Discussing all things to do with zero waste, sustainable and renewable methods of preventing, re-using or recycling everyday items. The root of a circular economy.
Sustainable Grass Bamboo are the fastest growing plants on earth. They utilise unique rhizome (underground stems) to self-multiply. This allows some species of bamboo to grow up to 0.91m or 3 feet in one day. Due to its fast growth, bamboo is a useful construction material. Engineered bamboo is created from the laminated and treated…
At Viable AlternativEnergy “green” (sustainable/ recyclable/ alternative) projects, products and ideas “give us life”. People who create and design new products with these concepts in mind inspire us. The annual Green Product Awards look at products designed to support the change towards a green way of living. They choose products for their aspects of design,…
These top articles from Viable AlternativEnergy focus on sustainable, environmental and socially conscious projects, products and ideas. Please join us, as we recap our 7 top articles from 2020. 1. Cubo Modular Bamboo Housing This top article was a favourite with our readers from the Philippines. Cubo, created by Earl Patrick Forlales is a modern,…
In 2018, “What a Waste 2.0” the Urban Development Series produced by the World Bank gave a snapshot of global solid waste management until 2050. Organic waste comprised 56% of the total waste composition for low income countries, from an annual total waste volume of 93MT per year (million tonnes) or 5% of global waste…
In 2017, Europe recycled 84.6% of its cardboard and paper packaging. We derive this percentage from the total quantity of recycled packaging waste, divided by the total quantity of generated packaging. The same year, a study by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) states that businesses and consumers discard 10 million tonnes of furniture each year…
In 2018, Professor Gérard Mourou (École Polytechnique) and Professor Donna Strickland (University of Waterloo) jointly won half of the Nobel Prize in Physics for ground breaking inventions in laser physics. “For their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses.” Chirped Pulses Professor Mourou and Strickland’s technique uses Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA), which they initially imagined…
How are drones used for emergency medical response and disaster relief? Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or Electric Autonomous Aircraft (EAA) are commonly known as drones. Humanitarian and commercial applications successfully use drones to assist in emergency response. Medical Drones deliver packages at room temperature and cold chain (between 2-8ºC). Supplies delivered vary from whole blood,…
Edible Cutlery Made From 100% Natural Flours. In 2010, Narayana Peesapathy and Pradnya Keskar founded the company Bakeys in Hyderabad, India. Bakeys was the first company to produce edible cutlery. The baked utensils shaped like spoons, forks and chopsticks made of millet, rice, wheat and water. They come in various flavours varying from plain, savoury and…
UBQ is a thermoplastic that can substitute minerals, wood and plastic in thousands of applications. Globally every year, 2 billion tonnes of waste is produced. Approximately 80% of this waste goes to landfills. Food loss and waste contribute 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. UBQ Process When all the waste that can be composted,…
BioCellection is an advanced recycling technology company based in California. Globally, only 9% of plastics are recycled. The remaining 91% goes to landfills, incinerators, or ends up in the ocean because of poor waste management practices. There is a huge gap in the market for a company that could close the “plastic life cycle” by…
Viable AlternativEnergy posts focus on environmental and socially conscious projects, products and ideas. Please join us, as we recap our 7 top posts from 2019. 1. Kamikatsu – Japan’s Zero Waste Town The first municipality in Japan to promote a zero-waste policy. Residents sort waste into 45 categories. Kamikatsu municipality managed to recycle 81% of…
LignoLoc compacted beech wooden nails are a sustainable alternative to glue and metal nails. They consists of a magazine of nails, which can be used for industrial or ecological construction projects. The hardness (tensile strength) of these wooden nails are comparable to aluminium nails. Therefore it is possible to drive the nails in with a hammer,…
In 2013, Skipping Rocks Lab start up created Ooho an edible water “bottle”. Ooho’s peelable membrane comprises algae (brown seaweed) mixed with calcium and water. It can hold any kind of liquid. In addition, this membrane containing edible water is compostable and biodegrades in 4 to 6 weeks. Algae is one of nature’s renewable resources…
MarinaTex is an alternative to plastic film. It is made from agar from red algae and proteins from fish processing waste. MarinaTex is stronger than LDPE (commonly used in plastic bags) of the same thickness. It is 100% biodegradable in a soil environment and can be composted at home in less than 6 weeks. MarinaTex…
Compost worms primarily consist of red wiggler / tiger, African nightcrawler, Indian blue and Brandling. These worms are powerful allies to organic farmers. They assist farmers with various tasks. such as providing oxygen /aeration to roots of the plants through burrowing. Releasing helpful amino acids which can combat diseases in crops. Furthermore worm waste (vermicast/…
The Coradia iLint is the first passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The train was by designed by Alstom teams in Salzgitter, Germany and in Tarbes, France. Electricity is generated by hydrogen fuel cells when hydrogen and oxygen combine to produce water. This makes the cells a promising zero emissions, energy source that…
In 2004, all waste generated in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital went to landfill. Presently, Ljubljana diverts 80% of its refuse from the landfill. Furthermore, 68% of this waste gets recycled. Ljubljana won the title of the 2016 European Green Capital award. This was a major win because Ljubljana was the only nominee out of the 5…
Songhai Centre in Port Novo, Benin is the pinnacle of a zero waste agricultural site. Here they integrate vegetable production, aquaculture and animal husbandry to produce a large selection of produce. From food (cooking oils, fruit, baked goods, juices and livestock for consumption) to biogas, biomass, plastic recycling, fish feed, animal feed, composting, soap production…
This A/C unit cools without using electricity. An eco-friendly air conditioners for the steamy climate of New Delhi, created by the Architecture firm Ant Studio.
Leaf republic has created a selection of packaging products. They make the transparent lids from bioplastic and recycled plastic. They make the plates and bowls from three-layers. The bottom and top layers are leaves. The middle layer comprises water-proof leaf-made paper. No synthetic additives, colouring or glue used in the production process. Furthermore, the bowl…
This off-grid tiny home on wheels generates its own solar power. They collect and store rainwater. Solar water heating is also available. Composts from human waste. Other organic wastes generate biogas for cooking.
Bite, brush and repeat. An environmentally friendly alternative to plastic toothpaste tubes. They make this toothpaste pill from natural ingredients. Additionally, all the packaging is recyclable, thus reducing waste to landfill.
What is the decomposition rate for items we send to landfill? From banana peels, to milk carton, cigarette butts, plastic bags and leather. How long does it take to for our discarded goods to decompse?
Kamikatsu, Tokushima Prefecture, was the first municipality in Japan to promote a Zero Waste policy. The residents sort waste into 45 types in 13 categories. The municipality managed to recycle 81% of all their refuse in 2016.