I’ve been looking around for signs of LOHAS (lifestyle of health and sustainability) around me — things that demonstrate how product design is changing based on these lifestyle choices. While awareness of environmental and health issues have increased over time, there is still a lot that can be done in the consumer electronics industry. I’m hoping that one day, every product demonstrated in the Vegas CES event will be green or consciously manufactured.
For now, I’ve come up with a list of 10 really cool green products that are must-haves for the eco-conscious buyers amongst us. Not only are they green, they’re productivity boosters and sleek to look at.
At one time or another, we’ve all cringed at the amount of water dishwasher’s use. We’ve justified it as one of those things that can’t be helped unless we’re willing to do the dishes ourselves.
This little dishwasher gadget here solves this issue by using only half the amount of water a traditional dish washer does. It steams everything in the pre-washing stage and then uses the cool vapors from the steam to wash the dishes. It’s perfect for singles, couples or small families and looks gorgeous in the kitchen.
Alarm clocks can be your best friend or mortal enemies depending on how much of a night owl you are. Regardless of that, I’m environmentally conscious enough to know a winner when I see one.
The alarm clock is rechargeable by water. All you have to do is mix a little salt in it, put it in the clock and your clock is good to go for the next few days. While the global clean water resources are diminshing, the amount of water this clock requires is very negligible. Tick tock.
Oh, and by the way, it comes in stunning colors too.
We know that bamboo is biodegradable. What we didn’t know was that Asus would decide to use it as material to make eco-friendly laptops. Yes, you heard that right.
The Asus Ecobook is encased in bamboo and built from recyclable material the 12 inch laptop reduces power usage significantly. It also doesn’t use any hazardous chemicals – not even paint. Now thats what I’m talking about — one day, these ecobooks will look better too. Right now, though, we can’t have the best of both worlds.
The Office Pod is the eco-friendly version of a home office. It reduces carbon emissions by 67% per year – of a single office user. These office pods can be assembled in a day by professionals according to your requirements. They come fitted with a desk and cabinets.
Made from recycled materials, it comes in a standard size of 2.1m x 2.1m and has a central locking system. I don’t know about you, but I’d definitely want one for myself.
5. 6-in-1 solar powered robotic kit
We all love toys, especially the cool, robotic looking kind. The 6-in-1 Solar Powered Robotic Kit is a dream come true for anyone who likes to assemble their own toys and then display them.
The kit comes with 37 parts, requires no screws and can be charged through solar power. If the sun is not available, you can power your toys through a 50 halogen bulb.
You can make a robotic dog, boat, car, windmill and even a desktop plane. If nothing else, you know these toys will look awesome in your collection – or on your office desk.
You can also use them to introduce children to the concept of solar energy and robotic toys. What’s more? They’re quite a steal at 20 bucks.
Mowing your garden is a great exercise. You’re tending your garden, doing your bit to help make this earth greener. If you don’t have time, you might want to pay someone to do it for you. Larger parks and lawns use drive-in mowers to cover a larger surface area. What we forget to notice is that those mowers are run on fuel.
A good alternative for the fuel-driven mowers is this beauty: the Robotic Lawn Mower. It doesn’t require fuel, is automatic, charges on solar power and has zero emissions. You know you’ll never look at your old lawn mower the same way again.
Who wants radio when we have iPods? But is the iPod sturdy enough to brave camping trips? Will you leave it plugged into speakers while you go swim in the lake? Face it, the iPod maybe the greatest invention since a record player but sometimes a good old radio is all we want when multiple people want to to enjoy the music with you.
The 3-in-1 Wind Up Radio is aimed for those who like to camp. Not only is it stylish, its waterproof, has a built in siren, an LED torch and requires no battery.
All you have to do is wind it for a minute to play one hour of uninterrupted radio. Run out of battery? Wind it up again! The joys of technology.
What if you could charge your mp3 player and cellphone without needing any electricity? Well, actually you would need power, but not from the conventional sources. What if you could make your own electricity to charge them?
Solar Panel Sunglasses, gives an altogether different life to our what-ifs. These sun glasses come equipped with solar cells and a power jack at the back. The solar cells collect solar energy and turn it into electricity. All you have to do is plug your mp3 player or cellphone into the socket at the back and voila! You’re charging your gadget.
Now if only these glasses came in more styles, so that you don’t look like you just walked out of a Minority Report scene shooting.
9. Chrysler’s Green Eco Mobility Electric Car
Also called the pea-pod, Chrysler’s Eco Mobility Electric Car is a super efficient alternative to fuel, is powered by electricity, and is made mostly from recycled materials.
While it can’t go faster than 25mph, has a range of 30 miles per charge and it takes 6-8 hours for it to charge, it costs only around 2 cents per mile. It’s aimed for smaller trips like running errands around the neighborhood, going shopping, traveling short distances etc. We can hope that one day, we’ll have charging stops between and within cities as well.
This baby also has an iPod charging station which can be programmed to start the car! Using an iPod as an ignition is certainly a novelty. This cute smiling car comes in two, four and six-seater models.
Before you take the car out on the road, don’t forget to map out your route! You can’t drive the pea-pod on highways (yet).
We all know rechargeable cells are eco friendly. You can use them multiple times and they have longer lives. You can make your battery choices even better by using your laptops to charge them while you’re working. The best thing about these USB rechargeable AA batteries is that when you’re out on a trip (most likely with your laptop), you can never really run out of batteries.
