Green plastics and a lamp that you can eat

 BITE ME Desk Lamp is an algae-based plastic, created by American designer Victor Vetterlein from vegetable glycerin and agar, a gelatin that comes from sea algae. If the lamp becomes damaged, simply wipe off any dust or fingerprint residue and submerge the Bite Me in purified water for an hour to soften up. “The consistency after soaking the lamp in water for an hour is like wet Gummy Bears,” says Vetterlein. source

The exterior shell of Patricia Urquiola’s Husk chair for B&B Italia is made from HIREK® - a plastic made from recycled industrial waste.

source

 the Broom chair by Philippe Starck for American company Emeco is made from 75% waste polypropylene and 15% reclaimed wood fibre.

Eco-Kitchen

Kitchen is one of the spaces at home where we show our attitude to the requirements for sustainable and eco-friendly way of life. From the products we use, to the way we dispose of waste food and beverage and packages. But are our kitchens designed and produced with thought about nature? Not all of them. Here is one good example - Valcucine :

In our job each day technology, product functionality and innovative solutions,
advanced design and research are alive and as important as imagination and
care
over detail, passion for natural materials and handicraft
workmanship,
attention
to safety and respect for the environment.

The environmental-friendly kitchen - the Riciclantica door is the utmost expression of a design based on dematerialisation and is made of an extremely resistant structural aluminium frame together with a sophisticated decor panel that is only 2mm thick. The use of special materials such as carbon, aluminium, steel or layered laminate, the very accurate planning of construction details – for example, the inside of the new frame appears aesthetically pure because of the total absence of screws and hole caps – and the absolute resistance of all door versions to water, steam and heat, contribute to making the Riciclantica door unique in the furniture sector. Riciclantica is a kitchen designed to have a low impact on the environment and represents the most advanced technology to express the shape of lightness. Thanks to research into and application of special innovative technologies, this door respects the four basic principles of environmental-friendliness: minimum consumption of raw materials and energy, durability, recyclability and non-toxic finishes.

"With showrooms all over the United States, Valcucine prides itself on building the most functionally stylish, energy-conscious products around.
From cabinet doors made from recycled materials to bookshelves that boast an aluminum core, a Valcucine kitchen is a green builder’s dream project. The company’s sensitivity to all things eco is apparent from its elimination of formaldehyde and synthetic finishes to its earth-friendly production. "( ecofabulous: That's One Handsome Italian )

But what I like very much is their design - elegant and well-thought.

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Recommended for 'XXI Compasso d'Oro' prize.




















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Technorati Tags:trends, design, furniture, interior design, news, home furnishings

Растението, което може да помогне за решаване на три от най-големите световни проблеми*

*Това е статията ми, публикувана днес в "Дневник"

Ако ви кажат, че съществува технология, която позволява поглъщането на огромни количества CO2 от атмосферата, като едновременно с това осигурява богата на протеини храна и строителни материали с високи изолационни характеристики, едва ли бихте допуснали, че става въпрос за растение – малко известното у нас, но всъщност с 4000-годишна история растение кенаф.

Той е едногодишно тревисто растение от семейство слезови и идва от Африка, където от хилядолетия се използва заради влакната му. Кенафът има родствена връзка с памука и бамята, но изглежда като бамбука, култивира се като влакнодайно растение в Индия, Иран и другаде. Влакното му се използва за чували и амбалажни тъкани, а семената, които съдържат 20% масло - за технически цели.

Кенафът използва въглеродния диоксид като ресурс за развитието си и отделя в атмосферата значителни количества кислород. Той има способността да расте с огромна скорост и да произвежда от 6 до 10 тона влакна от акър, които са също и добър източник на пулп за хартия. За един сезон един акър кенаф може да погълне около 10 тона CO2 от атмосферата, а в някои части на света се отглежда и втора реколта.

Могат да се изброят поне 20 различни приложения на влакната, семената и всички части на растението. Те се използват за строителни материали с изолационни и шумозаглушаващи свойства, за производство на биопластмаси и други видове нови материали. Компании като Toyota, NEC и Matsushita например използват кенаф в своите високотехнологични производствени линии.
 Бил Лофтъс, пенсиониран строителен предприемач, е открил, че то може да бъде суровина за производство на леки строителни материали с много добри изолационни характеристики - например огнеустойчиви бетонови блокчета, които не само осигуряват невероятно добра изолация, но и поглъщат въглерода от въздуха. Друга американска компания включва кенаф в композитните дъски вместо фибростъкло заради здравината и лекотата на влакната му.

Смесени с памук, нишките на растението могат да се прилагат в производството на тъкани, които са меки на допир и изглеждат като ленени. Днес американските потребители могат да открият влакната на растението и в гърбовете на килимите си, в изолиращия филц за покриви, в картона. Използва се също за производство на офис хартия. В Япония кенаф съдържат опаковките в някои заведения за бързо хранене, хартията, с която се завиват хамбургерите, както и някои тапети. През януари тази година Ford също обяви, че ще използва влакна от кефал в подложките на вратите за новия си модел Escape.

