We have been hearing for a long time about having a universal charger for all kinds of mobile phones and other gadgets, thus reducing e-waste and the innumerable different kinds of chargers made by different brands and even different models of the same brand. All this was done to make the product unique and sell more chargers (chargers do need to be replaced from time to time, when they blow). Let us not forget that every time a new phone comes into the market, it comes with a different charger.

If all mobile phones, MP3 players, MP4 players, tablet computers, GPS devices, cameras and other gadgets come without chargers and you can simply use one charger for all kinds of devices, do you have any idea how much e-waste will be saved? Using a universal charger will help cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by 13.6m tones, which is what unusable chargers contribute to the environment.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré  said, “Other standards claim to be universal and energy efficient, but only ITU’s solution is truly universal and a real step forward in addressing environmental and climate change issues. This updated standard will bring the benefits of the universal charger to a wider range of devices and consumers.”

As it is a USB device, it will obviate the need for a separate cable to attach to your computer, thus reducing e-waste even further. To add to the eco-friendly factor is that the charger will be made of eco-friendly materials. It will also provide a standard voltage to the charging devices which will be on the higher side to enable faster charging.

Most people have various artworks in their homes. They could be originals or copies, paintings or prints or even simply photos or paperwork, embroidered samplers and other display items. Frames are usually made of wood, though you may also get them in acrylics and metals. An artwork, when accessorized with the right frame, looks even better. Mike Bruckman, an artist, found that traditional frames were very expensive and so set out to design something which was better and cheaper.

He used his knowledge of lighting technologies which he had incorporated into making piano keys. Using new technology he first made a frame which lit up, thus making the painting or artwork more attractive. Then he thought it would be better if the light would shine on the art.

So he went back to the drawing board and designed the GloFrame, which lights up the painting, is lightweight, inexpensive and made of a durable composite material which is eco-friendly. “It makes the display of the object a transformational and interactive experience,” he said. “It adds a new depth and dimension to art or a photograph,” he said.

Currently he has filed a patent for the frame and the new technology he has used. He is custom making the frames on order and looking for partners for the manufacturing process. There is a vast target market including artists, art galleries, homes, restaurants, clubs, hotels, offices – in fact anybody or any place that displays art.

First they gave us a small portable device with headphones to listen to music on the go. Then they came out with a range of accessories for the Ipod, carrying cases, covers, holders, etc. And then they came out with speaker so that we could hook our Ipods to speakers and listen to them without the earphones.

Now we have speakers for the Ipod which are environmentally friendly as well. Vers is making great looking speakers which give out great sound because they are made of wood. And not just any wood, but wood from pine and eucalyptus trees which grow fast. They use all parts of the tree, so nothing goes to waste.

Each piece is hand-crafted so it is not cheap. It uses screws and not adhesives to put the speaker together. And the speakers come packaged in completely recycled and recyclable packing materials. The plastic materials, too, can be recycled. The amplifier it uses is 80% more efficient and so uses less power. And it is RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Materials) compliant as well.

It can play and charge the iPhone, iPod nano, iPod mini, iPod, iPod classic, iPod touch, and iPod video and comes with two speakers, 8 adaptors and a universal MP3 dock.

But due to the steep price point, these may only attract the attention of those with an environmental mindset or those looking for a stylish pair of headphones.

How often does it happen that you plug in your chargeable appliances and gadgets and forget all about of them? This wastes electricity and also shortens the battery life of your gadgets, since once the batteries are full, they start discharging to enable more electricity to come in. But sometimes it may be night that you remember that your laptop or mobile is going to die out soon. Sometimes it may happen in the morning that your charge your devices before leaving for work.

While there are other gadgets in the market to prevent the wastage of vampire power, the Belkin Conserve Socket can be used for individual items. Other power savers are either manually operated or have many sockets. The Belkin Conserve Socket also can be set for a particular time-frame – it has three settings – and will switch off after that.

Of course, you need to know how much is the maximum time your appliance needs to charge fully and then set the timer on the Belkin accordingly. After the time is over it will switch off automatically. So you save power and battery life of your gadgets at the same and you can go to sleep at night after plugging in your important gadgets and know you can pick them up in the morning without feeling guilty about wasting electricity.

