Did you know that thereโs a giant island of plastic, nicknamed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, floating between Hawaii and California? This unsightly vortex of trash is about twice the size of Texas, and itโs growing bigger and more lawless every single day!
Cleaning up gargantuan problems like this may seem impossible, but donโt give up just yet. Even the smallest of changes can make an impact, and you donโt have to be an eco-activist or tree-hugger to do good things for the planet.
Just take it from these 50 people who are walking their talk like a true boss! From serving up ice cream in banana leaf cups, creating โplasticโ utensils from avocado seeds, and making carry pouches for cigarette butts, these innovative, eco-friendly designs make every day seem like Earth Day.
1) โTurns out my pencil is made of recycled newspaper!โ
Even in a digital world, we still use pens ad pencils. Pencils are typically made of wood, but this pencil is made from recycled newspaper, which will make all the tree huggers out there happy campers.
2) โAn ice cream cup made of banana leavesโ
In Thailand, this is a common way to serve coconut ice. After youโre done, the earth will recycle your garbage for you!
3) โI found a hidden message when I ripped the paper off this ramen potโ
What a cheeky surprise for the clever samurai who separates their paper from plastic! It would be even more fun if they had different messages for each flavor of ramen noddle.
4) โGot an event bracelet that can be plantedโ
The next time you go to a bar or club, you may be presented with this very special bracelet that you can gift back to mother nature. This one has been embedded with California wildflower seeds, which is bloominโ brilliant!
5) โCarlsberg using glue to make six packs instead of plastic.โ
Sure, aluminum cans are totally recyclable, but the plastic rings that come with six-packs can literally choke the life out of marine life. Instead of plastic rings, this company uses dots of very strong glue to keep the cans stuck together. Cheers to this very clever move!
6) Polandโs glow-in-the-dark dark bike lane is charged by the sun.
Solar power is the next โhottestโ thing in sustainable energy, and a city in Poland is using the sunโs power in a very unique way.
They keep their bike lanes lit up through the night by lining it with phosphor, a synthetic material that can โhold a chargeโ for about 10 hours. How cool is that?
7) โAn Easy Way to Recycle Old Mascara Wandsโ
Mascara is only good for a month or two before you have to toss it out, and if you multiply that by the millions of women around the world who use mascara, thatโs a lot of not-so-magical wands that get trashed.
The plastic isnโt typically recyclable, but Wands for Wildlife uses them to literally clean up wildlife.
โThese little wands are able to be upcycled to clean away oil, larvae, fly eggs, mites, infections, mud and other contaminants from wildlife. Works great for medical care and wound treatment.โ
8) โInstead of using paint for this parking lot, this is how the โlinesโ are created.
This parking lot in the city of Kailua-Kona in Hawaii uses grass instead of paint to draw the lines. The only foreseeable problem here is when itโs time to mow the lines again!
9) โPen made of recycled water bottles casts a shadow of a water bottle.โ
Okay, you know whatโs coming. Wait for itโฆ
This pen is a shadow of its former self.
Bad joke aside, this is actually a brilliant design!
10) โThe Cafe at my closest beach gives free drinks to people who collect a bucket of litter from the beachโ
If you can spare two minutes of your life, this cafe wants to make you an offer you canโt refuse. Grab a bucket, fill it up with litter from the beach, and theyโll give you a hot drink on the house.
11) โPlasticโ cutlery and straws made from avocado seeds
Single-use plastic utensils are terrible for the planet, but until now, theyโve pretty much been the only option for take-out food.
Thanks to Mexican company BioFase, our โplasticโ utensils are now being made of food. They make biodegradable cutlery and straws that are made from avocado seeds. Now thereโs something sustainable you can bite into!
12) โMy university makes notepads out of the recycled paper and hands them out to the studentsโ
You donโt have to go to this school to pull off this universally smart move. You can find scratch paper just about anywhere!
13) โRecycled cardboard used as an alternative to bubble wrap.โ
Thereโs nothing in the world that can compare to the satisfaction of popping bubble wrap! But, since thereโs no replacement for our beautiful green earth, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Iโll miss you, bubble wrap.
