When it comes to innovation, the green ones are the best. It not only shows the human creativity, but it also shows there’s plenty of us out there who care for our environment. We’ve seen some whacky materials taken and turned into something awesome. And we can’t help but share them with you. So after sifting through the Springwise sustainability section, we present to you our favorite green projects happening worldwide.

1. Cardboard Cooler

Ah, it’s a warm day out. And you’re off to a picnic with your friends. You go through your checklist and you’ve got it all – a blanket to sit on, your food, drinks and of course, your cardboard box…Excuse you? What would we need that for? Well, let Cascades explain:

“Composed of 70 percent recycled cardboard, the Cascades ThermaFresh recycled cardboard picnic cooler is lined with a waterproof coating that makes it both weatherproof and reusable.”

Pretty neat stuff huh? This Canadian invention is great for saving space and definitely awesome to reduce the use of styrofoam. And we’re all for getting rid of that toxic stuff. And Cascades can make this happen.

2. PaperFlops

We love the idea of recycling newspapers. Especially if its usable for something else. Like say, a pair of flip flops? Yup. And a company in Indonesia is doing just that.

“PaperFlops are made entirely from biodegradable materials; newspapers, coconut shells, palm tree roots and 100 percent natural rubber. They employ mentally and physically disabled workers as well as street children in Jakarta, Indonesia, providing education and training in arts and crafts to manufacture the handmade products.”

Now that’s amazing. The idea of using recycled material to make something useful is great. But to give the underprivileged a chance to contribute to society is incredible. Indonesia is known for its high level of poverty. And if PaperFlops is doing its best to help those in need through education, we’re not complaining.

3. Films on Fridges

When we say “fridge”, we think “food”. And the chances of us thinking of “movie” only comes AFTER you give us “snack”. But a bunch of geniuses in London, England didn’t think that. They put the words “film” and “fridge” together. And what it became was a massive outdoor cinema made from a mountain of fridges!

“As well as providing entertainment, of course, a major motivation behind the project was to educate people about the huge numbers of fridges being thrown away each year, and to raise awareness for the potential to recycle these fridges, rather than mining for new metals.”

Well how clever are they? Projects like these are great to understand how much waste we create. But it’s a darn shame this was only a temporary project. They had to get rid of it to make way for London 2012 Olympics. As they say “all good things must come to an end.” But that doesn’t mean the message will be forgotten. :)

4. Garden Pots from Tires

Yes, that car you used to drive has been stripped bare from its tires. And turned into a pot! Well maybe not your car but definitely someone else’s. Launched in Australia, UBeauty has taken the liberty in using old recycled tires to create gardening pots.

“Made by a former leather-crafting shop from discarded tires that are past the point of retreading. Any tread remaining on the tires is stripped and used for mulch, while steel belting is removed and recycled. The remaining sheets of rubber are hand-cut and stitched using durable nylon thread; major joints are reinforced using exposed nuts and bolts.” If you are interested you can take a look at some of the best sweing machines(https://sewmyplace.com/sewing-machines-reviewed) for all your stictching needs. 

Now I don’t know about you but we love gardening. And if old tires can be used to help new trees grow it’s definitely one way of giving back to mother nature.

5. Hydroponic Supermarket

Say hello to your future grocery store. Where food is fresh and completely sustainable. Get your local cabbage straight from the ground. And it’s already kicking off in New York City.

“Aiming to improve the environmental impact of the food chain, BrightFarms gives grocers the opportunity to offer their shoppers hyperlocally grown produce with a considerably reduced carbon footprint.”

According to BrightFarms, each greenhouse designed grows about 500,000 pounds of produce each year. That’s saving 740 tons of carbon emissions, 430 pounds of pesticide and using nine times less water and 14 times less land. Imagine the impact they would create if this was practiced all over America? It’s got us super excited.

So that wraps up our favorite green projects. If the world made more efforts like these, we’d be doing the earth a huge favor. Now on to you peeps, what eco ideas have you been inspired with lately? Share them with us below.

FinerMinds Team
Author

In our quest to boost your personal growth, we hope to inspire and support you through our content! You can also check us out on Facebook.