GREEN DESIGN

This blog was created to investigate sustainable design from Australia & around the world

[green-design-blog]

Scare Owls

Australian artist Robyn Stewardson makes quirky, assemblage sculpture owls from found metal objects, each owl is unique and handmade from items collected from op shops, trash and treasure markets, scrounge from dumpsters and collect from friends. She will occasionally use a new metal washer but my creations evolve almost 100% from other people’s rejects. Stewardson aim is to "providing a new lease on life for numerous metal objects that have outlived their original purpose. I LOVE saving things from landfill!”. The most fantastic this about these owl sculptures is that they also serve a purpose by scaring birds away from the garden.

[green-design-blog]

Tooth Stools

Australian Furniture designers Chunk design won the Edge Green Award for the most sustainable new product across all entries, with their ‘Tooths' Stool. They are made from discarded expanded polystyrene packaging and sealed with an enamel finish, the 'Tooths' stool won praise for taking waste hazard material and transforming it into a quirky, fun product with commercial appeal. The only problem i see with this design is that when cutting and sanding polystyrene in the production stage the particles coming for the stool would be very dangerous. Polystyrene is manufactured from petroleum and is highly flammable and it takes an incredibly long time to break down in the environment.

'Tooth' stools by Chunk design

[green-design-blog]

Planet Luxe

The Planet Luxe range of household cleaning products reduce the exposure to noxious chemicals in the home. Every product is made from 99%+ plant-derived ingredients and without synthetic fragrances or dyes. Free of sodium laurel sulphate (SLS), a compound found in many cleaning products that is known to irritate the skin. The heavenly scents are provided by pure essential oils.  These products are safe to use around children and pets. Overall these products are beautifully packaged, i really love the typography on the label, the only problem I have with this range is that its expensive.

Planet Luxe range

[green-design-blog]

TreeHorn Design craft sustainable timber bangles

Tasmanian born Joe Chester, now based in melbourne has created the company Treehorn, who design unique objects from sustainable mediums. Joe designs jewellery, kitchenware and games, just to name a few. Joe uses found objects and reclaimed timber to make beautiful design objects.

sustainably grown oregon bangles with a shot of colour. With over 15 colour variations available each bearing a special name.

[green-design-blog]

Post-safe and eco-friendly wine packaging

The traveller is an post-safe wine packaging and is 100% Australian. Traveller (meaning to have a drink), effortlessly combines stylish presentation while protecting your bottle. The innovative hexagon (6-sided) form is structurally strong, easy to handle and creates visually striking displays. The Traveller is a customisable and the graphic design team at Studio Periscope can create a custom print design to make The Traveller for customers.

This total gift solution combines gift-wrapping and card into one. A gift card panel sits above the display window to write your personal message. The Traveller is compact, flat-packed for bulk delivery and produced from recycled board, using a minimum 95% post-consumer waste.

The only problem i came across was that is was a bit difficult to assemble and even though it has no glue tabs you still need to reinforce it will strong cello tape.

The Traveller eco-friendly and post-safe solution

[green-design-blog]

Sustainable Surfboards

Riley Balsa is an Australian surfboard manufacturer, who produce only balsawood surfboards which are more environmentally friendly . The reason why these surfboards are environmentally friendly is that they are made from the wood of the balsa tree which grows very fast. After 3-4 years it already reaches a height of up to 10 metres and a diameter of 50-65 cm. The tree will not grow any more after this time (it actually dies) so it is best to harvest it then. At the time of cutting it, the balsa tree holds seeds in like a cotton wool ball and when it hits the ground the seeds are scattered on the ground. Usually there will be around 10+ seeds which germinate from this. Balsa wood is therefore highly sustainable and can be recycled. Riley Balsa does not use any harmful toxics in the production of there surfboards, give away off cuts too school children, and even are part of eco-charities that focus on a more sustainable future. Click here for more details on their eco-friendly surf products.

