ReubenMiller

Cardboard Play Kitchen

I'm alway on the lookout for cool repurposing projects. Especially when it comes to kids toys. Why bother running to big box department stores and doling out loads of cash for made-in-china toys?

I think Anna's little kitchen unit built entirely from recycled (as in, salvaged from the dumpster) corrugated cardboard is brilliant. Now I'm wishing her plans might become 'shareware'.

Read more here.

[Thanks GoodyBlog]

Now Veggies are as Cool as Cheetos

A Stanford University study had kids taste food in McDonald packaging and unmarked packaging and asked which they preferred. The kids preferred the McDonald packaged food not realizing that they went for it because they were conditioned to believe "it must taste good."

You can be negative about the effects of advertising and packaging, but I think if you apply the lesson learned from the study noted above, you'll find that you can use this information positively.

After being inspired by the Stanford University study on McDonald's packaging effect on kids, I came up with an idea to get kids to eat their veggies as enthusiastically as 'snack'. If zip-seal bags would be pre-printed with cool graphics like those on national brand snack packaging (which kids love), then they might be more inclined to take, display and eat their healthy snacks in school with zest.

Well, Mobi has already created this product! They make a great array of appealing sandwich bags, pre-printed with various designs that can even give cut-up celery sticks a zap of show-off cool factor.

Mobi's bags would be perfect for influencing kids to see healthy snacks as the 'cool thing'.

As an added bonus, these bags are environmentally friendly. The materials used to make them are recycled and recyclable. Furthermore in 2008 the company plans to use strictly biodegradable films in their products.

In addition to the environment, they are also passionate about helping endangered species and global aid.

(sources: Mobi, Fancy Food & CNN)

SOLAR INGENUITY

It was just a matter of time before someone figured out how to do it: A solar powered electric bicycle. You ride this bicycle down Highway 59 with pure solar power to propel you onward. If you get tired and need a little help, just switch on and let this green electric wonder take over. Who needs cars?

The E-V Sunny Bicycle works by using the energy absorbed by solar panels incorporated in the wheels, which power a battery at the back of the bicycle. Designed by Canadian, Peter Sandler of Therapy Products, this is apparently the first all-solar electric bicycle. 

The bike is propelled by a 500 watt front hub motor. The variable speed electronic controller drives the bike to speeds of up to 30 kilometers per hour. Overall weight of the bicycle is 75 lbs.

For more info go to Therapy Products.

Spotted at gadgetgarden

                     

Kinetic Energy - Making Energy More Efficient

Recently, Metropolis Magazine featured some alternative energy-conserving ideas that were submitted to the Next Generation competition for 2007. Although these ideas didn't win the award, they were still noteworthy. Pictured above, is part of the submission Yael Miller proposed for Next Generation. This was one of the concepts featured in Daniela Morell's article, A Piece of the Piezoelectric Pie, on Metropolis.com. Of course I'm really proud, since Yael's my wife and we worked on this together!

The general idea is that we can 'capture' energy that's used to store for later use. The sources are as diverse as electricity already in use (like a large appliance) to physical motion from our own bodily activities (like exercising or pushing a stroller.)

For example, while a vacuum cleaner is running, the back-and-forth motion and vibrations can generate small amounts of piezoelectric or hydraulic energy that powers an on-board emergency flashlight.

See more about this proposed concept after the jump.

kawaii grocery bags

Shopping for veggies, fruit and some junk food (shh, don't tell!) couldn't be more fun. Heck, even shopping for just veggies can be fun with Japanese kawaii polyester shopping bags from fredflare. Includes side-zip pocket for small objects like a cell phone. Bonus brownie points: these are reusable - so go ahead and reduce your carbon footprint in style.

Stussy & Wilson box it out.

Stussy & Wilson Brothers have just released the Hextable, “an occasional table for home”.

"The Hextable is made of recycled cardboard, which is popped out of the packaging, folded, and pieced together to create a table. The table was silkscreened with a repeating Stussy pattern all over the top of it as well.

Sadly, the Hextable is only available in Japan and London, and go on sale this weekend for £55, which is $112, or ¥12754."

Via kitsunenoir

Josh Jakus

Josh Jakus creates simple, sculptural pieces from post-industrial waste felt. All Josh Jakus products come in this signature recycled gray color.

The item above is called Eggflat. Here it's shown used as fruit bowl. What's so unique about it?

• It stores completely flat
• Unique among other fruit bowls, it keeps each fruit protected from bumping into the next one (think ripening peaches - no more mushy spots!)
• It's made from post-industrial (factory excess) recycled material - 85% wool + 15% mixed fibers

Available at JoshJakus.com for $55.

Continue reading to see more of Josh Jakus' collection - excellent design and easy on the environment!

Shipping Containers in Architecture are Sustainable?

Editorial at the jump.

Video found at Inhabitat

Magnetic Refrigerator Needs No Electricity

 

Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark have created a refrigerator that cools using magnets instead of electricity.

From The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Bagless Shopping

This cart-bike concept got me really thinking how a shopping cart that you own could make a real impact on the amount of disposable (landfill-clogging) shopping bags we use.

Here's a scenario: Imagine riding up to the grocery with a shopping cart bike. You park your bike at a rack and unlatch the cart to wheel into the store. Without using any bags, you can pay, put the groceries back in your cart, hitch up to your bike and ride off!

Some years back, IDEO worked on a concept for a smart shopping cart. I wasn't sure how practical it would really be. Somehow, I think this simpler variation is much more likely to make it past prototype phase and into real stores.

You might argue that multi-level dwellers couldn't manage without bags, but for those who don't have an elevator, a removable insert/basket could be built into the design.

Image found at idealist [posted by zieak]