Shoes made out of plants. Food-based food packaging. Mass sheep adoption.
These are just a few of the many “green” innovations that will come our way this year (or have already arrived).
And although the #1 reason we’ll remember 2020 may already be established, there’s a good chance we’ll also remember it as a high point for sustainability. We’re seeing all sorts of incredible eco-friendly innovations arriving this year, and perhaps most promisingly, they’re coming from all places – from big corporations to small communities.
Today we’re going to honor 7 of the many, many exciting innovations in sustainability arriving this year.
1. A clean, silent air conditioner that uses water instead of refrigerants
Image source: Homecrux.com
We’ll start with the coolest innovation we expect to see this year: HomeCool’s OxiCool, an air conditioner that uses water instead of harmful refrigerants. Not only is this much better for the environment, it will also be completely silent – a win-win!
The main hurdle they’re facing is, well, getting too cool. Water freezes, of course – so they’re employing molecular sieves in vacuum-sealed units to keep the water from freezing.
Learn more at oxicool.com
2. Sustainable leather made from prickly pear cactus
The aptly named Mexican brand Desserto is striking out against the unsustainable leather industry with a new alternative made from an odd source: prickly pear cactus!
The “hide” of the cactus is tough, making it durable like leather, yet it’s quite soft to the touch – making it perfect for clothing, furniture and more. The cactus leather is also PVC-free and partially biodegradable.
Learn more at desserto.com.mx
3. Buy a sweater, adopt a sheep
Image source: Sheep Inc
New Zealand’s Sheep Inc. has a rather interesting approach to bringing customers closer to the source of their products: when you buy a sweater, you’ll also “adopt” the sheep it came from!
The company will send you regular updates about the precise sheep your sweater came from, and proceeds from the sale go to supporting sustainable farming practices. As for the updates from your sheep, they’re pretty standard sheep stuff: where it lives, what it likes to do, its latest haircut, and so forth.
Adopt a sheep (and get a great sweater) at sheepinc.com
4. Vodka made from fresh New York City pollution
Image source: Dezeen
Yup, you read that right – this vodka comes from actual pollution.
New York-based Air Co. is now serving up their proprietary “carbon negative vodka”. The spirit is made by capturing, heating and transforming carbon dioxide into alcohol. Everything is solar powered, too!
The process of transforming CO2 into alcohol isn’t new, but Air Co. is the first company to create a drinkable form. We’re one step closer to a 100% guilt-free vodka! (Ah, we can dream, can’t we?)
Learn more at aircompany.com
5. A breakthrough recycling technique that turns clothing into liquid
Image source: Evrnu
So… as it turns out, recycling cotton isn’t so easy. The most common processes involve chopping the fabric into smaller pieces – which weakens the material. The resulting yarn isn’t typically strong enough to create new clothing.
Enter Evrnu’s “NuCycl” method. Instead of chopping cotton into pieces, it turns it into a pulp, then liquifies it. This breaks the material into its polymer form, allowing it to be reconstructed into stronger yarn than prior methods. From here, they mix it with new fibers to create fresh cloth. Cool, huh?
Learn more at evrnu.com
6. Food wrapped in banana leaves – instead of plastic!
Image source: Pixabay
Two major supermarket chains in Southeast Asia – one in Thailand and the other in Vietnam – have begun wrapping many food items in banana leaves. The goal is to reduce plastic, and it’s working well thanks to the unique structure of banana leaves.
First off, the leaves are plentiful in these regions – so any store can easily restock. Second, they’re incredibly sturdy. Just tie it up with some bamboo and you won’t know the difference! While this may not catch on worldwide, we do hope to see more creative local solutions like this popping up throughout the year.
7. A running shoe made from plants
Image source: Wellandgood.com
Our final item comes from footwear giant Reebok. They recently announced a new performance running shoe called the Forever Floatride GROW, which will launch this fall. Yes, the name is cool – but how the shoes are made is even cooler!
Instead of petroleum-based plastics, which are incredibly harmful to the environment, the new Reeboks will use (mostly) natural, sustainable ingredients – such as castor beans and eucalyptus trees.
They’re not alone in their endeavor – earlier this year, Adidas created running shoes made from 100% recyclable material. The fashion industry clearly knows that they need to be more responsible… and this is a great “step” in the right direction!