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Google's latest Pixel devices feature more recycled materials than ever
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro frames are now made of 100 percent recycled aluminum, while the Pixel Watch housing uses 80 percent recycled steel
Adidas' latest 3D-printed soles flex to push you forward
Adidas has unveiled the 4DFWD, the latest model from its high-tech running division, created in partnership with the 3D printing company Carbon.
The North Face’s high-tech Futurelight jackets are finally here
It uses a proprietary nanospinning technology that lets air move through fabric easily and according to the company offers more venting than ever before.
Google pledges to 'maximize' recycled material in own products
Google has been making consumer hardware under its "Made by Google" brand -- like its Pixel phones and Google Home Minis -- for three years, and dabbled in other hardware for a few years before that. Now, it's ready to make its products more sustainable. Starting in 2022, 100 percent of its Made by Google products will include recycled materials and will maximize recycled content whenever possible. By 2020, 100 percent of all shipments going to or from customers will be carbon neutral.
Adidas made a running shoe that's fully recyclable
As part of its recent pledge to only use recycled plastics by 2024, Adidas has revealed a new running shoe that is made from 100 percent recyclable materials. The Futurecraft Loop was designed using nothing but thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a plastic material that dons the entire sneaker, including the tongue, laces, upper and the midsole with Boost cushioning technology. Adidas says it has been working on this project for the past six years, and the goal with it is to do its part in generating less plastic waste.
The North Face teases its most breathable waterproof gear yet
As great as waterproof apparel is to keep you protected from bad weather, most jackets, pants and other gear tend to be too bulky or uncomfortable. That's a problem The North Face is well aware of, and it has come up with a new material that it believes will fix this: Futurelight, which the company is calling "the most advanced breathable waterproof outerwear technology." According to The North Face, Futurelight is its most comfortable waterproof gear yet, thanks to a design that lets air move through fabric more easily and provide "more venting than ever before.'
Eating a cookie of the future made with recycled bread
There's plenty of food to go around, but most of it is left rotting in the back of our cupboards rather than in the hands of those who need it. Imagine the scenes at a bakery at the end of a slow day, its shelves packed high with bread that's rapidly going stale. It's a problem that French startup Expliceat is hoping to cure with its plan to turn spare loaves into cookies, muffins and pancakes.
Adidas made an ocean-plastic shoe you can actually buy
Late last year, Adidas teamed up with Parley, an organization raising awareness against ocean pollution, to design a partially 3D-printed shoe made from up-cycled marine plastic. Then, in 2016, the two companies took that partnership one step further with the limited-edition Adidas x Parley, a running sneaker that also featured materials created from ocean waste. Ultimately, both of these concepts pave the way for what the sportswear giant is announcing today: the UltraBoost Uncaged Parley.
Six futuristic phone designs
By Cat DiStasio Cell phone technology continues moving forward year after year, but many of the developments are incremental—a better camera, more storage space, or a faster processor. Those are just the improvements that make it to the mass market, though. There's is a whole world of innovative developments in cellular phone design and technology that most people have never heard a word about, and some of them even come from leading cell phone manufacturers. Nokia, for instance, has developed a cell phone that can recharge in your pocket and other models made from largely recycled materials. Other companies are working hard to develop modular phones that are easier to repair and upgrade, thereby cutting down on electronic waste. It's impossible to know which of these futuristic technologies we'll actually be able to get our hands on, but it's fun to dream about what kind of features your cell phone might have in another five years.
Adidas uses plastic ocean waste to create a 3D-printed shoe
Back in June, Adidas revealed a shoe made almost entirely from recycled ocean waste. That product marked the beginning of a partnership between the sportswear firm and Parley, an organization trying to combat ocean pollution worldwide. Now, Adidas is taking this one step further: its new design features a 3D-printed midsole created out of recycled polyester and gillnets, a wall of netting typically used to catch fish. The shoe's upper part was manufactured with ocean plastic materials as well, Adidas says, making its concept footwear a complete eco-friendly package.
