unconsumption: Two Swedish designers are turning rejected and recycled materials into beautiful, colorful rugs.  Katarina Brieditis and Katarina Evans of Stockholm have been repurposing old Salvation Army swag into stunning floor-coverings since August 2012, with the aim of producing one new piece on a monthly basis. They employ several methods to create their final products, from the more traditional knitting and sewing to more specific crocheting and plaiting.  (via Design Duo Turn Thrift Store Sweaters Into Rugs - PSFK)

unconsumption:

Two Swedish designers are turning rejected and recycled materials into beautiful, colorful rugs.

 Katarina Brieditis and Katarina Evans of Stockholm have been repurposing old Salvation Army swag into stunning floor-coverings since August 2012, with the aim of producing one new piece on a monthly basis. They employ several methods to create their final products, from the more traditional knitting and sewing to more specific crocheting and plaiting.

 (via Design Duo Turn Thrift Store Sweaters Into Rugs - PSFK)

Pavegen harnesses electricity from footsteps.

Learn more about this cool technology and initiative on their Kickstarter page.

Create electricity, just by walking to class.  Pavegen is kickstarting the future of renewable energy education with power from your footsteps.  We’ve developed and proven the technology, and now we need your help to bring it to life in schools around the world.

Pavegen harnesses the kinetic energy from footsteps and converts it into renewable electricity.  Just by stepping, jumping, or hopping on a Pavegen floor tile, people create clean, off-grid electricity used to power multiple applications — from lighting, to interactive learning displays and charging points.  Data on the energy harvested and footfall can be sent immediately to any web address from each unit.

Source:  Pavegen - Kickstarter Page

Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels From Stanford Engineering »

Looks like Stanford engineers made a big breakthrough in the solar energy field.  They’ve created the world’s first flexible peel-and-stick thin-film solar cells.

From Stanford Engineering:

While others have been successful in fabricating thin-film solar cells on flexible substrates before, those efforts have required modifications of existing processes or materials, notes Lee. “The main contribution of our work is that we have done so without modifying any existing processes, facilities or materials, making them viable commercially. And we have demonstrated our process on a more diverse array of substrates than ever before,” Lee says.

“Now you can put them on helmets, cell phones, convex windows, portable electronic devices, curved roofs, clothing – virtually anything,” says Zheng. 

UPS announced on their Facebook page the test of a new electric powered delivery bicycle.  Now you can work and work out! via UPS Facebook page: Allowing UPS drivers to travel narrow urban streets with limited parking, this new electrically powered delivery bicycle is being tested in Dortmund, Germany.

UPS announced on their Facebook page the test of a new electric powered delivery bicycle.  Now you can work and work out!

via UPS Facebook page:

Allowing UPS drivers to travel narrow urban streets with limited parking, this new electrically powered delivery bicycle is being tested in Dortmund, Germany.

poptech:

WikiCells: Biomimicry spawns edible packaging for food and cocktails

In an innovative approach to consuming with minimal waste, Harvard Professor David Edwards and his team have developed WikiCells, self-contained, edible packaging for liquids, mousses and emulsions. The membrane that houses the various WikiCells flavors is made from vegetal elements, with a taste deliberately paired to match its contents. What started as an experiment to reduce the waste from packaging on food delivered to impoverished areas in Africa has expanded to focus on the significant impact of food packaging on pollution caused by mass consumption. With such far-reaching ideas in mind, the company launches today with the announcement of the newly introduced WikiCocktail and Wiki IceCream.

unconsumption: A jump rope made from 100% reclaimed mountain-climbing rope and rubber handles. Since the materials are reclaimed, no two will be the same. A 6.5 foot (single) length is sold at Branch Home, but should you need a 10.5 foot (double) length, go directly to Urban Infant. Packaged in a biodegradable, nongenetically modified and certified compostable (ASTM D6400) tray. Even if you’re not in the market for a jump rope, you have to admire the notion of something made from reclaimed mount-climbing materials! (via Upcycled Jump Rope — ACCESSORIES — Better Living Through Design)

unconsumption:

A jump rope made from 100% reclaimed mountain-climbing rope and rubber handles. Since the materials are reclaimed, no two will be the same. A 6.5 foot (single) length is sold at Branch Home, but should you need a 10.5 foot (double) length, go directly to Urban Infant. Packaged in a biodegradable, nongenetically modified and certified compostable (ASTM D6400) tray.

Even if you’re not in the market for a jump rope, you have to admire the notion of something made from reclaimed mount-climbing materials!

(via Upcycled Jump Rope — ACCESSORIES — Better Living Through Design)

Interesting idea and concept.  However, there are challenges that don’t seem to get a lot of attention in the attached article — like water usage required to maintain. World’s First Vertical Forest Under Construction in Milansustainablecitiescollective.com In Milan, a for­est will soon be plant­ed in the sky. Build­ing works for a pair of sky­scrap­ers that will become home to the world’s first ver­ti­cal for­est is under­way. The brain­child of archi­tect Ste­fano Boeri, the €65 mil­lion ‘Bosco…

Interesting idea and concept.  However, there are challenges that don’t seem to get a lot of attention in the attached article — like water usage required to maintain.

World’s First Vertical Forest Under Construction in Milan
sustainablecitiescollective.com

In Milan, a for­est will soon be plant­ed in the sky. Build­ing works for a pair of sky­scrap­ers that will become home to the world’s first ver­ti­cal for­est is under­way. The brain­child of archi­tect Ste­fano Boeri, the €65 mil­lion ‘Bosco…

(via liber-eclectica-deactivated2012)