost is $129 and offers as a fantastic newly improved sustainable cooking method.
Copenhagen Wheel | pedal efficiently
It is estimated that two to four billion people world wide are cyclists, yet most urban areas have grown too large to cycle though. All excuses to not ride your bike are however no longer valid. When you connect your smartphone to the bike, the wheels will do the rest. Providing you with that extra boost of power when you need it, effectively turning your bike into a “hybrid e-bike.” The Copenhagen Wheel allows you to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need a bit of a boost. It also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion, and road conditions in real-time. By throwing a Copenhagen Wheel on your bike, you can ride almost anywhere – hills feel
flattened, distances shrunk, and it’s connected through a range of apps that let you control and personalize your bike. You can also use your phone to unlock and lock your bike, change gears and select how much the motor assists you. As you cycle, the wheel’s sensing unit is also capturing your effort level and information about your surroundings, including road conditions, carbon monoxide, NOx, noise, ambient temperature and relative humidity. Access this data through your phone or the web and use it to plan healthier bike routes, to achieve your exercise goals or to meet up with friends on the go. Another cool feature of the Copenhagen Wheel is that you can share your data with friends,
or with your city – anonymously if you wish – thereby contributing to a finegrained database of environmental information from which everybody will benefit.
The Revolution Door | power by the people
The designers at New York City based Fluxxlab studio have come up with an ingenious sustainable energy harvesting idea that makes you wonder why no one else has thought of it before. Their Revolution Door manages to capture otherwise wasted human energy from the revolving doors we all see at various large buildings. The Revolution Door technology can be used with any new or existing revolving doors. At its core, it contains three parts – a redes igned central core replacing that of any existing or new revolving door, a mechanical/electrical system that harnesses human energy and redistributes electricity to an output, and an output device that maps the harnessed energy. The
revolving doors in large office buildings are always in use at any given moment during the day and by capturing that kinetic energy this project can provide free electricity to the installation site. Also in development is Powerslide, an innovative product that turns the sliding motion of common building components such as sliding doors, windows, and drawers into a source of energy.
The Volt Makers | kinetic charger
No matter how diligent you are at charging your smartphone before leaving the house, there is always some point where you find that your battery is on its last legs – and it’s usually when you need to make an important call. The Voltmaker is a ratchet-inspired kinetic charger that lets you power up your phone with a simple flick of the wrist. The prototype charger of an aluminum tube that houses a 2000 mAh Li-ion battery – a few minutes of vigorous motion creates enough juice for a brief phone call, or to switch on an integrated LED light. The Voltmaker’s body holds a spring-loaded mechanism at the top of the tube which generates energy as it spins. It is possible to fully charge
the Voltmaker through kinetic energy alone, although it would require 2 to 3 hours of manic jazz hand action. The developers recommend using the device as a backup rechargeable power source. Now in its first iteration, the Voltmaker is 6.1 inches long and 1.6 inches in diameter, but the makers hope to slim down the profile to 1.4 inches in diameter while reducing its weight from 10.6 ounces to 8.8 ounces. They also are working towards exchanging the internal lithium-ion battery to a lithium polymer equivalent. Different devices can be powered thanks to an internal micro-controller and it also has the ability to be recognized by smartphone applications and laptops. The
Voltmaker can potentially be used as a game controller as well as a flashlight and a backup battery. The body of the Voltmaker is sealed against dirt and moisture, so it’s also great for outdoor use. Voltmaker just launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $200,000 for further development and production. With a little over a week to go, the next 100 units are priced at $49 and expected to ship in October if their goal is met. The Voltmaker’s inventors are considering releasing its code under a GPL and GNU license in order to expand its applications, and they might add a selection of plug-in attachments including a strobe light, a fan, and a radio.
Bang Bang Tents | attention grabbing tents
Bang Bang Tents offer a flashy alternative to boring camping gear - complete with brightly colored exteriors and integrated solar panels. Former MTV festival presenter Rob Bertucci was tired of losing his way in a sea of tents at festivals and wanted a way to stand out. His battery was also always dying and he needed a good home base to recharge both his phone and his body. So he started Bang Bang Tents, which generate enough electricity to power computers, phones, cameras and speakers to keep rockers rocking through festivals. The tents also come equipped with a solar panel that can be slid into a pouch on the exterior of the tent. The 5W solar panel trickle charges a lithium battery bank that
has a USB charging adapter and can charge most low voltage devices. Use the solar panel and battery backup to charge cameras, phones, or computers or use them to run speakers and LED lights.
