While all of us tech geeks love to find out what the latest, hottest gadgets are, we have a tendency to place an emphasis on particular features, like design, speed, etc. Of course, this makes sense, considering the newest development or feature is exciting for those of us who take technology seriously. However, now that we understand more clearly how our technology addiction can adversely affect the environment, eco-friendliness should be on our priority list, too. Here are a few awesome gadgets that can help to reduce your carbon footprint.
1. Nokia 3110 Evolve
We now live in a world in which mobile technology perhaps has the highest rate of consumer turnover over any other kind of devices. Although this Nokia isn’t as fancy as a smart phone, its cover is made out of 50% renewable material, its contents are 60% recycled, and the battery uses 94% less energy than the Star Energy Standard. It’s sleek, elegant design is a great aesthetic draw, too.
2. Dell Studio Hybrid
Another exquisitely designed piece of technology, the Dell Studio Hybrid is one of the smallest desktop PCs out there on the market today. If you are interested in owning a desktop that’s space efficient, you really can’t go wrong here. Of its eco-friendly offerings, this Dell has 95% recycled packaging, energy-efficient Intel Pentium Dual Core processors, and it contains about 75% less printed documentation by weight compared to other tower desktops.
3. Automan 500 Subwoofer
This subwoofer-cum-ottoman is a designer and environmentally-conscious person’s dream come true. The speaker cabinet is made out of hand-crafted items from local artists like buckles, renewable wheat straw, and even a bicycle tube, and the whole thing is finished with recycled tires. It’s an elegant piece of furniture that’s also acoustically well-equipped.
4. Andrea Living Plant Filters
If you’ve ever used an air filter or purifier, you know how unsightly they can sometimes be. They’re usually loud and take up quite a bit of space, making your room look more like a hospital. With the Andrea, you have an air filter that uses real plants to give it a decorative flair while still naturally removing harmful toxins and VOCs in the air.
5. Vers iPod Speaker Dock
This iPod speaker dock has tons of eco-friendly features that happen to improve the quality of sound as well. Each of these speakers is hand-crafted and takes about a week to make. Despite the quality of care in production, the dock is still economically priced. Made with real cherry wood, not the fake wood that you see in most speakers of this type, the Vers dock’s sound quality is absolutely jaw-dropping. In terms of its eco-friendliness, the Vers has 100% recycled and recyclable packaging material, and its materials replace 80% of the wasteful plastic that is normally found in such units. It has a class D amplifier, meaning that it uses 80% less energy than other standard amplifiers, and generates less heat as well. When there’s millions of iPod speaker docks out there to choose from, this distinctive Vers has many advantages that the others don’t in looks, sound quality, and environmental consciousness.
These are some of the top environmental gadgets on the market today. While eco-tech still has a long way to go to get prices and functionality that rival its wasteful rivals, investing in them will spur demand and enable further tech development that doesn’t harm our planet.
