Jar O’ Sun
Date: October 29, 2008 | Category: Home Furnishings, Lifestyle, Tech
Need a night time pick me up? Try a Sun Jar. No, it’s not a new cocktail, sorry.
Made with a traditional Mason jar packed with a highly efficient solar cell, a rechargeable battery and low-energy LED bulbs, when the jar is placed in sunlight the solar cell creates an electrical current that charges the battery over a few hours. This energy is then used at night to light the jar, which glows in either blue or yellow. The Sun Jar makes a great nightlight, or can be used outdoors in the garden, or as part of a camping or emergency kit. Better yet, tell trick-or-treaters that there is ghost jelly in the jar.
Don’t Be a Boob: Recycle Your Tube
Date: October 28, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Tech
It seems like every time we turn on the television lately we are warned that in the near future it might not work at all thanks to the upcoming switchover from analog to digital television. All the warnings made us wonder: What is going to happen to all of these useless televisions come February?
Short answer is that they will end up in landfills unless otherwise planned for. ASL Recycling to the rescue. The company organizes GREENspots in California where people can drop off televisions, computers, microwaves, DVD players and other electronics for recycling. This year alone ALS Recycling has processed more than 8 million pounds of waste that would have otherwise wound up in a landfill.
While ASL is currently only operating in California, it is ever-expanding, with 150 GREENspots currently operating. So when it is time to unplug the television and replace it with a new one, plug in your zip code on the ASL website and find out where you can safely drop the old dinosaur off.
Be Kind: Rewind (and Reuse)
Date: October 21, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Office, Tech
If you’re high on tech, you’ve probably already converted from a VCR to a DVD player (or maybe even Blu-ray). But what’s an ecofab reader to do with all those old movies and aerobics tapes from days gone by?
If you’ve still got them, we know exactly who wants them. Simply mail them to ACT, in Columbia, Missouri, and a disabled person will get paid to clean, erase and resell those videotapes to people who can use them. It sure sounds like the plot of a winning movie.
Gadget Management System
Date: October 14, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Stores & Resources, Tech
Balancing the need for electricity with a yearning to lead an eco-friendly life has been the bane of many a geek’s existence. All those gadgets need to be juiced up to keep working, which puts a real kink in any attempt to lower your carbon footprint.
To get a grasp on how much power your various devices consume consider investing in the Kill A Watt, a product that allows you to assess how efficient your appliances and toys are by measuring how much electricity they consume. Just plug them into the device and an LCD display counts consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, the same way utility companies do.
In addition to helping you monitor your electrical expenses by the hour, day, week, month or even by the year, Kill A Watt will allow you to determine which gadgets are the biggest electricity hogs - read, unplug these when they are not in use.
This is a gadget to help you manage your gadgets (a.k.a. an eco-geek’s dream realized.)
If Only This Machine Did Windows!
Date: September 9, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Tech
You’ve got to check out the new Sanyo “three-in-one machine that not only washes but also dries clothes and recycles water.” Just wish it did floors (maybe that is next)! If you have gotten excited about one of the myriad new washers that accept enormous loads and reduce water and soap requirements dramatically, you might feel like you celebrated too soon. This squeaky clean info is brought to us by EcoGeek. To get the full cycle, check out the EcoGeek article here.
Adapting to a Greener Future
Date: September 5, 2008 | Category: Featured, Lifestyle, Media, Tech
Surfing the net feels eco-friendly (I guess anything that has surfing as part of it sounds clean). It makes us feel good that we’d probably be using up precious resources like paper and gas if the world wasn’t at our fingertips via laptop (with a CO2 Saver downloaded of course). Dig a little deeper though, and you’ll see that your connection could be much greener than you even imagined. (more…)
Smart Call
Date: September 2, 2008 | Category: Featured, Lifestyle, Tech
Samsung’s newest phone may be simple but the casing is made of a tasty corn-based bio-plastic, the packaging is made of recycled materials, and it has cool eco-features, like a warning to unplug it when it’s fully charged. You won’t get all of the intrigue of a Blackberry or an iPhone, but getting one would be a pretty clean call, should you be in the market for a new mobile phone (but, remember, if the one you have does the job, stick with it). Also remember to recycle your old device - many zoos have set up collection boxes to benefit animals and their disappearing terrain.
Nice Shot
Date: August 26, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Tech
Commercial electronics companies are not typically associated with environmentalism. But global camera giant, Olympus, is putting their eco-commitment to the test. One of more than 78 products certified “eco,” the SLR E-330 digital camera has been designed to capture a clear image while reducing the use of power. Olympus has overhauled their production of eco-certified items to exclude the use of PVC, arsenic and lead. The total mass of the camera was reduced by 5% in order to help conserve resources and produce less post-lifecycle waste. In addition, the company is implementing sustainable practices, including pursuing LEED certification for their headquarters and using recycled materials for packaging and shipping. Shutterbugs rejoice!
Netting a Better Return
Date: August 26, 2008 | Category: Featured, Lifestyle, Office, Tech
The computer industry is in high speed trying to cater to those of us consumers that consider our footprint with every purchase.
Asus plans to sell a small desktop called the Eee Box which will feature an eco-friendly build while performing to the same specifications as similar conventional computers. (more…)
Facebook Causes Teen Giving
Date: August 19, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Tech
Like most of my friends in college, seldom does an hour pass when I don’t check my Facebook page. Now my favorite pass-time has gotten a socially responsible face lift with the Causes application. Allowing users to start, join and donate to charitable causes. Environmental non-profits include the Sustainable Style Foundation, Global Green and Live Green. My personal fave is the viral Plant-A-Tree app, which allows me to give “trees” to my pals, translating into real planted foliage that absorbs CO2 and produces oxygen. If my buddies are any indication of the larger teen population, we think Facebook has hit on a killer way to engage young adults in socially responsible networking! See you online! Best, Omar