Photoflow | two in one energy
While our planet may be made up mostly of water, and electricity is used in every developed country, both of these resources are in tragically short supply in many places around the globe. Moreover, the majority of still developing countries are located on or near the equator, which receives more sunlight and rainfall than just about anywhere else on Earth. NOS, a design consulting company founded by Agustin Saiz Otegui, has designed a simple solution called Photoflow that aims to provide solar power and rainwater collection in one single unit for households in underdeveloped areas. The design is a simple one: eight triangular photovoltaic modules are assembled into an octagon with a
slight slope of 3 degrees. As rain lands on the solar panels, it flows down to the center of the unit, where it drains through a filter and into a water tank. This allows the solar panels to double as a catch for the rain, providing both electricity and water. The solar cells are covered in an anti-reflective surface to minimize loss through reflected light, and they also utilize a nano repellent film which helps to keep dirt from collecting on the surface and obstructing light. A lid is also built into the end of each module to allow easy access for cleaning or maintenance.The design is an elegant solution; combining functions into one unit to provide both power and water, and in a very simple device.
NOS is currently looking for funding for the project, in the hope that the units can adorn homes across the globe, and offer needed electricity and drinking water to those in need.
EDUCATION
Dyslexie | dyslexic friendly font
Dyslexie is a typeface/font designed to mitigate some of the issues. It was developed by Dutch graphic designer Christian Boer while in college to help combat his own dyslexia. Although Dyslexie adds to dyslexia research, it is not a cure for dyslexia. In Christian Boer’s words, it is simply “like a wheelchair” to help dyslexics function, and it makes each letter significantly unique. The typeface of Dyslexie was created with the notion that many of the letters in the Latin twenty-six lettered alphabet are visually very similar, thus more confusing for people with dyslexia. Dyslexie puts more emphasis on the parts of the letter that are different from each other. Dyslexie uses a heavier line thickness
to emphasize the bottom of most characters. This is to try and ‘anchor’ the letters since some people with dyslexia may see letters either moving or in three dimensions. Since dyslexics tend to get b, d, p, and q mixed up, it also emphasizes a slight slant downwards on the curvature of the letters. Letters such as c or e may gape slightly more, or slump slightly in one direction. Also, in letters such as n or h, the font slightly elongates or diminishes the stem on the letters. So the letter h would have a longer line, and n would have a lower line. In addition, the font also thickens or bolds capital letters and punctuations, so that it is easier to identify when a sentence starts or ends.
MAMA | educational text messages
In developing countries all over the world women lack access to basic health information on how to have a safe pregnancy and take care of a healthy baby, resulting in countless – and needless – infant deaths or injuries. MAMA (mobile alliance for maternal action): a system for sending personalized messages to expectant and new mothers in order to provide the necessary information, provides a solution by putting the power of health in every MAMA’s hand – saving babies’ lives. One of the UN Millennium Development Goals is to reduce the underfive child mortality rate by two thirds by 2015. Every year nearly 360,000
women worldwide fail to survive childbirth, and 4 million babies die during childbirth or the 4 weeks following. Most of these deaths could be prevented if expectant and new mothers received proper information on how to care for themselves and their baby. MAMA addresses this challenge by using technology mothers’ already own – mobile phones – and providing informative text messages that have the power to prevent countless deaths. MAMA is currently providing these vital messages to mothers in low-income families, who live in countries with elevated maternal and infant mortality rates, such as India
(which had the highest maternal-related deaths out of any country in 2008), Bangladesh and South Africa. Luckily, these countries have high populations of mobile phone users. Mobile health has the potential to reach anywhere in the world, including the hardest-toreach poor mothers. Not only that, but mobile health messages are portable, accessible 24/7, discreet for those who might be afraid to ask, and can be saved or shared. This simple and easy method can provide information, dispel myths, highlight warning signs and connect pregnant women and new moms with local health services. A sample SMS for example: “It’s time for the second tetanus vaccine. Just one more and your baby will be
protected against tetanus. Go to your clinic now.” MAMA provides two types of messages: core messages and topicbased messages. The core messages are arranged by “age and stage” to cover weeks 5 to 42 of pregnancy, and the first year of the baby’s life. These messages include antenatal care, nutrition, vaccination, and family planning. The, second type, topicbased messages are more specific and addresses issues like how to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. What’s even more amazing about MAMA is that these life-saving messages are provided completely free of charge.
