Top 10 eco-friendly designs to incorporate sustainability in your everyday lives

Our unhealthy practices and way of living are truly harmful to the environment and have been slowly leading to its deterioration. And the world has been changing (for the worse) because of this. Hence, it is extremely important to live sustainably and consciously and to take care of the environment in 2023! Integrating sustainability into our day-to-day lives has become crucial. And we can do this in various ways. Designers and creators are coming up with sustainable alternatives for almost everything. Every product that is necessary and utilized by us in our everyday routine has an eco-friendly alternative to it. Replacing our usual mass-produced designs with these greener options will make a huge difference to the environment and Mother Earth. From a Saturn-inspired sustainable lamp to a bicycle seat made from cork– we’ve curated a whole collection of sustainable product designs to help you go green.

1. 3D-printed Seats

Designed by Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design, these 3D-printed chairs are produced using additive manufacturing and are created without using fabrics, springs, and foam! And they still manage to be super functional and comfortable. These chairs utilize rigid parts, instead of the typical racks from chairs.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is simple enough with four legs, a round seat, and a single bar at the back. But if you want to add other components like more racks or even textiles, these can also be added through 3D printing. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly.

What we like

Super easy to assemble and disassemble
Sustainable design

What we dislike

No instruction on having a space-saving version of this design

2. Vis-à-vis and Rendez-vous

I’ve realized that filling up your bathroom with thoughtful designs, only makes your time in it much more comfortable and smooth. And this collection of bathroom seating by Italian bathroom brand Agape strives to be exactly that! Designed by Marco Carini for Agape, the collection includes two seating designs created from recycled cork.

Why is it noteworthy?

The first design is called Vis-à-vis, and it is a light and sturdy stool that also doubles up as a tiny side table. The second design is Rendez-vous, and it’s a bench that serves as an extensive seating option for bathroom users. Both designs function as comfortable spots to sit and relax in the bathroom.

What we like

Crafted from recycled cork
The curving form resembles someone smiling

What we dislike

Not suited for bathrooms with a smaller footprint

3. The SATURNO Lamp

Of all the planets in our neighborhood, Saturn has always mesmerized our minds with its beautiful rings, and it has probably served as the muse for many lamp designs. This somewhat spherical lamp, for example, borrows some ideas from the planet’s morphology to create something unique, fun, striking, and sustainable, all at the same time.

Why is it noteworthy?

The SATURNO lamp is actually made of three disc-shaped parts that connect without the use of any glue or screws. There are cutouts instead that allow the parts to be inserted into each other at perpendicular angles. Two are made from walnut wood, while the third is made from resin, which could be any sustainable kind.

What we like

SATURNO’s LEDs can be controlled to show different colors and different intensities
A versatile lighting fixture that gives a glimpse of the heavens right inside your home

What we dislike

The lamp won’t stand with its horizontal light mimicking the light scattered by Saturn’s rings unless it is provided with some support

4. Plantd

Based in North Carolina, the firm Plantd Materials has produced a new material ‘Plantd’. Built using processed perennial grass, the material is said to be lighter and stronger as compared to traditional timber boards, but will capture more carbon.

Why is it noteworthy?

The firm says that the material is a “blend of fast-growing perennial grasses”, that they hope will be used as an alternative to traditional oriented strand board (OBS). OBS is a material similar to plywood that is used to sheath floors and walls.

What we like

An eco-friendly alternative to OBS
Stronger and lighter than timber

What we dislike

The production of the material hasn’t started yet

5. The Kreis Cup

Meet the Kreis Cup, a coffee cup that’s sustainable, durable, and designed to enhance your coffee-drinking experience! Available in cup and travel-mug styles, the Kreis Cup is a reusable cup made from used coffee grounds and plant-based materials, free of petroleum-based plastics.

Why is it noteworthy?