Epson wants to put a paper recycling machine in your office
If Seiko Epson has its way, your office paper recycling bin could soon become obsolete. The company's PaperLab, an 8.5-foot-wide device that turns used paper into clean white sheets, is set to go on sale next year. The machine strips paper into fibers before using additives to bind fibers back together, remove colors and calibrate the white appearance for the final result. PaperLab works at a rate of 14 sheets per minute or around 6,720 sheets in an 8-hour workday. In addition to convenience, the PaperLab should also reduce the environmental impact from transporting paper waste and new recycled sheets back and forth. Epson isn't discussing pricing specifics just yet, but expect the requisite investment to be quite substantial.
Dell will use recycled carbon fiber in Alienware and Latitude products
Later this year, Dell will increase the amount of recycled materials that it uses to make its products. Before the end of 2015, the company will begin using excess carbon fiber and other scrap materials in a few Alienware and Latitude devices. The effort with expand across those two lines in 2016 as the Dell says its plan to use the recycled carbon fiber is "an industry first." The company is teaming up with the supplier SABIC on the initiative, and it says estimates show the duo can keep 820,000 pounds of carbon fiber from hitting landfills. The computer maker began using recycled plastics for enclosures back in 2014, re-using 4.2 million pounds since that time in a number of displays and its OptiPlex desktops.
Scientists develop flush-efficient toilet system that can turn waste into energy, sort before it recycles
Scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University aren't keen on being wasteful -- that's why they've developed a toilet that uses 90% less water than other commodes and is capable of generating energy. Aptly named the No-Mix Vacuum Toilet, the porcelain pedestal's pot divides waste between two partitions -- one side for liquids, the other for solids -- and uses vacuum tech reminiscent of airline lavatories. Flushing solid and fluid wastes with 1 and 0.2 liters of H2O, respectively, the can will be able to route refuse to external processing facilities. Fertilizer ingredients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous would then be harvested from liquids. Similarly, methane can be coaxed from solids for conversion to electricity or as a replacement for other natural gasses. Two of the university's restrooms are slated to have the toilets installed in the near future, and the team expects the thrones to roll out worldwide within three years. [Thanks, Yuka]
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 5 megawatt solar roof, driverless electric cars and ten of the world's craziest Christmas trees
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Solar-powered buildings heated up this week as Inhabitat reported that Apple will crown its new Cupertino headquarters with a 5 megawatt solar roof, and we took a peek inside a sun-powered prefab pod home set in the Italian Alps. We also showcased several fresh examples of wintry architecture this week as we brought you six amazing buildings made from ice and snow and we learned that BIG's waste-to-energy ski slope incinerator was scrapped due to environmental concerns. We also showcased an innovative shelf for interiors made from movable pins, a set of awesome night lights made from retrofitted vintage cameras, and since the holidays are on the way we shared a kit that will help you make your own geodesic gingerbread house! Speaking of the holiday season, this week we rounded up the world's 10 craziest Christmas trees made from recycled objects, and we brought you photos of a massive luminous Xmas tree in Lithuania made from 40,000 plastic bottles. We also brought you a guide for making your own DIY terrarium Christmas ornaments, and if you're looking for cool techy gifts to stick beneath the tree you won't want to miss Theo Jansen's 3d-printed miniature Strandbeest wind walking robots and this fun wooden iPhone toy for tots. In other news, eco transportation blasted off to the future as Zapata Racing unveiled a set of insane water-propelled rocket boots that will send you soaring like a superhero and Audi and BIG unveiled plans for a network of driverless electric cars and luminous high-tech roadways. We were also excited to announce that the Nissan Leaf was named Japan's Car of the Year at the Tokyo Motor Show, we saw Daimler unveil plans for a new E-Cell hybrid with inductive charging, and Smart shared a sneak peek of their upcoming "For-US" compact electric pickup truck.
