eco-friendly | Onelargeprawn

Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter had a theory says that when the economy is floundering as it is now, innovators will lead the recovery. And a British entrepreneur is out to prove that theory with Reason, probably the most simple, unique, and perfect washing machine in the world.

This washing machine has two reservoir pods containing 1.5 liters each that automatically dispense the right amount of detergent and softener depending on the weight of your filthy laundry (it accepts a maximum of 10 kg), making it economical and eco-friendly. Simply pull out the drawer-like drum, drop in your laundry, push one button, and walk away.

The first batch of 200 individually handmade and numbered machines were sold in the UK via an online auction in February. More auctions inEurope, USA, and Japan will follow.

More info at the Reason Washing Machine website – via iGreenSpot.

Timeless Garden: Tells Time, Powered by Mud

It’s estimated that of the 50-million batteries used every year in South Africa, 95% is the non-rechargeable throw-away kind. That make up 2500 tonnes ending up in our landfills, corroding and exposing harmful chemicals into the environment. So it’s always refreshing to find electronic gadgets are designed with green in mind, even if the idea is more symbolic that anything else.

Designed by Francesco Castiglione and Tommaso Ceschi, Timeless Garden is a combination of a house plant and a clock. You plant your favourite herb or grass in the device, and the chemical reaction between the mud used for the plantation and the metal in the device creates enough electricity to sustain the clock. The body of the clock is made from recycled plastic. Too small to be significant, the grass will also extract a tiny amount of carbon from the air and release an equally small amount of oxygen.

– via Yanko Design.