Recycled shipping container cafe utilizes passive cooling in India

Southeast of New Delhi, in Greater Noida City, Rahul Jain Design Lab (RJDL) has transformed recycled shipping containers into a dynamic new cafe and gathering space for ITS Dental College. Named Cafe Infinity after its infinity loop shape, the building was created as an example of architecture that can be both economical and eco-friendly. The architects’ focus on sustainability has also informed the shape and positioning of the cafe for natural cooling.

Cafe Infinity serves as a recreational space for ITS Dental College students, faculty and patients. The team deliberately left the corrugated metal walls of the 40-foot-long recycled shipping containers in their raw and industrial state to highlight the building’s origins. The rigid walls of the containers also provide an interesting point of contrast to the organic landscape.

Related: Shipping container retreat in Brazil is inspired by tiny homes

“The idea of using infinity was conceived to emphasize on the infinite possibilities of using a shipping container as a structural unit, regardless of the building type and site,” the architects explained of the building’s infinity loop shape that wraps around two courtyards. “The flexibility, modularity and sustainability makes shipping containers a perfect alternate to the conventional building structures, to reduce the overall carbon footprint while also being an ecologically and economically viable solution.”

In addition to two cafe outlets and courtyards, Cafe Infinity also includes viewing decks, bathrooms, seating areas for faculty and visitors and a student lounge. To promote natural cooling, the architects turned the shipping container doors into louvers and installed them on the south side of the building to minimize unwanted solar gain while providing privacy. The building was also equipped with 50-millimeter Rockwool insulation, a mechanical cooling system, strategically placed openings and tinted windows. 

+ RJDL

Photography by Rahul Jain via RJDL

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Designer Dana Cohen creates unique, recycled fabric garments

It’s no secret that the United States wastes millions of tons of textiles every year. From fast fashion to unsustainable production to consumers simply choosing to throw out clothes instead of donating them, the environmental costs of fabric waste is starting to add up — and fast. A 2015 graduate of the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Dana Cohen is choosing ecological design methods and making waves in the sustainable fashion industry.

Cohen’s first award-winning collection, Worn Again, was developed in 2015 using recycled materials. By taking discarded fabrics and shredding them into smaller monochromatic fibers, Cohen was able to create new felted textiles out of scraps that would usually be taken to the landfill. After the process was complete, the designer was left with a completely unique knit boasting a combination of colors and patterns produced by the different original fabrics.

Related: The sustainable wardrobe — it’s more accessible than you think

The process to create these eco-textiles combines machinery and hand work to help give each piece a one-of-a-kind look. The felting process also leaves the material extremely soft and durable. The Worn Again collection won both the Fini Leitersdorf Excellence Award for Creativity and Originality in Fashion and the Rozen Award for Design and Sustainable Technologies in 2015.

In 2018, Cohen revealed the City Growth collection, which was featured in Tel Aviv Fashion Week and Vietnam International Fashion Week that same year. The collection was inspired by global urban development and the diminution of agriculture by city growth, something Cohen had seen first-hand as the daughter of a farmer. Unsurprisingly, the collection went on to also earn awards, including the Israeli Lottery Company Fashion Design Award, the “Mifal Hapais.” In 2019, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem displayed the City Grown collection as part of an exhibition on fashion statements.

The designer’s mission is to help people feel good inside and out by providing exclusive and beautiful garments that have a positive impact on society while still maintaining style. Cohen’s inspirational designs prove that recycled products can be just as fashionable (if not more) than traditional clothing items.

+ Dana Cohen

Photography by Rafi Deloya, Rotem Lebel and Ron Kedmi via Dana Cohen

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Glowing rabbit made of 3D-printed polycarbonate pops up in a Dutch pond

Early last year, Dutch artist Titia Ex presented the North Holland town of Heemskerk with an unusual gift — a massive glowing rabbit sculpture set inside a pond. Dubbed “Bunny Lights,” the site-specific artwork was a light installation built from recycled 3D-printed polycarbonate tubes, a series of stainless steel discs and multicolored LED lights that flicker on at night. Created to symbolize “the continuity of existence,” the artwork was designed in the likeness of the dune rabbit, an animal that has long been native to the region.

As a master of experiential art, Titia Ex is known for her installations that often change depending on how they’re viewed. Her unusual art pieces are typically placed in everyday environments, such as in plazas or outside of houses and office buildings. Following this pattern, Bunny Lights was placed at a busy corner intersection in a pond near a residential development.

Related: Recycled plastic art installation asserts that water is a human right in D.C.

Weighing 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds) with a head that measures 5 meters (about 16 feet) in height, the gigantic sculpture added whimsy to an otherwise unremarkable site. The rabbit shape was made from stainless steel discs supported by a 3D-printed “vertebrae” of recycled polycarbonate with embedded LED lights. The lights automatically switch on at nightfall and change the color of the tubes from a dull gray to a rich rainbow of colors, from blue and green to yellow and red. The artwork also plays back recordings of waves taken at various locations, including the sea nearby.