XO 4 Touch | the latest from OLPC
In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte announced an audacious goal: He was going to put a laptop in the hands of every child in developing countries. With his “One Laptop Per Child” project, the futurist and marquee Wired magazine columnist was looking to close the widening gap between the world’s haves and havenots. His underlying premise: In the computer age, there should be none of the latter, because the PC was the ultimate equalizer. OLPC was greeted with great acclaim among the Internet’s 1 percent, many of who were highly motivated to empower the other 99. It was backed by a host of blue-ribbon tech compa-
nies and got the perfect coming-out party at the 2006 World Economic Forum in Davos, where the UN Development Program announced it too would support the project. OLPC’s machine, the XO, was tailor-made for the developing world: It had a hard plastic shell to survive outdoors, where it would see a lot of use, and a screen that could be read in direct sunlight. It used 1/10th the power of contemporary laptops and could be recharged with solar energy. And at $200, it was incredibly cheap by laptop standards back then. Seven years later, OLPC is still grinding away—by the end of 2011 it had given away 2.4 million XO laptops—but to
say that the program hasn’t changed the world would be a kind understatement. The irony is that Negroponte’s project didn’t fail because the world was resistant to change. It failed because the world changed too quickly. OLPC was a well-intentioned moon shot that fell short because it solved a hardware problem that all but evaporated. The seemingly quixotic XO had only a two-year head start on the greatest leap forward in mobile computing, the iPhone. The XO-4 Touch laptop is the latest refresh of the XO laptop. It is available in two models: XO-4 and XO-4 Touch, with the latter providing multi-touch input on the display. Like the XO-1.75,
it uses an ARM processor to provide high performance wWith low power consumption, while keeping the industrial design and batteries of the XO-1.
Raspberry Pi | the $25 computer
Raspberry Pi is a small, credit-card sized computer developed to help educate a new generation of programmers and electronics engineers. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming. Developed by the Raspberry PI foundation the Raspberry Pi computer is a miniature ARM based PC which can do many of the things a desktop PC can do like word-processing, games or playing back High-Definition video
$100 3D Printer | from scraps
Kodjo Afate Gnikou, a resourceful inventor from Togo in West Africa, has made a $100 3D printer which he constructed from parts he scrounged from broken scanners, computers, printers and other e-waste. The fully functional DIY printer cost a fraction of those currently on the market, and saves environmentally damaging waste from reaching landfill sites. He is working with FacLab-France in the WAFATE to Mars project, which aims to make machines from recycled e-waste to prepare for missions on Mars. Systems like the 3D printer could become a crucial part of missions on the Red Planet should they ever go ahead.
According to his fundraising page, Gnikou aims that with his project, he will “put technology into needy hands and give Africa the opportunity to not only be a spectator but to play the first role in a more virtuous industrial revolution.�
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M-Pesa | mobile banking for africa
The Challenge of Money addresses issues surrounding the distribution of wealth, welfare, and financial opportunities. A survey carried out by the World Bank in 2012 showed that 50% of adults in high-income economies such as the West have credit cards, whereas just 7% of adults in the developing world posses a credit card. But it’s not just the developing world that is not serviced by banks and credit cards, there are 9 million “unbanked” American households that sit on the periphery of the economic system. In 2007, following a student software development project from Kenya, Safaricom launched a new mobilebased payment and money transfer service, known as M-PESA. M for
mobile and PESA for Swahili currency. M-PESA is currently the most developed mobile payment system in the developing world. It allows users with a national ID card or passport to deposit, withdraw or transfer money without needing to visit a bank. This incredibly reliable and corrupt-free design is making monetary transactions and payments available for millions of people in Africa. Since its inception, M-PESA has serviced 40% of Kenya’s adult population. And impressively a third of Kenya’s GDP now flows through M-PESA. What is more – set against the disenchantment with the banking industry wrought by the 2008 Banking Crisis, M-PESA is corrupt-free and transparent.