Riley Balsa Surfboard

1000 Surfboard Graveyard news piece - A short news piece on surfer Chris Anderson and his environmentally conscious art installation – describing how toxic a normal polyurethane surfboard is.

[green-design-blog]

A Prius or an old car: Which is Better for the Environment?

Ditching your gas guzzler is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but if you really want to do something about global warming, get a used car. You’ll be putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius. Because there are about 113,000 BTUs of energy in a gallon of gasoline, the Prius has consumed the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gasoline before it reaches the showroom. Think of it as a carbon debt — one you won’t pay off until the Prius has turned over 46,000 miles or so.

But not just any old used car will do, It has to be something fuel efficient. Like, say, a 1998 Toyota Tercel that gets 27 mpg city / 35 mpg highway miles. The Prius will have to go 100,000 miles to achieve the same carbon savings as the 10-year-old Tercel. Get behind the wheel of a 1994 Geo Metro XFi, which matches the Prius’ 46 mpg, and the Prius would never close the carbon gap.

Toyota Prius

[green-design-blog]

Doritos new packaging concept

Macedonia based packaging designer Petar Pavlov came up with this concept to redesign the Doritos packing from the aluminum/plastic packing to a more eco-friendly card material "The shape and the texture of the Doritos chips are used as the base of this packaging concept. What's good about the form of the packaging is its structure which can keep the chips closed after opening. Currently I'm developing illustrations which can replace the textured solid colors. I also invite every designer interested in collaboration to create artworks of his own."

[green-design-blog]

Bellroy Wallets

Bellroy is a wallet designer and manufacturer, located in Torquay, Australia. Their aim "is to improve the way we carry. We think wallets can be done much better, and so we're trying to prove that before moving into other carry areas... plus try and be a little softer on the environment too" Bellroy set out environmental goals that they strive to achieve from concept to completion, that's even considering the packaging the wallet is delivered in when purchased by the customer. " Our hope is that as understanding and technology improves, we will be able to change the emphasis of these goals from 'reducing impact' to that of nourishing our planet.

1. To make products that are used and loved for as long as possible

2. To eliminate serious toxins throughout our product and packaging

3. To seek biodegradable or recyclable materials and products where they make sense

4. To reduce waste and energy consumption through our entire process

5. To actively pursue better understanding about our impacts and how to reduce them "

All of Bellroys' leathers are vegetable tanned, avoiding the nasty toxins that come from chrome tanning.

Bellroys environmentally friendly and unique packaging design.

[green-design-blog]

Schamburg & Alvisse: Native collection

Australian furniture designers, Schamburg & Alvisse, have created a small 100% Australian furniture company which designs and builds on guaranteed sustainability ethics.

In 2008, Schamburg & Alvisse became Australia’s first furniture supplier to achieve Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The Native furniture Collection that they designed and created out of solid timber, which is also FSC certified, meaning that it is made from 100% sustainably harvested wood. FSC is the world’s most trusted eco timber certification system, and is endorsed by Greenpeace, the WWF, and the GBCA. 

[green-design-blog]

Polli Jewellery

Polli is a sustainable product and fashion design brand heavily influenced by both Danish and Japanese design, their products are modern and fun and best of all is 100% Australia made and owned. Polli uses recycled materials and unique folding techniques to produces their products.

Founded by Maja Rose and Tess Lold. Polli is committed to sustainability and has been rated as a low CO2 company by the Carbon Reduction Institute due to their efforts to offset carbon emissions. Polli uses 75% recycled stainless steel and 100% recycled Brass to create their jewellery. Polli also donates $1 from each piece of jewellery in the Pillow Pillow Pillow collaboration series to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to help with the protection of animals. Polli believes “good design should never be disposed of”.

Made locally from salvaged timber this jewellery stand is inspired by Australian native Gum Trees and is home to cockatoos and possums. Timber is a natural product and the grain visibility varies.