Awesome Green

Karst Stone Paper makes notebooks without using wood pulp, water, bleach, or acid. Instead, they recycle stones from mining wastes to create paper that’s waterproof, tear-resistant and smooth. The notebooks come in A5 and A6 sizes.

IKEA teamed up with Solarcentury to start selling and installing solar panels and batteries in homes in the UK. Prices start at around $3900. Customers will save up to $450 per year with just the solar panels, and up to $730 when paired with batteries.

Taiwan’s Miniwiz has devised a portable, solar-powered recycling plant which transforms plastic and fabric waste into architectural tiles. Junk is washed, shredded, melted, and molded on the spot. They plan on bringing Trashpresso to tourist areas where trash is left behind.

A look inside Brooklyn, New York’s Sims Materials Recovery Facility, a high-tech recycling operation which uses automation to separate a wide variety of metal, glass, and plastic materials based on their weight, size, shape, and even molecular composition.

Graviky Labs developed a device that’s fitted over the exhaust pipes of vehicles and generators to trap and gather soot. The pollution is then scrubbed of toxic materials then used to make ink for markers and screen printing.

EcoCapsule’s bubble-shaped off-grid living spaces contain a small bedroom, work area, kitchen, storage, and bathroom. Solar panels on the roof and an external windmill supply electricity, and its shape is designed to maximize rainwater capture. (Thanks Linda!)

Ingrid and Benjamin Hjertefølger (“heart follower”) are advocates of sustainable living. They live in a greenhouse that they built partly out of cob, clean all of their waste water and are encouraging their children to also form a deep bond with nature.

Florida-based Saltwater Brewery came up with an edible, compostable and biodegradable alternative to plastic drink can rings which can harm animals. Made from byproducts of the company’s brewing process, the edible rings are just as strong as their plastic counterparts.

Japanese company Hotaru is working on a portable shower system that can supposedly allow you to take up to 42 five-minute showers using just 20L (approx. 5gal) of water, thanks to its built-in filtration system.

Tesla Motors’ latest ad is a real-world demonstration of the Model S’ optional Autopilot technology. When you’re on the highway you can activate cruise control, automatic steering and automatic lane changing. The car can also park on its own.

When you’re outdoors, you always want plenty of water. But carrying around a huge pack can be a pain. Fontus is developing water bottles that can capture condensation at a rate up to 0.8L per hour. The Airo goes anywhere, while the Ryde grabs water while you ride your bike.

We’ve seen how one person produces only a handful of trash. This town has been doing the same thing for over a decade. The residents of Kamikatsu in Tokushima, Japan recycle, reuse or compost 80% of their waste. They hope to do that to 100% of their trash by 2020.

An all-in-one paper recycling machine. Instead of sending used paper to remote facilities and then buying recycled paper, PaperLab will let businesses recycle A3 or A4 sheets on their own. It makes up to 14 sheets of paper per minute. It will debut in Japan in 2016.

While taking up Environmental Studies, Lauren Singer realized she was being a hypocrite by producing lots of trash in her daily life. Through judicious reusing, composting, purchasing bulk products, and DIY, she’s accumulated only one jarful of trash in the past two years.

The Yamaha PES2 is an electric motorcycle concept that has two electric motors – one under the tank and another one inside the front wheel – for two-wheel drive. It also has a crazy augmented reality helmet that overlays data from the bike’s cameras and other sensors.

The Beast electric bicycle’s off road variant has twice the power and top speed – up to 31mph – of the base model, thanks to a second 500W motor. The solar panel built into the battery pack provides supplemental charging when parked in the sun.

When you think of recycling, the materials that come to mind are paper, plastic and metals. But thanks to Phoenix Fibers and Bonded Logic, denim jeans and cotton clothing can now be transformed into insulation and acoustic panels for homes and buildings.

The Tesla Model X is finally in production. The base model 90D has a total output of 518hp, while the P90D has 752hp at its disposal. It has a top speed of 155mph and rockets from 0 to 60mph in 3.2s with an optional upgrade.

Audi’s all-electric SUV is slated for release in 2018, and just might give the Tesla Model X a run for its money. Using three powerful motors to produce 496 hp, it can hit 62 mph in 3.5 seconds, 310+ mile range, and can juice to 80% in 15 minutes. Inside, it’s packed with tech.

Nebia uses atomizing nozzles that cover up to 10 times more area while using up to 70% less water than other showerheads. It could pay for itself in a year with the water and energy you save. Skip to 0:53 in the video.

Rareform makes surfboard bags, backpacks and other bags and accessories out of discarded billboard vinyls. The vinyls are inspected and cleaned before being cut. The upcycled material ensures each Rareform product is unique.

California-based Prisma Guitars handcrafts stunning electric guitars and guitar accessories using discarded skateboard decks. Not only does this cut back on waste, it also means each product is unique.

Yolk claims its Solar Paper is the world’s thinnest and lightest solar panel. Each panel generates 2.5W of power, but you can connect up to four of them using their built-in magnets. Note that the final product will have only 1 USB port.