Replenish | the new way to clean
Why are large household products companies not producing concentrate-based system? Because it is it isn’t good business sense. Companies make money on a product that’s 99% water. The few concentrates already on the market either come as a thick liquid that needs to be measured and mixed separately, or in a powder or capsule form, leaving you to worry that the cleanser doesn’t completely or evenly dissolve. In both cases, it’s difficult to see what’s actually happening. Replenish makes the entire process transparent to the consumer. A small, four-ounce “pod” of concentrated cleanser is integrated into the bottle.
The nozzle screws into the base like a garden hose, then you turn the bottle upside down and squeeze the cartridge. A valve ensures that the fluid drops evenly into a tiny reservoir for measuring, created when the bottle is inverted. Simply measure the fluid each time you refill the bottle; each pod has enough fluid for four full bottles. Or detach the cartridge and use the container as a plain old water spray bottle. Unlike most every other spray bottle on the market, the bottle contains no metal in the nozzle - the entire piece is 100% recyclable. And the bottle and all its elements are produced in Wisconsin, with the entire supply chain
within a 200-mile radius. Inside, the concentrates are 98% plant-based, biodegradable, non-toxic to aquatic life and pH neutral, which is more than some other natural cleaners on the market. The math works for consumers, even if it requires an initial investment: Foster’s bottle costs $7.99 and includes a four-ounce cartridge of concentrate that mixes four full bottles of cleanser (a bottle of Windex retails for about $4.00).
Togo Burger | efficient fast food
Every day, 50 million Americans eat fast food. And while that has obvious ramifications on the ever-expanding waistlines, it also creates quite a bit of trash in the process. Many recent innovations aimed at greening food packaging have focused on materials, but those come with their own challenges--for example, a compostable fork or wrapper might easily end up in a landfill if a city doesn’t offer composting or a consumer doesn’t read the label. What if designers dramatically reduced the amount of packaging instead? During a graduate packaging design class at Rhode Island School of Design, Seulbi Kim started thinking about a better way to wrap up the typical American lunch. Her
first focus was convenience, not the environment. As she visited a series of fast food joints, she watched customers struggle to carry their meals out the door. Oversized bags helped a little, but couldn’t hold a drink without spilling it. They also created a lot of waste. After realization that the system is inconvenient and wasteful, she came up with Togo Burger, a simple new version of the fast food package. A recycled cardboard sleeve wraps around a drink and straw and locks together to create handles. Inside, there’s a slot for a burger on one side, and a little hook for fries on the other (the box for the fries has a corresponding slot on the back). The whole package can be carried in one
hand. In all, Kim says it’s easier for a fast food employee to pack, easier to carry, and it reduces the volume of materials used by about 50%. It also minimizes the use of glue or printing, and the cardboard sleeves can be stacked to save space in storage and transportation.
Rabalder Parken | flood relief skate park
Danish architects, Nordarch, have created a recreational oasis that secures the Danish city, Roskilde, from future flooding. As these heavy rainfalls only occur a few times a year, a park that celebrates human motion cleverly disguises the drainage system. In an area previously monopolized by concrete factories and storage facilities, Roskilde’s MUSICON area now has
a fun, flirty, and critically a waterproof makeover. Rabalder Parken, a heavy-duty drainage system that simultaneously serves as a recreational oasis for skateboarders and other lovers of leisure. The entire complex is fully integrated into the existing water
canal system that stretches through a series of hills and brings the rainwater to the adjacent lake. In fact, the skate park can hold 23,000 cubic meters, the equivalent of 10 Olympic sized swimming pools, of rainwater in times of flooding.
EcoAtm | cash in your old electronics
The half-life of a piece of technology these days is very short. Every year, upgrades to computers, televisions, and mobile phones render last year’s version technologically obsolete. To a large degree, electronics are disposable. And yet, according to the Environmental Protection Administration, only 11 percent of the estimated 152 million discarded mobile devices are properly recycled. Bamboo Mobile estimates that 30 percent of people are unaware of the fact that their old cell phones can be recycled. Also, the U.S. alone disposes of more than 384 million units of e-waste each year, and less than 20 percent of that is recycled, according to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition. The remain-
ing 80 percent is burned or dumped in landfills, leaking toxic substances like mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic and beryllium into the environment. ecoATM is the first and only company to create an automated self-serve kiosk system that uses patented, advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate and buy-back used electronics directly from consumers for cash or store credit.
