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Innovations from the Springwise archive that will interest yours kids while they're stuck indoors
With schools closed in many countries around the world, parents are looking for innovative ways to entertain their kids whilst they’re learning at home. Moreover, while the coronavirus rages on, it is important to keep the next generation aware of the still-pressing matter of our environmental crisis.
Here, we showcase 7 innovations that we hope will inspire, distract and interest your children in the future of our planet.
1. SURFERS DEVELOP TRASH CAN FOR THE OCEAN
Surfer and product designers Pete Ceglinski and Andrew ‘Turtle’ Turton have founded the Seabin Project – a floating rubbish bin, which aims to tackle the ocean’s plastic problem. Water and litter is sucked into the Seabin, then the water is pumped back out, leaving the litter trapped in a catch bag for collection and disposal.
The Seabin can collect 1.5kg of debris a day, and holds up to 12kg before it needs emptying. It is designed to be used in areas such as marinas, ports, and yacht clubs where floating debris tends to collect. The catch bag is made from natural fibres, and the inventors hope to eventually power the Seabin’s pumps with alternative sources of energy, such as wind or solar.
Read more about the Seabin Project.
2. KITKAT’S NEW PAPER WRAPPER TURNS WASTE INTO ORIGAMI
Nestle has piloted paper packaging for its KitKat line. The new packaging is part of the company’s aims to create 100 per cent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. The paper packaging follows Nestle’s recent launch of recyclable candy wrappers. The matte paper is eco-friendly and reusable. The wrappers include instructions for how to fold them into cranes, a Japanese symbol for hope and healing. The hope is that customers will use the paper to make cranes and not pitch it.
The new paper wrappers are currently being piloted in Japan, the biggest KitKat market in the world. At this stage, they are being used to package mini-KitKats. The company also plans to roll out paper packaging for normal-size KitKat multipacks next year, and single-layer paper wrappers for individual KitKats by 2021.
Read more about KitKat origami.
3. DISPOSABLE TOOTHBRUSH IS MADE FROM PAPER
An increasing number of everyday objects are adapting to become more environmentally friendly. From a sunshade, to technology that can turn any everyday appliance smart, the gradual evolution of products we use everyday will ensure our progression as a society into a more sustainable future.
However, the war on plastic focuses almost solely on plastic bags and straws. With the majority of consumers aware of the damage these products can cause, the next target for anti-plastic campaigners is toothbrushes. From hotels and airlines alone, around 6 tons of plastic waste is produced from toothbrushes everyday. Ukraine’s Effa is now fighting this drain with their paper toothbrushes.
Read more about the disposable toothbrush.
4. PLASTIC-FREE, SEAWEED-BASED STRAWS
US-based Loliware has created a waste-free alternative to traditional plastic or paper straws. The plant-based straws look and feel like plastic but start to decompose 18 hours after use.
Loliware’s “straw of the future” differs from other plastic straw alternatives because it mimics the strengths of plastic. For instance, unlike paper straws, Loliware’s straw does not get soggy. It also does not use any wood or paper products, which makes it more environmentally friendly. The star ingredient is seaweed, a plant that naturally regenerates. The seaweed base means that, unlike other straws, it won’t harm marine life if it ends up in the ocean and can even be eaten by fish.
5. AUTOMATED JUICE BAR TURNS FRUIT RIND INTO CUPS
Italian design studio Carlo Ratti Associati has created a juice bar that turns the rind of the fruit into recyclable cups. Called Feel the Peel, the automated juice bar includes a 3D printer. It will be on tour across Italy throughout October 2019 following its debut at the Singularity University Summit in Milan.
After customers order, oranges roll down from the domed top and are then sliced and squeezed. The unused portion of the fruit collects in a see-through drum, heated and mixed with polylactic acid. The ensuing bioplastic feeds the 3D printer, which creates the cups used by customers for their juice. Circular in shape, the juice bar makes the idea of circular consumption and economy tangible. Studio founder Carlo Ratti also plans to further develop the prototype. In the future, the reused fruit waste may become material for 3D printing clothing and accessory fabric.
Read more about Feel the Peel.
6. SOLAR-POWERED BACKPACK PROVIDES LIGHT TO OFF-GRID STUDENTS
During a business trip to a remote part of Cote d’Ivoire, Evariste Akoumian came across children who, living in areas cut off from the power grid, were trying to study in the dark with oil lamps. The former computer retailer’s solution for this involves harnessing the most available resource: sunlight. This became Solarpak, a small, lightweight backpack onto which a solar panel is strapped, alongside a detachable lamp that produces light when connected to the battery with a regular USB cable.
The solar panel is placed on the rear of the backpack, which accumulates charge through exposure to sunlight during the day. The battery takes half an hour to fully charge and is then able to supply the LED reading light for up to five uninterrupted hours. This allows children to complete their assignments and study at home after dark, which hasn’t been possible for many rural communities in Cote d’Ivoire for quite some time. The bags also come in cool designs and colours, a major change for students who are used to carrying their school supplies in plastic bags or rice sacks.
7. INDIAN STUDIO DESIGNS CONCEPT SCHOOL OUT OF STRAW AND WOOD
An Indian design studio has created a concept of a school built entirely of wood and straw. The design is sustainable and adaptable, according to the architects. It is also stable in terms of fire safety and structural security, they told Dezeen.com.
Nudes Studio created the design as part of an architectural competition organised by Archstorming on behalf of the Active Africa NGO. The concept school had to be made out of local materials and construction systems. Sustainability and scalability were also key requirements. The design had to be a modular solution that could be constructed in stages.
Read more about the concept school.
