Easy green tech gadgets

[EcoNrgized]

Hi everyone,

To help out people who love their gadgets, I thought we could all pitch in and make a list of gadgets that are environmentally more friendly than most items on the market.

Pick gadgets that are:

biodegradable

reduce waste compared to the alternatives

reduce energy waste compared to the alternatives if any

use less energy than the alternatives

use alternative energies

make other gadget more environmentally friendly

please add any other eco-friendly attributes

and tell us which attributes (from the list above) they have

I'll start off with 2 easy ones see how it goes:

- rechargeable batteries: reduce waste compared to the non-rechargeable

- battery chargers - use them mostly at non-peak hours and they reduce wasted energy from power stations

now lets see what else comes up! :thumbup:

[EnviroGadget]

I posted an article today about drinks bottles made from recycled paper/card:

http://www.envirogadget.com/recycling/360-...d-paper-bottle/

Dan

[mountainhiker]

I posted an article today about drinks bottles made from recycled paper/card:

http://www.envirogadget.com/recycling/360-...d-paper-bottle/

Dan

Paper drink bottle sounds like a good idea, but, can they last long enough to get the product to market and long enough for people to use before the bottle self destructs....

[EnviroGadget]

Dan

Paper drink bottle sounds like a good idea, but, can they last long enough to get the product to market and long enough for people to use before the bottle self destructs....

Even if these ones don't, innovation in the right area introduces competition. So you'd hope that the competition would drive a better product.

[brettbh]

Even if these ones don't, innovation in the right area introduces competition. So you'd hope that the competition would drive a better product.

No matter how good the product, I doubt that they would ever be as durable as plastic bottles and so they would need to go through the recycling process much more frequently - and that, of course, requires energy. I'm not at all convinced that such bottles would represent a greener option.

[mountainhiker]

No matter how good the product, I doubt that they would ever be as durable as plastic bottles and so they would need to go through the recycling process much more frequently - and that, of course, requires energy. I'm not at all convinced that such bottles would represent a greener option.

Shelf life will be the key as to how well this concept will make it in the marketplace. One soggy bottle and its over.... B)

[Simon]

Its looks cool - but I am not so sure it would be a hit. :sceptical:

How well can they keep the cold? Does it taste OK to drink right from that dry paper-thingy?

[mountainhiker]

Its looks cool - but I am not so sure it would be a hit. :sceptical:

How well can they keep the cold? Does it taste OK to drink right from that dry paper-thingy?

Simon, Really good point, taste was one of the reasons that a ton of research was (and still is) done getting the correct plastic mix in bottles.

[Simon]

Simon, Really good point, taste was one of the reasons that a ton of research was (and still is) done getting the correct plastic mix in bottles.

Interesting. I did not know that. :)

[mountainhiker]

Interesting. I did not know that.

BPA, stands for bisphenol A. It is a chemical that is used to make hard, rigid, translucent plastics like Nalgene's water bottles and big push in the US to replace any and all water bottles with BPA free plastic. REI, major outdoor chain, stripped their shelves in just the last year and replace all of their outdoor water bottles with BPA free ones.

[EnviroGadget]

Its looks cool - but I am not so sure it would be a hit. :sceptical:

How well can they keep the cold? Does it taste OK to drink right from that dry paper-thingy?

The current solution may not be great, but any step in the right direction is a great idea. Who knows what variation of paper treatment will lead to usable bottles in the future? Currently, we're constrained by tradition (metal and plastic). Out of the (cardboard) box thinking is needed for sustainable consumables like drinks bottles!

Dan

[Simon]

What about glass?

[EnviroGadget]

What about glass?

Due to the density of glass, there's an additional weight factor if glass is used. Also consider that many/most glass bottle/jar tops are not actually recyclable.

[Simon]

Due to the density of glass, there's an additional weight factor if glass is used. Also consider that many/most glass bottle/jar tops are not actually recyclable.

In Sweden the Coca-Cola company have recently (a few months ago I believe) made their plastic bottles in a cheaper plastic that makes them impossible to recycle. And if you consider that in 2006 about 92% of all the glass bottles in Sweden was recycled I do believe glass is better from an environmental perspective.