Hello readers.
Welcome to #FactFriday on CleanbuildVoices!
There’s a saying that necessity is the mother of invention. And with climate and environmental problems bedeviling us today, we need as many sustainable inventions as possible to help us adapt to our changing climate.
From edible plastics to air conditioners made out of empty plastic bottles, this edition of #Fact Friday spotlights amazing eco-friendly innovations from different parts of the world.
Tent of the future
In 2013, Abeer Seikaly, a Jordanian innovator, launched a project that focuses on designing tents that are able to provide efficient shelter among other things.
Dubbed Weaving a Home, the tents are built with displaced communities in mind. As a result of global wars, climate, and environmental problems, some have become refugees.
Hence, the aim of the Weaving a Home tents is to change the lives of displaced people by giving them stability while providing them with the necessities of contemporary life.
Apart from adequate shelter, the tents store solar energy to charge batteries; collect rainwater, and can be neatly folded up for easy transport.
Edible plastics
You’ve probably heard people jokingly wish they could eat their cutlery after having a delicious meal. Imagine you could actually eat your plate, fork, and knife. That’s what Bakeys is making possible.
The Indian-owned startup produces cutlery from sorghum flour blended with rice and wheat and zero chemicals, preservatives, fat, emulsifiers, artificial coloring, or milk products.
Bakey’s cutlery is a cheap, sustainable alternative that is healthy both for humans and the environment. Rather than throw away your cutlery after a single use, you can either consume it or leave it to biodegrade after three days. Bakey’s spoons come in sweet and savory varieties…yummy!
Do-it-yourself (DIY) air conditioner
What would you do if your home gets unbearably hot? Turning on the air conditioner might be the logical thing to do if you have one.
But air-conditioning still remains a luxury that many can’t afford. It’s for such people that Ashis Paul, a Bangladeshi innovator, developed what is called Eco-Coolers.
Built out of plastic bottles, the eco-cooler is a cooling system that does not need electricity. Even better, you can learn how to design one all by yourself. You can click here to watch a tutorial.
Airplanes that run on hydrogen and emit water
The aviation industry might have come a long way since the Wright brothers invented the first powered airplane in the early 1900s. Yet, modern planes rely on kerosene as fuel, releasing harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is where hydrogen-powered planes come in.
In April 2021, a ground-breaking commercial-scale hydrogen plane took off in the UK. This is hype-worthy because planes designed to run on hydrogen will not cause pollution because as they only emit water vapor.
Research is still ongoing in the aviation industry in order to determine the cost-effectiveness of hydrogen-powered planes.
Watch this space as we’ll be back for another edition of #FactFriday next week.