RecycleMatch | auction off your trash
Brooke Farrell was one of the first to recognize the large market for waste and by doing so, she found a way to give organizational waste a whole new value. Not only that, she found a way to do it sustainably, and thus in 2011 she founded RecycleMatch. Companies in the U.S. spend $22 billion per
year just to put waste into landfills. Yet approximately 70% of that waste cannot only be productively used but has a tremendous amount of value. The solution is the first B2B marketplace allowing companies to bid and transact online in order to buy, sell, or give their waste to commodity recycla-
bles. Companies list materials free of charge on the site, with their brands and identities kept confidential. Prospective buyers can ask questions, get samples and make bids on the materials which can be reused or up-cycled as well as recycled.
Goedzak | dispose of still-usable items
A Dutch design agency has come up with a concept for a rubbish bag that lets you dispose of items that you don’t want, but which someone else might.The “Goedzak”, which translates to “good bag” or “do-gooder”, is a transparent bag with an eye-catching yellow stripe down one side, which you can put things out on the street in. If any of the contents catch the eye of a passer-by, they can feel free to just take them. Designers Simon Akkaya and Maarten Heijltjes told the Pop Up City: “Whether it’s that purple vase your sister-in-law got you, or that particular coffee-pad-loving coffee machine (you know the one) that’s been lying
in the basement for ages; everybody owns items that are no longer of value to them.” They added: “Every now and then we throw out these items, while they still might be of value and/ or useful to others. These items disappear in grey garbage bags and end up on trash piles. Goedzak offers these items a second chance.”
Bambooee | sustainable paper towels
Every day the world produces 300 tons of paper towel waste – the vast majority of which are made from trees that would take decades to re-grow. Bambooee is an eco-friendly towel that combine the best qualities of paper and cloth. They’re made of sturdy, absorbent bamboo fibers that work just like standard paper towels, but you can toss them in the washing machine. A single roll of these reusable towels replaces up to 286 rolls of regular ones. Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world, growing 2 ft. or more per day. When it’s harvested, the root system is left intact, so it doesn’t need to be replanted. It’ll
grow a new shoot on its own. Unlike hardwood, which when cut, is gone forever. It’s also incredibly durable. A difference you’ll see when you use your first Bambooee paper towel – 20 sheets replace 286 paper towel rolls. This bamboo material is a great way to rethink designs and its use in sustainability materials.
One World Futbol | the indestructible ball
The One World Futbol is about as unique a ball as they come — nearly indestructible, this ball never needs to be pumped up and never goes flat, even after it’s been punctured. Sponsored by Chevrolet, this ball is not only made to last, it’s also made for a great cause. For every ball you buy, a child or community in need somewhere in the world also gets one, giving them the teamwork and joy that comes from participating in sports. It’s the perfect ball for playing on the beach, on the field, in the gym or the harshest terrain.
Plastic Paving | recycled plastic streets in Vancouver
Plastic waste such as bags and water bottles that are difficult to recycle have found a new life in asphalt mix used to pave streets in Vancouver. This is good news in a time where the world produces a combined total of
100 million tons of un-recycled plastic waste per year. The city of Vancouver has worked with GreenMantra of Toronto to develop a state-of-the-art granular, waxlike material that’s added to asphalt. The material allows the asphalt to flow smoothly at a much lower temperature, which saves on the cost of fuel to heat the asphalt and reduces the amount of vapors released into the atmosphere, according to Peter Judd, Vancouver’s general manager of engineering services. “That’s good for both the workers laying the asphalt and the environment”, he told the Vancouver Sun. “Traditional hot-mix asphalt needs to be heated to about 140 to 160 degrees Celsius to flow onto the road surface. By adding
the recycled plastic, the temperature can be reduced by up to 40 degrees Celsius”, Judd said. “What that means is that you use about 20 percent less fuel to heat the asphalt up – it’s an enormous saving in greenhouse gases.” He also explained that using the recycled plastic adds about one to three percent to the cost of building roads. But, with fuel prices rising and air quality and emission standards becoming tougher, the city expects the cost to drop as supply increases. Peter Judd estimated that with all the paving the city does every year, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 300 tons, which is perfectly aligned with Vancouver’s target of being the “greenest city in the world” by 2020.