“With its mystery, history, nature and symbolism, the native rabbit is the perfect bearer for the centuries-long intertwining of man and beast in Heemskerk in the Netherlands,” the artist explained. “She symbolizes the continuity of existence. It is a landmark in the scenery and a beacon of the existence of man and animal in its wetlands.”

+ Titia Ex

Images via Titia Ex

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Greenpeace finds most 'recyclable' plastics are sent to landfills

Greenpeace recently published a study “to determine the legitimacy of ‘recyclable’ claims and labels on consumer plastic products.” The study involved a comprehensive survey of 367 material recovery facilities (MRFs) throughout the United States. Study findings have revealed several alarming results, including that many plastics labeled as recyclable are not actually recyclable.

Recycling labels are intended to be “truthful advertising to consumers, prevention of harmful contamination in America’s recycling system, plus identification of products for elimination or redesign to reduce waste and plastic pollution.” All these product claims and labeling are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Related: China plans to phase out single-use plastics by 2025

But Greenpeace’s recent study unearthed evidence that certain plastic items are mislabeled as recyclable when, in fact, they are not. Additionally, there are particular plastics that are either entirely non-recyclable or have “negligible-to-negative value,” which accounts for them not being recycled at all, even though recycling programs might collect them.

China began restricting its importation of plastic waste about two years ago. This has prompted an urgency to domestically reorganize America’s labor-intensive sorting and reprocessing of plastic. But American waste management and recycling programs have not caught up with the astronomical plastic waste accumulation.

“Retailers and consumer goods companies across the country are frequently putting labels on their products that mislead the public and harm America’s recycling systems,” said John Hocevar, oceans campaign director at Greenpeace USA. “Instead of getting serious about moving away from single-use plastic, corporations are hiding behind pretenses that their throwaway packaging is recyclable. We know now that this is untrue. The jig is up.”

Greenpeace’s report on the misleading plastic recycling labels highlights the accelerating problem of our nation’s garbage. Just last spring, New York Times stated that amidst skyrocketing costs, “more U.S. cities have stopped recycling.”

It remains to be seen how the U.S. waste management and recycling infrastructure will feasibly evolve to counteract garbage accretion and its contamination, which could adversely affect both the environment and public health.

+ Greenpeace

Image via Vivianne Lemay

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Adorable baby gorilla wants you to recycle your phone

The first lowland gorilla born in the Los Angeles Zoo in 20 years is building her fan base while raising awareness about the connection between cell phone manufacturing and critically endangered gorilla populations.

Baby Angela was born last month to mom N’dijia and dad Kelly. Along with Rapunzel and Evelyn, the LA Zoo is now home to five western lowland gorillas. This species is native to Central African Republic, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because only about 100,000 western lowland gorillas still survive in the wild, any new baby is cause for celebration.

Related: Hope for mountain gorillas — new census results reveal the population is increasing

Female lowland gorillas typically give birth every six to seven years in the wild. But the stress of captivity often short-circuits normal breeding habits. So far, mom and baby seem extremely bonded, zookeepers told the Today Show. N’dijia carries Angela around constantly, and Kelly shows affection by sniffing the baby and sometimes putting his lips against her.

Gorillas in the wild face many dangers, including poachers, diseases, such as Ebola, and mining operations. While these threats may seem far away from the life of the average city dweller, most humans have a direct tie to gorillas through their cell phones. The Congo Basin is rich in coltan, a black metallic ore used in mobile phone manufacturing. Not only do miners disrupt gorilla life and ruin habitats, the miners — who are often there illegally — hunt wildlife, including gorillas, for food.

Recycling your old cell phones is an easy way to help gorillas. A recycling company called ECO-CELL partners with primate conservation groups including Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE), the Jane Goodall Institute and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Many zoos in the U.S. and Canada collect phones for ECO-CELL. So far, the company has recycled about 1 million cell phones. Phones that still work are sometimes reused by gorilla care staff and in veterinary labs.

“ECO-CELL’s focus is squarely on the informed consumer piece,” Eric Ronay, founder of ECO-CELL, told Mongabay. “If we can reach consumers en masse, especially young consumers, and inspire them to demand ethical, gorilla-safe products, then the entire electronics landscape will change dramatically.”

+ LA Zoo

Via Mongabay and Today

Image by Jamie Pham via LA Zoo

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Tackling sustainability in sporting events

At the recent Super Bowl, the NFL focused on sustainability more than in past years with its Ocean to Everglades (O2E) initiative throughout South Florida. Efforts included education on invasive species, beach cleanups, food recovery and recycling initiatives. These conservation efforts are part of a larger trend internationally to shrink the carbon footprints of major sporting events.

“Sports is one of the few avenues which can unite people of all different races, creeds and social status,” Matt Jozwiak said in an interview with Inhabitat. Jozwiak was a chef at swanky New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park before founding Rethink Food NYC. His organization feeds 2,000 New Yorkers a day by repurposing leftovers from restaurants and food companies in the tri-state area. Jozwiak is a big proponent of more sustainable sporting events. “The industry literally has the power to make drastic sustainability changes. When a sporting team comes out in favor of a cause, people listen.” He acknowledges there may be growing pains when adopting unfamiliar behaviors. “But eventually, fans will go along with the new changes.”