It is heat resistant and designed to keep your coffee hot longer. That being said, the Kreis Cup is still ultimately biodegradable, unlike the plastic-based to-go mugs you get at your local cafe or the breakable ceramic mugs you use at home. Once it reaches the end of its lifespan, the Kreis Cup disintegrates easily into the soil, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

What we like

Made from spent coffee grounds that have been dried, treated, and then suspended in a natural, plant-based polymer
Has the faint, unmistakable scent of coffee

What we dislike

You can’t use the Kreis to drink tea, juice, or anything else, given the lingering smell of coffee that comes from these cups

6. USB-C AirPods Pro

Ken Pillonel, the engineer and YouTuber behind the world’s first USB-C iPhone and AirPods, just revealed upgrades for the AirPods Pro. His custom build features a new 3D printed case that can be opened and repaired (thanks to screws on the back), along with a USB-C connector on the base instead of the conventional Lightning port. Pillonel’s build isn’t just a one-off custom project, though. He’s made his project open-source and available to the public, allowing pretty much anyone to upgrade their own AirPods Pro

Why is it noteworthy?

With this project, Pillonel’s taking matters into his own hands by actually selling the charging module on his website for people to buy. You can even find schematics for 3D printing your own AirPods case, on the off-chance that you happen to break yours while prying it open.

What we like

It’s easy to open if you ever need to replace the battery on the inside

What we dislike

You will have to 3D-print your own module which could be inconvenient for some

7. Rootfull

At the 2022 London Design Festival, Zena Holloway presented an intriguing collection of sculptures, products, and wearables grown completely from grass root! Called, ‘Rootfull’, the collection was presented at the inaugural edition of the ‘Materials Matter’ design fair.

Why is it noteworthy?

The collection includes a dress with a collar piece, other coral-inspired sculptural pieces, substantial wall hangings, and root-grown lamps with interesting coral textures. Holloway’s collection explores the possibilities and scope of root-grown textiles, and how they can be widely utilized in the future.

What we like

Creation of a new kind of sustainable material

What we dislike

The root-grown textiles may not be very comfy to wear

8. The Bamboo Washing Machine

It doesn’t need extra water cycles, and it runs entirely without electricity. Meet the Bamboo Washing Machine, a cleverly low-tech appliance that washes your clothes efficiently with zero wastage and emissions.

Why is it noteworthy?

A winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award, the machine is made entirely from bamboo wood, and plugs right into a shallow riverbed, using river currents to turn the machine’s drum. The water flowing through the machine helps wash the dirt off the clothes too, giving you an entirely automated device that runs entirely on its own, using the powers of nature and human ingenuity!

What we like

Has zero wastage and emissions
Runs completely on its own

What we dislike

It’s a concept!

9. FR-1 Bike Saddle

This Scottish brand is one such company that wants to bring more sustainable solutions for the bikes and bike parts that they manufacture. Their first product is called FR-1 Bike Saddle and it is made from cork

Why is it noteworthy?

At first, you would think this is not a sturdy and comfortable material for something that you will be sitting on probably for a long period. But cork is actually pretty durable and lightweight so it should be something that can last a long time and not hurt your tushy that much. It is also water-resistant and can offer better cushioning compared to other materials.

What we like

Stronger but also more lightweight compared to the more common steel that a lot of bike seats use
Sustainable + supports historic local cork farming

What we dislike

It is a bit expensive

10. Zens

As a step up from the trio of charging options, Zens – a reckoned manufacturer of wireless chargers empowering freedom – has come up with a 4-in-1 Modular Wireless Charger. Designed to power an iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch in one go, the wireless charger is a sustainable and quick charging solution.

Why is it noteworthy?

Since an organized desk is a dream for every systematized worker, this Zens charger can go a long way in ensuring that. The idea of having all the prized Apple devices charging in one go, in one location, is not short of the peace of mind. Additionally, it leaves the desk or the nightstand organized. What more do you want? Before you go ahead and reply to that with a “Nothing”; the Zens 4-in-1 Modular Wireless Charger, with its fancy antics, comes for a $180 price tag (more on the alternative pricing options later).