A zero-waste lifestyle is something we should all aspire towards. Whether it’s by trying our hand at composting, reusing products, or buying products that are recyclable and eco-friendly, we can all start by taking a few steps. Luckily designers have been coming up with designs that support a zero-waste lifestyle. So, here are a couple of designs that will help you kickstart your zero-waste journey!
Ditching the notion that computer peripherals must always be made of plastic, the Ice Mouse is a nifty, ergonomic wireless mouse with an unusual (yet justified) choice of materials that are a combination of renewable and recyclable. Say hello to Ice Mouse, probably the world’s first computer mouse with a bamboo and aluminum body, designed by Aloic.
Research shows that almost 1.3 billion tons of food end up in landfills every year, that’s 1/3rd of the total production of food itself. One option to reduce food wastage is composting. Orre is a modular compact composter that is ideal for everyday use in our homes. In fact, it’s so compact, that you can easily carry it around from one room to another! Featuring a matte black finish and a quirky cork stand, Orre is visually attractive and inviting.
An academic project gave birth to Coolpaste, created by Allan Gomes for the Federal University of Minas Gerais – the eco-friendly alter ego of our trusty old toothpaste. The aim was to develop a sustainable packaging design for toothpaste in a way that didn’t affect their durability while being transported or stacked on shelves.
Designed for nature, and from nature, the Alphapot transforms food waste into a molded, modular planter. Its grave to cradle approach reduces waste by turning the food we throw away into a planter that can be used to grow plants, allowing the waste to serve a much nobler purpose.
Indian designer, Saksham Mahajan, has come up with a sustainable version of an iron made from bamboo. The designer started the project as a challenge to explore bamboo as a material, “It’s sustainability can be exploited to make so many different things”, says Saksham
Created from recycled borosilicate glass, these straws are sculptural beauties. Recyclable, reusable, hypoallergenic, and easy to clean and maintain, these aesthetic straws also make for eye-catching centerpieces and are designed by Benjamin Hubert of London-based design agency Layer.
Bubble is a food tracker, that monitors our food consumption, in an attempt to encourage a healthier lifestyle and to reduce food wastage. It promises to track, store, and replenish our food items in accordance with our needs. Bubble identifies and tracks all the items placed within it. It directly sends updates to your smartphone, so you’re always aware of what’s in your kitchen! You can track which food products you consume the most, and what you consume the least.
The regular shoes you wear may eventually end up in a landfill, but even a decade of wearing them results in sole abrasion, which causes plastic microparticles to enter the ground and atmosphere. By ditching the very use of synthetic polymers, WAES’ shoes have a significantly lower impact on the environment, and they biodegrade naturally, creating less waste in the long run.
Soapack is an innovative series of liquid soap bottles, made from soap themselves. The solid outer bottle holds the liquids inside, and can eventually be used as soap once you’re done with it, leaving you with absolutely zero waste. The bottles are designed to look luxurious and desirable too, relying on soap’s inherent translucency along with beautiful perfume-bottle-inspired forms and a soft pastel color palette.
The Be. toothbrush aims at providing the experience of an electric toothbrush, but without the electric bit. Devoid of motors, and batteries, and circuit boards, the Be. uses a wind-up mechanism we’ve seen being used for long in toys and timers. It simply converts one form of energy into another, allowing you to merely rotate a dial on its base that then winds up a mechanism within the toothbrush body, causing the head to vibrate as would any electric toothbrush.
The Newton Espresso Machine is a minimal, lever-free coffee machine. It allows users to craft their coffee in a manual and industrial manner. The hands-on coffee brewing experience leaves behind no waste!
Karden by Tommy Cheong and Keith JX Lee is a starter kit designed to help you get started with composting in the comfort of your own home or even your workspace! The kit comes along with soil and compost starter. So you simply pop them into the compost bin along with the waste and shake it daily for 1-2 months. When the compost is finally ready, transfer it into a plant pot.
Ferv by Abidur Chowdhury is a thermally insulated kettle that aims at saving energy, time and water. It does so by boiling water and maintaining it at the same temperature for up to 4 hours. This ensures that we don’t have to constantly heat up more water again and again! It utilizes a graphical user interface to communicate details.
Paos’ line of waste-free cosmetic products is green, sustainable and totally pro zero waste! Their wooden toothbrush is an eco-friendly and minimal alternative to the conventional toothbrushes found in the market.
