If you’re a maker just starting out your journey in sustainability, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to get started. From understanding the types of materials to utilize, learning what steps will help reduce waste and emissions, and finding inspiring new ways to explore creativity that don’t have a negative environmental impact. The good news is there are plenty of resources available for DIYers looking for ways to make their projects more sustainable – from simple switches you can make today, big-picture ideas for longterm change, or exciting new ways makers are helping push sustainability into the future. In these blog posts we’ll look at tips tricks and ideas specifically tailored towards diyers and makers on the road to creating projects with greater eco consciousness so that not only will you create something beautiful but also respect its impact on our planet!
There’s only a few days left to submit projects to Inhabitat’s Spring Greening contest. Deadline is midnight March 27th. Repair and reuse have been hot topics as of late, with everyone from technology renaissance man Saul Griffith to Worldchanging editor Alex Steffen advocating a shift towards repairable, long-lasting heirloom products. We’ve been covering reclaimed design […]
Have you seen the great work of Amy Smith? She operates D-lab nestled beneath the infinite corridor at MIT. Fumes from indoor cooking fires kill more than 2 million children a year in the developing world. MIT engineer Amy Smith details an exciting but simple solution: a tool for turning farm waste into clean-burning charcoal. […]
UK designer Giles Miller makes these laptop cases (and a number of furniture pieces) from recycled cardboard. I love the way he’s altered the corrugations to create designs in the cardboard. Corrugated Cardboard Laptop Case
AIDG is a NonGovernmental Organization (NGO) that helps provide low technology solutions to help address environmental and health needs to people living in communities without great access to the systems that many of us consider requirements. Here are a few of their water-based initiatives: Solar Hot Water: XelaTeco, with support from AIDG’s wonderful interns, recently […]
Inhabitat is having a contest! Better hurry, the deadline is March 27th: With spring right around the corner, many of us are getting ready for an epic marathon of spring cleaning, and we here at Inhabitat want to encourage creative reuse and cut down on waste with our first ever Spring Greening DIY Design Contest. […]
via miters This looks like fun. Nice project. University of Louisiana News has a decent interview with Dr. Terrence Chambers, and student Don Tamosaitis. The design draws on the work of Theo Jansen. The crawler travels about 2-3 miles/hour. There were five of us working on it, there was a lot of 3D modeling of […]
Liz writes in with information about an innovative new project to convert surplus shipping containers into medical clinics for people in the developing world. As it turns out, shipping containers are a pretty useful even if they aren’t shipping stuff around. A shipping container, once retrofitted for use as a health clinic, is a durable, […]