14) โThis makes me incredibly happy, and more inclined to shop here more often.โ
Iโm not sure Iโd shop at a store more often just to use their environmentally friendly toilet. But, this is certainly something more companies should think about doing.
15) โMy pencil has seeds on the tip, so when itโs too small to use it you can plant it and a tree will grow out of itโ
Filling the tip of pencils with seeds instead of an eraser is a fabulous way to feed the planet! Just donโt fall into your old chewy habits, or you may end up with a fern growing inside of you.
16) โThis cup is made from plant starch, not plasticโ
We really need to stop using single-use items like straws and plastic cups, but the demand for things that we donโt have to wash is still pretty high. Until we change our disposable mindset, cups like these that are made from starch instead of plastic are a step in the right direction.
17) โRefill Station at Simon Fraser University, Canada.โ
I wish this was in grocery stores everywhere. Think about how many bottles of toiletries, hand soap, and detergent that gets thrown out every year! Itโs such a huge waste.
18) โThis notebook is made of stoneโ
Yabba dabba doo! This looks like something right out of The Flintstones. Itโs definitely an upgrade from the stone tablets of yesteryear.
19) โYou can charge this battery with a micro USBโ
Rechargeable batteries have been around for a long time, but you have to pop them into a bulky plastic thingy to give them some juice. Now you can just plug your USB right into the battery and charge it on the go.
20) โMy grocery store started selling overripe bananas for cheap with a recipe for banana bread on the bagโ
This is pure genius! The store gets more sales, and it helps cut down on produce waste thatโs so rampant with grocery stores.
21) Street vendors use disposable bowls made of leaves
This disposable bowl is made from three pressed leaves that are fastened together with a bamboo pen. Itโs used by street vendors in India.
22) Throw confetti, grow stuff!
This โThrow & Grow Confettiโ from Niko Niko is a guerrilla gardener/party-goers dream. The paper-shaped flowers contain the seeds of real flowers. After the celebrations are over, just watch and watch the happiness grow!
23) โMy shoes came with a โhandleโ rather than being packed in a one time use bagโ
Of course, the best solution is to just carry the shoe box to your car. But, if youโre already bogged down with purchases, a reduction in waste is better than none at all. Thatโs when things like this little plastic handle come in handy.
24) โI bought a pack of cigarettes and they came with a postage paid recycling pouch.โ
There are two types of disgusting litter bugs: the kind that flick used cigarette butts onto the ground, and the ones who are too lazy to toss their doggy poop bag into the trash. At least we now have a way to take care of the first problem.
25) โMy local coffee shop gives free compost made from their used coffee grounds.โ
You donโt have to wait for your local coffee shop to put up a sign like this one. Be proactive and ask them what they do with their used coffee grounds. Tell them your rose bushes love to drink up this stuff!
26) โThe bowling alley in my neighborhood tore up old lanes and used them to renovate the washrooms.โ
What a great way to keep the whole bowling alley theme going. Just donโt start congratulating yourself out loud if you get a strike.
27) โYou bike to keep the outlet going, to recharge your devices.โ
Hey, this is straight out of an episode of Black Mirror! The future is almost here. Cardio credits are just around the corner.
28) โThey had a bike at my school to blend a smoothie that they were handing out at lunch.โ
If you donโt need to recharge your devices, you could bike your way to a healthy smoothie for lunch. I just hope this school isnโt breaking any child labor laws!
29) Free pastries
At the end of the day, this bakery puts their unsold pastries into a paper bag and leaves it outside for passerbys. It helps reduce waste and feed the hungry at the same time.
30) โThis super market had tiny paper bags instead of plastic containers to reduce wasteโ
It looks like weโve come full circle. We used to use plastic bags to save the rainforest, and now weโre using paper bags to save our oceans. The best option is to bring your own bag, but if you had to choose between ugly plastic and these cute little paper bags, I think I can guess which one would win.
31) โResealable cans of waterโ
I always tote around a reusable stainless steel water bottle with me. But, for those times when I run out of water, Iโd choose a can of water over a plastic bottle any day.
