Check out this innovative tree house that can be easily hanged, installed, and removed without any negative impact on the environment. Trees & People created the first platform glamping (glamor camping) tree house without any impact to the trees and their environment. DOM'UP is an economical and ecological alternative to tree houses, and meets a growing demand for unusual nights in a natural environment. Check out more information on here.

Hermanns company has started the wooden surfboard collection and they're looking for backers on Kickstarter. They want to revive the original Surf-Spirit and to search for an alternative to environmentally harmful material. Why? Because conventional surfboards and how they were constructed are hazardous wastes which can never decompose - not even in a thousand years. So check out these beautiful boards and check out more about the company here.

Patrick Schroeter who is a designer and craftsman has created these stunning Geodesic terrariums. The Geodesic terrariums are a fusion of styles and inspirations. The ornate glass houses of the Victorian Era collide with the dreams of science fiction to create something timeless yet disarmingly contemporary.

Each geodesic is made up of almost one hundred triangles, individually welded together and hand finished. The resulting geodesic structures incorporate a water tight bottom section that allows plants to be grown within. Low voltage LED lighting contained within a classical glass shade turns the geodesic into a striking light feature. Check out his site if interested in purchasing one.

Unifold is an experimental project that explores ways to construct footwear with one piece of die cut pattern.  Made of EVA material, this design is easily recyclable.  Wouldn't this be sweet to have a pair of shoes that you could put together and then take apart to save space in your home for your shoes?  Who knows they could be the next TOMS.

The Zeit Eco electric scooter takes a new look at individual urban transport and entertainment. With Zeit Eco scooter freedom of mobility becomes accessible to everyone. The scooter has a spacious glove compartment that can fit your personal items such as tablet, purse, breakfast, lunch or dinner. The Zeit Eco also allows you to keep all your gadgets and devices charged with a built in USB port. A single charge can provide up to one hour or 15 miles at full throttle. With the fold down handlebars and footrests you can also take it on the go.

The Carma Project is a really neat project, sponsored by ad firm Leo Burnett Lisbon. They created a bike with as many reclaimed car parts as possible, watch the video below! They built the bicycle out of scraps from a retired Mercedes hoping that the heavy karma of the car could be re-balanced by riding the same number of kilometers in a greener way: just by cycling.




Source: blog.makezine.com

Object/Interface has created a Plantable Light Fixture called Babylon made by Ryan Taylor a multidisciplinary designer located in Toronto. The fixture is made of aluminum with a powder coated finish. Set as an organic centre piece or a working herb garden over the kitchen counter. No matter where its situated - Babylon will become your very own hanging garden. These are limited editions so to find pricing you will have to contact him.

Luminair has created the "Tree Tent" which is a sustainable spherical tent that can hold up to 2 adults. It has a 100% waterproof exterior, which is made from high density cotton canvas fabric and is insulated with sheep wool.  This tent makes the shelter perfect for all year-round use.  Now go get yourself one and find some trees to hangout in.



Source: designboom

Designer Kristýna Pojerová has designed a glass domed lamp that has an inner gutter for growing small plants or herbs. It's currently on show at Praque Designblok 2011, the light was created to satisfy the desire to grow  fresh herbs within an urban kitchen. Their is a cylindrical opening in the base that permits quick access by hand to the lamp's interior, and allows additional light to exit below. If some of you are wondering if the light will burn the plants. You could always use a dimmer switch to regulate the light  This lamp basically uses a space in the home that was otherwise not being utilize and it's utilizing the otherwise useless waste of heat from the bulb. Go Green!

The lamp is for sale at Art Light and retails for about $1,900.



Source: Designboom

Matthew Lim, a recent grad student has created the EcoVinyl ($350), a turntable-headphone duo made from sustainable materials. This was created to help Sennheiser a German audio company boast their branding and draw in a younger crowd with this product. The company has already introduced sustainable packaging so how about taking it to the next step with sustainable products.

Lim created this duo by choosing high-density fiberboard, which is often used in audio-system closure boxes. He used cork for the turntable and the earphone headband; and aluminum, which he CNC'd to produce a durable body.  This ready-to-go set has a small carbon footprint with 45% fiberboard, which is recyclable and biodegradable. The metal body that it comes in can easily be removed with an Allen wrench and recycled. This product however is still a concept and Sennheiser has yet to commit to Lim's project. Either way, do you think this would help the company change it's branding to a younger crowd? Seeing how the company has been around for 60 years and only about 10% of headphone consumers knows who this company is. Leave a comment, would like to see what you think.





























Source: CoDesign

This is the first radio I think I have come across that is made of cardboard and is a fully functional radio/mp3 input player. Did I mention also that this radio is fully recyclable, No!  The Cardboard Radio ($34) was designed by Christopher McNicholl with the intent to manufacture a design that would make a more green approach once the product had met its end.

The internals of the radio are housed in a simple cardboard structure and the device itself is also minimally designed, which is somewhat appealing from a design standpoint. It’s powered by 4 AA batteries or DC power (power adapter not included). It also comes with two nice retro dials and an audio jack to allow you to hook up your mp3 player or smartphone.

 

Source: Technabob

o2 Architecture has teamed up with prefab developers Blue Sky Homes to construct a sustainable, modestly scaled residence to serve as a prototype for a prefabricated line of homes. This 1,000 sq. ft. home is located in the the Mojave Desert 4,000 above sea level which is just sitting on 6 columns. This home provides a modern yet stylish home that can be made to order, yet still be affordable to met your needs. You can watch the video below on the homes design and construction. If you want to see more photos of the home, then you can check it out on Contemporist.

I have seen some pretty tacky solar portable chargers, but this one is sleek and sophisticated. The Dunhill Solar Charge ($TBA) is a beautiful designed solar charger that rotates into an aerospace-grade aluminum body when not in use, it can provide up to 30 hours of charge for any cellphone or mp3 player via USB. It can even recharge itself by using the built-in solar panel or via a computer USB. It even comes with a stylish chassis leather carrying case so you don't lose or scratch up your new toy. Hopefully, this solar charger is price accordingly, cause if it is I will be sure to pick one up

Cascades ThermaFresh have come up with an alternative to those crappy Styrofoam coolers. They created the ThermaFresh Cardboard Cooler Box ($15), which is composed of 70% recycled cardboard. These coolers also use NorShield waterproof inner lining for weatherproofing and reusability, and thanks to their thick cardboard construction, they can keep your food or beverages chilled for up to 36 hours in normal conditions with just two bags of ice. The ThermaFresh cooler will ensure better overall performance and quality compared to those noisy, clumsy and ugly Styrofoam coolers, plus when your done you can easily recycle them.





Source: Uncrate

This sweet looking concept bike the Potenza, a vehicle by Argentinian designer Nico Jara, is a simple concept on devising a four-wheeled bike that stores energy from pedaling and later converting it into kinetic energy. This concept adopts the sustainable concept on storing the energy to power the bike once enough energy has been stored.

The four-wheeled bike has an elegant design that features four spoked wheels and a canopy up top to protect riders from the elements. It has a box in the back between the two rear wheels that seems to be the device where energy is stored or collected. I'm not sure how practical this bike would be since it is only in the prototype phase but would you ride around in this Potenza?




Source: Coroflot