[Ford Motors]

Смесен в равни части с полипропилен, той ще намали теглото на компонентите с 25% в сравнение с конвенционалните материали и според Ford ще спестява на Северна Америка около 140 тона годишно пластмаси, произвеждани на основата на петрол.

Днес кенаф се отглежда в южните щати и в някои части на Калифорния и освен в споменатите приложения братовчедът на памука, както го наричат, има приложение като фураж за животни. Използва се в мебелите като частичен заместител на дървесните влакна, като биомаса за производство на енергия и т.н. За разлика от памука отглеждането му изисква много по-малко пестициди.

Заради всички тези свои качества и на фона на нарастващата загриженост за глобалното затопляне и нарастващите цени на петролните продукти през последното десетилетие това невероятно полезно растение предизвиква огромен интерес и внимание.

Умни плочки правят електричество от стъпките на делегатите в Давос

Това е моя материал, който излезе в "Дневник":

The GREEN BATHROOM

One of the most steady trends in contemporary interior design is Green design and an important manifestation of the green trend is the use of resource-efficient features like low-flow faucets, low-E windows, powerful insulation and natural choices and eco-consciousnessfor furnishing for our homes.  This makes us feel guilty when using the bathtub, but you don’t have to take a shower every time. Design can help us solve this problem. One good solution is Duravit's intelligent answers to the question of whether it’s possible to take a bath without having a guilty conscience, offering bathtubs that, thanks to the optimum use of space, conserve our water resources by every means possible.
For example, the inside of the Paiova bathtub is ergonomically and intelligently shaped to ensure maximum bathing fun with minimum water consumption. Also, it allows for another way of saving water:  its trapezoidal shape offers space for two people to lie side by side. It’s even more comfortable with the optional neckrest. The step that matches the bathtub panelling in American Cherry (real wood veneer) makes it easier to get in and out. 

You like the idea? More ideas for green - and fun - design of our bathrooms will follow soon.

Counter made of recycled plastic bottles

If you are looking for the latest in green design to apply it in yout kitchen, then soon you are going to be able to have your kitchen counter made of recycled plastic bottles -  'LineUp' is a new product in the 100% collection of 3Form USA that was presented at this year's ICFF. It is highly resistant and suitable for surfaces such as tabletops and counters subject to a lot of wear and tear. And, as you can see - it also very beautiful. 

source

Creating new beauty from recycled glass

The Italian company Trend - an international manufacturer and distributor of mosaic tile and surface collections that reflect an awareness and respect of the earth's natural and limited resources - introduces a unique collection of mosaics FEEL. They are obtained by the recycled glass thrown into bottle banks and contain a minimum of 80% post consumer recycled glass. They come in twelve colours inspired by nature, twelve examples of using our resources more efficiently.

At Cerasi 2008 Trend launched a vast collection of Wallpaper mosaics. Wallpapers are in three colour variants, including the green version which for 2x2 uses the new FEEL recycled glass collection.




design-italia

Eco-friendly, Well-Designed and on Sale

Eco Living with Style - VivaTerra (or living earth) is the place where you can find natural home décor, organic gifts and more products that will help you live in harmony with nature - for a healthier life now and for future generations. And feel good about the possibility to help planet - by recycling and re-using or buying products that do not polute.

Boatwood Clock

Culled from dismantled Thaifishing boats, the painted woodenpanels of our clock displaymarine hues that achieve a unique pastel warmth. Time and time again, you'll note with pure pleasure that the ocean's loss is your kitchen's gain. It goes well with the Boatwood Serving Tray
which is on sale now. Was $82, now $57

More sales at Viva Terra:


Bamboo Towel Set - Ivory - The silkiness of these organic cotton and bamboo towels improves with each wash. Made by a windmill-powered factory on an island off the coast of Japan, they are produced from sustainable resources in an appealing chevron pattern, using low impact dyes. Extremely lightweight yet highly absorbent and quick-drying, these towels are both ecofriendly and elegant. Were $15-78, now $10-54 - save 30%

The bark texture of this porcelain teapot, sugar and creamer offers an exceptionally appealing, purely natural look and feel. Sip your tea, run a finger up and down the sides of the teapot and sugar bowl, and allow your mind to wander to a forest primeval. Hand-formed, the pot and its mates are matte on the outside, glazed on its interior, with a thumb-rest for pouring and twig handles on top. CREAM AND SUGAR ARE SOLD OUT
Was $69, now $17 - save 75%


Porcelain Branch Teapot
Recycled Sunrise Runner (2.5' x 8') Made from recycled plastic, easy to clean and strong enough to withstand kitchen or gardenfoot traffic, this design displays a pastel palette and a merged stripe pattern.