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!
Worldchanging covered an important conference on an often-neglected concept: An international conference on Ecological Safety, held earlier this month in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, called attention to a dangerous sanitation issue by offering an inspiring and feasible solution. The problem: international donors are still promoting pit latrines… but most families can’t afford to pay for safe emptying […]
Here are some Instructables for variations on building shelves with glass bottles as the verticals: Bottle shelving with tension provided by a hook and bolt tightened between the shelves. A kitchen shelving unit version of their design. Check out Zero Waste’s other projects here.
Here are 3 different designs for bicycle-powered buses: 1. The Buscycle (image via Ecofriend) 2. Eindhoven University’s human-powered bus (also see our previous coverage): 3. The Velodisco: On one hand, these all look pretty inefficient. On another, shouldn’t you have less wind, drivetrain, and surface resistance to overcome per person on a well-designed setup like […]
This doesn’t quite look like the most crash-safe vehicle ever designed, but electric power plus bamboo construction does provide a dream-like level of sustainability: (video found via G4TV) Any guesses on what epoxy/resin they’re using to hold the bamboo together? Thanks to Ecofriend for finding some specs: “the 60-kg electric car can run for 30 […]
Design Crisis recently featured the work of Austin artist, Virginia Fleck. Fleck’s work takes plastic bag reuse to a whole new level, and the mandala patterns she creates are absolutely breathtaking. Her pieces are large – with some ranging up to seven feet tall. I loved learning, too, that she works with teens on ecologically […]
There are many Instructables about changing your oil, but only one starts like this: I learned to do oil changes in high school speech class. One of the boys worked in a garage. He gave a really great how-to demonstration/speech about changing oil. He gave another about rotating tires, but there isn’t anything complicated about […]
PT @ MAKE points us to Betty Pepper’s jewelry made from books: Never judge a book by its cover. Originally inspired by a poem this collection looks at what we choose to hide about ourselves and what we reveal to others, a secretive library where things are not always what they seem. Books are interesting […]