32) โMy new dentist has their forms laminated to reduce paper waste by simply plugging in and wiping off.โ
Some doctorโs offices have tablets where you can enter in your own data electronically, but itโs an expensive upgrade. For those who are bootstrapping it, this is a great way to reduce paper waste.
33) โThis Sketchbook made from real recycled circuit boardsโ
This almost seems like a tech downgrade for the poor computer circuit board. But, itโs still a great way to give old circuit boards new life.
34) โThis office is made up of old shipping containersโ
This is where old shipping containers go to retire. Theyโre either turned into underground bunkers for preppers, or they become swanky offices like this one.
35) โThis steel gate made up of pliers.โ
Whoa, I didnโt even know these were pliers when I first saw this picture! I thought it was just being made to look like tree branches, or the little stick-figure birds that artists paint on canvas.
@girlfromoz:
โHey I wanna break through this gate but I need a pair ofโฆ oh, never mind.โ
36) โThis coffee cup is made from recycled coffee groundsโ
Wait, how does something like this even work? Do you just add water? If you get a double espresso, is it really a triple?
37) Happy Nest Egg
Most eggs come in either either Styrofoam or cardboard cartons. But, this sustainable egg carton made from hay looks like someone just picked up the nest and brought it right to the store.
38) โThis Japanese toilet refills through a sink in the top so you can rinse your hands and re-use the water.โ
This isnโt as icky as it sounds. The water that goes into the toilet is clean, so itโs totally safe to use on your hands. Just make sure you donโt get the two bowls mixed up.
39) โThe water taps at this cafe drip onto plants to not waste waterโ
This is a wonderful idea in theory! But they should put a different plant under the drip. Dracaena plants are drought-tolerant and they hate soggy soil.
40) โA new question is up on our cigarette voting bin on Villiers Street. Check it out and place your vote!โ
Whoโs the best? You decide! Just pick up cigarette butts off the street and cast your vote. Genius!
41) โThe beach Iโm at has a list of commonly found garbage and how long it takes for it to decompose.โ
I sort of like this idea, but I think put into practice this falls a little bit flat. Wonโt this museum of trash take even longer to decompose when its encased in glass?
42) โThis sink counter at a brewery is made with recycled beer bottlesโ
What better place to have a countertop made of recycled beer bottles than a brewery! Mosaic artwork like this is a great way to inspire others to go green.
43) โThis bag of old/stained face towels have been re-used as โragsโ at this hotel.โ
Instead of disposing of stained towels, this hotel runs them through the wash and then repackages them as rags. They can be used to clean up things like coffee spills, makeup, oil, or mud.
44) โMy school fights littering by installing basketball hoops above trash cansโ
I donโt know any boy who could resist trying to make the perfect shot with this fun game! Hopefully they pick all their crumpled-up misses off the floor.
45) โThe paper tag attached to my new pan can be planted to grow herbsโ
It looks like biodegradable seed paper is becoming more popular by the day. The marketing here is quite clever. Buy a pan, get a free herb garden!
46) โThe golf balls at the mini golf on this pier are biodegradable and fall into the sea at the 18th holeโ
Your golf ball is fish food. And no, thatโs not what your golfing buddy says to you when he thinks youโre a really bad putter. This golf ball really is fish food!
47) โMy tour guideโs tool for picking up littered bottles along the trail.โ
This is one dedicated tour guide! She has a lid for just about every type of plastic bottle she may come across on the trail.
48) โSo my friend invented these amazing reusable silicone straws.โ
If you donโt want metal straws accidentally busting up your teeth, these silicon straws are the next best option. They can be customized to fit any cup, and plus, who doesnโt want to slurp up their ice tea out of a rainbow straw?
49) โWant to help injured turtles? Send bra clasps to turtle rescues!โ
Carolina Waterfowl Rescue uses old bra clasps to help weld cracked turtle shells back together again. The unconventional method can be compared to a doctor casting a broken bone. Too bad bra clasps werenโt around when poor Humpty Dumpty fell off his wall!
50) โMy hotel wants you to take the nice soap home!โ
Thereโs no need to โstealโ the toiletries from this hotel. Guests can take home their used bars of soap in this doggy baggy. Itโs just another clean way to help save the planet!
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