All posts filed under: Things for the Planet

WakaWaka Blackout Emergency Kit

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While I really could have used this little device after Hurricane Sandy, when my family and I were without power for 10 days, it is the potential it offers for those with homes that are always off the grid that is even greater. The WakaWaka Power (you have to try to get past the image of Fozzie the Bear from the Muppet Show, if you can) is a solar-powered LED lamp and mobile charger in one. This is a product with a huge demand at the moment — the Dutch company Off Grid Solutions launched it in December on Kickstarter and within a week became one of the most funded projects on the site (the campaign ends on January 12th and to date has raised almost $275,000 U.S.). The iPhone-sized kit weighs seven ounces, delivers up to 60 lumens of bright, safe reading light for more than 40 hours on an eight hour solar charge, and can charge mobile phones from all brands. The battery will stay fresh for more than a year — users should …

SkateBacks for iPhone 4 and 4s

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Each week, enough waste material is thrown away from one skateboard factory to fill a city bus. To help find another use for the leftovers from a Costa Mesa, California-based skateboard factory, the Portland, Oregon-based iPhone and iPad accessories maker Grove collaborated with designer Lindsay Holmes of MapleXO to create a 100% post-industrial product for the iPhone 4 and 4S. While there are three general colorways to choose from, no two SkateBacks are identical — making them more desirable for those of us that don’t want to have exactly what everyone else does. The 1/16”-thick back protector easily attaches to the back of your phone with a peel-and-stick 3M adhesive that Grove claims is removable without residue. While you’d probably want something tougher to protect your phone if you are actually skateboarding, this will do just fine for those of us that gave up that pastime longer ago than we’d like to remember (mine was black and white — what color was yours?) $49.00 U.S. Ships in 2-4 weeks from Portland. All photos ©GroveMade

modern-twist

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  I was drawn to the modern-twist booth at this winter’s New York Gift Fair by their unique collection of food-grade, hand-screened silicone placemats. Based in the San Francisco/Oakland area, modern-twist makes a range of products, from bracelets to coasters, in a manner that allows them to be both a socially and environmentally conscious company. Free of BPA, latex, and chemicals, their products are good enough to literally eat off. The line of  12” x 16” KIDZ mats, starting at $17 each, are filled with child-friendly scenes by contributing artists that can be doodled on with washable or dry erase markers and wiped clean again with a damp cloth. Adults can have fun too, with a line of silky smooth silicone place mats in subtle geometric and floral designs. Other product designs from modern-twist include trivets, coasters, wine glass markers, jewelry boxes, pillows, and a line of silicone bracelets that will appeal to kids of all ages.

Eau Good Water Bottle

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You can design the most stunning reusable water bottle in the world, but if people don’t like the taste of their tap water, they aren’t going to use it. Black + Blum’s new eau good bottle comes with a chunk of organic binchotan active charcoal that you can lock in place in a nook in the blow-molded bottle. After an activation time of six to eight hours, the charcoal improves the flavor of tap water by reducing chlorine, balancing pH, and adding minerals. The charcoal can be used for up to six months and then be recycled for other uses (replacement charcoal sticks can be purchased separately). Packaged in an unbleached graphic box, the bottle holds 27 fluid ounces and comes with a natural cork stopper. Available in April for $20.00 USD.

S’well Bottle

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Let’s face it, even if they try to be eco-friendly, plastic water bottles stink. They are convenient, recyclable, and lightweight, but the energy and materials that it takes to manufacture, ship, and then recycle them back into bottles or other objects could certainly be better spent. That’s why I’m always intrigued when a company claims to have come up with a better bottle. The S’well Bottle is a hybrid water bottle/thermos for wine, tea, or anything you want to keep hot or cold. These insulated stainless steel bottles are non-leaching, toxin-free, and are “virtually unbreakable” according to the manufacturer. They come in a rainbow of colors, fit into your car’s cup holder, and have a mouth big enough to put ice cubes through (something your standard water bottle can not do). They come in a 15 ounce/500 ml size ($35 USD) and a 25 ounce/750 ml size ($45 USD) that can carry a full bottle of wine. If you want a good reason to give S’well a swig, you should also know that the company …

Pure Water Bottle

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Bad water can be as deadly as no water at all, and scientists and designers alike are searching for portable, affordable, and sustainable methods of converting dirty water from a lake, stream, or puddle into something potable. While traveling in Zambia, designer Timothy Whitehead was inspired to develop a simpler and faster way of sterilizing water than the traditional method of waiting 30 minutes for a chlorine or iodine tablet to work. The result of Whitehead’s research is Pure, a water bottle that provides clean drinking water in just two minutes using a wind-up, ultraviolet light to sterilize the water quickly without any distortion to taste common with the use of chlorine or iodine tablets. While ideal for third world countries, the bottle could also be used by hikers, the military, or anytime someone is in a remote location. To get clean water, the user first fills the bottle’s outer chamber with dirty water, which is then plunged (much like a coffee press) and filtered. The clear water is then sterilized for 90 seconds using a …