Sporting

events step up to sustainability

Fans traveling to one European Cup match can generate almost 5,600 tons of carbon dioxide, according to the World Economic Forum. But now, many sports are taking a closer look at how to be more responsible. Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Games are a leading example of organizers prioritizing sustainability in their planning. For example, builders will use locally sourced wood to construct the athletes’ village, and hydrogen fuel cells will power the event vehicles. Organizers plan to generate solar power onsite and recycle 99 percent of everything used during the event. With the exception of drinking water, they’ll use recycled rainwater for all Olympic water needs. Paris is hoping to be even more sustainable during its turn to host the 2024 Olympic Games.

Related: Tokyo’s Olympic medals will be made from recycled phones

Some European cities have given their football (soccer to Americans) stadiums an eco-makeover by installing seats made from recycled plastic. In Amsterdam, fans bought the old seats as souvenirs. The stadium in Pontedera, Italy boasts seats made using plastic from local waste. Meanwhile, in England, the Forest Green Rovers have won the title of world’s greenest football club by powering its grounds with solar, recycling water and serving an entirely vegan menu to players and fans.

At the 2019 Helsinki International Horse Show, 135 tons of horse manure powered the electricity. A company called Fortum HorsePower enlists 4,300 Finnish horses to generate energy for electrical grids.

Stadium

food waste

Jozwiak takes a special interest in food wasted inside stadiums. He’s found that stadiums are among the hardest places from which to rescue food, because they tend to only have games periodically and throw the food away afterward. Much of that food quickly spoils or gets soggy and unappetizing, like hamburger buns and pretzels.

Stadiums should rely on freezers more, Jozwiak said. “Instead of purchasing food all the time, bulk purchase and immediately freezing can cut down a lot on the waste for sporting arenas. Proper refrigeration strategies can expand the lifecycle of food and reduce food waste.” 

He also recommended a fire sale strategy for avoiding waste. “Implement a plan where spectators can purchase the remaining food to take home,” he advised. “A lot of food ends up in landfills. So if sporting arenas can provide the options for the fans to either buy or provide for free the remaining food, it would cut down on waste drastically.”

One by one, stadium directors of operations need to craft individual action plans to become more sustainable, Joswiak suggested. In addition to avoiding food waste, he recommended conserving water and offering healthier food options with more vegetables and less meat. Stadiums should only contract with vendors who can manage recycling. New buildings should work to be LEED-certified. Joswiak suggested hosting a climate-related event for fans to explain and support all of these green changes. If fans could be convinced to bring their own reusable utensils, that would be great, too.

Eco-travel to sporting events

Of course, while the football match or the golf tournament is the main event, fans and players still have to travel to the game and may require overnight housing. According to Solar Impulse, 5 million people converged on Russia in 2018 to watch the FIFA World Cup. Their travel and accommodations generated about 85% of greenhouse gas emissions from this event, totaling about 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Related: Green-roofed Copenhagen sports center is open to the public 24/7

Some major governing bodies in sports are embracing carbon offset projects around the world to atone for their contribution to emissions. FIFA managed to offset 1.1 million tons of carbon emissions since the 2014 World Cup. The governing body for European football is promising to offset fan-generated emissions for the EURO 2020 competition. It has also collaborated with the 12 host cities to offer free public transportation to fans with tickets on the days of the matches. This should cut down on emissions and road congestion.

Via World Economic Forum and Solar Impulse

Images via Shutterstock

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This modern furniture collection is made from manufacturing waste

After doing some research, Byounghwi Jeon, founder of Studio Pesi, quickly noticed the massive amount of leftover materials going to waste in a furniture factory. After each tabletop was cut to size, much of the linoleum board and even solid oak that remained was not being used. Inspired to repurpose this manufacturing waste, Jeon designed a sleek, modern furniture line, called the DOT Collection, made with linoleum and oak that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.

Studio Pesi was ready to give a new life to the wasted, yet completely usable, materials, all while creating something fashionable, minimal and highly functional. The resulting Dot Collection includes a chair, bench and side table, all of which would complement nearly any interior design scheme thanks to a minimalist aesthetic and solid, durable construction.

Related: Designer Sophie Rowley creates marbled furniture from denim scraps

The pieces in Dot Collection were made using solid wood cylinder and linoleum board leftovers, with the signature joints used to fashion together the two materials becoming the inspiration for the name. The collection comes in earthy colors that combine cool and warm tones for an overall organic look. The simple, contemporary design works well in any room, adding additional surface area or seating that is both stylish and functional.

Studio Pesi is based in Seoul, South Korea. The name stands for “Possibility, Essential, Standpoint, Interpretation,” and was founded in 2015 by Jeon. The studio is also aimed toward “Vivid Industry,” delivering “sensitive and emotional experience through creative attempts based on industrial design process.”

Other collections by Studio Pesi include a combination of a pet house and a shelving unit called Ground Floor; AA, a collection consisting of a shelf, hanger, bench and stool made from sustainable aluminum and ashwood; and Timber, a flat-pack, self-assembly side table crafted from processed cardboard and PVC.

+ Studio Pesi

Via Yanko Design

Images via Studio Pesi

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