Visualized: A gadget graveyard
Wonder where your old SDTV went to die? Wonder no more.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: hydrogen-powered space plane, Japan's solar surge and urban farms of Ze Future
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Green transportation took off for the stars this week as Inhabitat reported that the European Space Agency has approved of a new hydrogen-powered "Skylon" space plane, and we spotted a hot Star Wars-inspired electric chopper that wouldn't look out of place on the Death Star. We also learned that NASA plans to rejoin the space race with a new MPCV craft fit for deep space flights, while here on Earth we saw GE harness the power of the sun to charge Volt EVs before they hit dealerships. Speaking of solar power, Japan unveiled plans to construct 10 new solar power plants in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis, while Switzerland announced that it will completely phase out the use of nuclear power. We also showcased a stunning chandelier made from 500 fluttering photovoltaic butterflies, and we saw Nevada kick-start construction on the US' first molten salt solar plant, which will generate energy long after the sun has set. We also brought you several incredible feats of architecture this week, from a restaurant made from a recycled Soviet airplane in Zurich to an innovative cocoon-like building made from sugarcane that recently won an AIA competition. We also showed how Plantlab is making vertical urban farms a reality, and we spotted a sky-high proposal for an energy-generating city on stilts that would hover over Manhattan. Finally, this week we rounded up some of our favorite eco apps and services that can help you green your consumption.
T-Mobile trade-in program gives used phones new life, puts cash in your pocket
Those cellphone recycle bins are starting to feel pretty lonely, as trade-in programs become all the rage. We've seen Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon (among others) get into the mode of helping customers save money and clean up the environment by using this method, and now T-Mobile's hopping on the bandwagon as well. The carrier will rely on The Wireless Source, a third party that focuses on phone recycling and trade-in programs, to do the heavy lifting here. With the program becoming an incentive for customers to purchase new equipment, you'll be hard-pressed to find a store rep willing to initiate the process without setting up new service or upgrading your phone first. Makes sense, though -- after all, it's called a trade-in program for a reason, right? Once you've made the purchase, you'll get a pre-stamped bubble pack with shipping label attached; use this to ship the phone back, and presto, a check arrives in the mail for the agreed-upon value of the used device within a few weeks. If you're even remotely curious to see how much that ol' RAZR rotting in your basement is worth, give the source link a look.
Earth Day 2011 giveaway from TUAW
It's Earth Day. For 41 years, April 22nd has been a day to raise the awareness of people worldwide about the impact that they have on our planet. Our very own Megan Lavey-Heaton just provided a look at an eco-friendly laptop bag from Plaid Doctrine, and we review a surprising number of products that are made with thoughtful consideration for environmental consequences. Here at TUAW, we've partnered with a group of Apple accessory manufacturers to give away products that are either made of recycled or natural materials, or that can be used to enhance your enjoyment of the great outdoors. Continue reading this post on the next page to see these great products and for more details on how to enter the giveaway.
Paper alloy takes shape for biodegradable consumer electronics (write your own origami joke)
So you're anxiously awaiting your biodegradable car and your biodegradable 3D glasses, waiting for the day when everything you own can return to the loam from which it sprang. But, what about the computer you're using this very moment? It's probably made of non-green materials like injection-molded plastic, and slapping some bamboo on it isn't fooling anyone. Design and engineering firm PEGA comes to your rescue with a new composite material made of recycled paper and polypropylene alloy. Lightweight, durable, and inexpensive to produce, it acts just like typical ABS plastic -- and it even comes in the classic soul-killing beige. Maybe this is what Apple's been waiting for.
Visualized: awesome, non-functioning 'robot' made from worthless computer parts
It might not actually do anything, and it's certainly in no danger of crawling into (or out of, however that metaphor works) uncanny valley, but Mike Schropp's latest creation sure put a smile on our face. All this thing needs is a pair of Pentium Nikes and it'll be truly styling! Get a closer look after the break, and then hit the source link for plenty of glamor shots at the Total Geekdom blog.
