Green Thing Blog

You know those disclaimers that turn up on the bottom of emails: "Paper doesn't grow on trees. Please think before you print this email."? Well Ad agency BBH decided the world needed something much more imaginative and effective, so they came up with the i.Saw.

This spoof device - the world's first USB-powered chainsaw - led users to a downloadable app which makes a loud, angry tree-cutting noise every time you're about to print. It acts like an alarm-clock conscience on your PC to remind you to think before you print.

It's a great example of something that spreads online by being both interesting and useful. It's interesting as a piece of media (the spoof iSaw site got 1.5m visits, was written up in Wired and Gizmondo and created a buzz on Twitter and Reddit and the like) and also useful as a piece of software - it really does force you to think about what you're printing and whether you really need to.

The concept is brilliant, although in reality it does get a wee bit annoying and seems to be triggered by commands other than 'Cmd P', so the novelty does wear off a bit (although apprently this is a bug that's being fixed).

That said it's still clever, witty and ingenious and I wish we'd thought of it ;-) And the more computers its on, the more paper that gets saved - so download it here and spread the word.

[Spotted on BBH Labs via Mel Exon]

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Check out these great new wallets made from old newspaper and plastic bags in Delhi. Holstee joined forces with a family-run, not-for-profit in India who collect the rubbish off the streets and turn it into these 100% biodegradable, completely unique wallets. No two are ever the same making them perfect for the fashion-minded individual.

We're rather big fans and friends of Holstee, with all of their kick ass products (their words, not ours) which are made sustainably with a big social impact being a key factor in all the work they do.

Ps- If you liked this, then you will love these sustainable luxury products made from old fire hoses.

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(Image: Alkesh Parmar)

It's degree show season and the Royal College of Art show boasted its usual fantastic designs and innovative ideas. My eye was caught by Alkesh Parmar's work, APeel. He designed a new material derived from food waste. Using the inedible leftovers from oranges, lemons and other hesperidia fruits, he dried, grated and mixed them up with a secret combination of all natural, organic binders, poured into a mold and hey presto! A orange juicer made from oranges!

The whole design process has been carefully thought out with energy and water levels kept to a minimum. Even the moulds were made from recycled materials and tools were only made if necessary. The resulting biodegradable, sustainable material is firm and strong and can even be made into a flexible sheet, suitable for so many purposes.

(Image: Alkesh Parmar)

As if that wasn't cool enough, he also designed a chandelier made from excess champagne corks rescued from restaurants. What a fantastic all-consuming idea!

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