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Air conditioners are a necessity in many parts of the world because of the heat and humidity. While air conditioners have gotten more efficient, with thermostat controls which can be powered by a remote, and quieter, they still consume a great deal of electricity; power is expensive and does not come from a renewable source. Then again, air conditioners are also not cheap.

Coolerado has come out with an air conditioner which is environmentally friendly and uses electricity very economically, while giving great cooling. It is so good that it has already won an award for Excellence in Renewable Energy from the Governor of Colorado. The units do not have a compressor (the most expensive part of an air conditioner) and have only one motor to run a fan.

This eco-friendly air conditioner is different from both an air conditioner and a cooler. And air conditioner works by circulating the air over a chemical refrigerant and then throwing it into a room. A cooler works by mixing the air with cold water and/or ice and then dispersing it into a room, increasing the humidity as well – that is why it works better in areas where there is dry climate.

The Coolerado, however, removes heat from the air and does not take in extra heat from the air either. Though it uses water, the water does not mix with air and add to humidity. This unit can also run on solar energy, if you attach solar panels.
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You need your refrigerator, and even if it is super energy efficient one, you can still save on power costs. A large refrigerator and/or freezer is a great energy guzzler because it is always on. While it may seem a great idea to do away with the refrigerator altogether as a few people have done, it is not practical for most people, no matter how environmentally friendly they want to be.

If you replace your refrigerator’s plug with the SavaPlug, you can save as much 20% power taken by the refrigerator and/or freezer, without compromising on its cooling and efficiency. This works on non-electronic controlled refrigerators, so check yours before buying one.

Your refrigerator has an automatic sensor device which keeps on switching it on and off during the course of 24 hours. This happens several times a day and is a thermostatic effect. The SavaPlug reduces electricity consumption by tailoring the electricity needed by the refrigerator at different times. Every time the red light glows on the SavaPlug, you know electricity consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are being reduced. So you save money as well as the environment. Made in conjunction with the British Department of Energy, this device comes with a 10 year guarantee.
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Many people like to listen to music when in the bathroom – music has therapeutic powers after all! However, unless your shower/bath area is big, there is a likelihood that any music player that you take inside would get wet. And electric gadgets are best avoided in wet areas.

So if you get a radio which can actually attach to your shower and be powered by it – and it is environmentally friendly as well – wouldn’t that be a great idea? H2O shower power radio, an FM radio, fills the gap. It works on water and does not need electricity or batteries. It has to be connected to the shower hose or pipe and the motion of water flowing through the turbine inside the radio drives the generator which produces energy to power the radio.

Every time the shower runs, the battery gets juiced. Invented by Vivian Blick, the radio is made by Tango Group Ltd. which is UK’s leading Green, Eco Friendly, Alternative Energy product distributor with a wide range of products. It will available for retail sale this month at £34.99.

LCD screens are widely used for display purposes. While LCD televisions are more eco-friendly than the old CRT screens, they are still not as energy saving as LEDs. However, Samsung has now displayed a prototype of a zero energy transparent LCD at the CeBit 2011 at Germany which is 46” and uses no electric power.

It is so technologically advanced that it has a full 1080p HD resolution and ten finger touchscreen surface. At the show, it was hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer, and showed no signs of damage – that’s how tough the screen is.

The screen has many potential applications. It can be used for display purposes on store fronts, for car window HUDs and even window blinds. It needs to external energy source since it features solar panels and can run on ambient light around. Not only can it be used for display but, since it is transparent, you can even see what is behind it.

Legendary singer Bob Marley left behind more than his music. The House of Marley, which is owned by family members, manufactures many eco-friendly music accessories which were shown at the CES in Los Angeles early this year. The gadgets are made of sustainable materials like bamboo, wood, leather, recycled aluminum and hemp. The wood has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Among the devices are headphones in bright colors and eye-catching designs are headphones, earbuds, iPod docks, portable speakers and more. There are 20 different models and styles of earbuds alone in their catalog.

What’s more when you buy Marley products you are directly contributing to the environment and some of the sale proceeds will also go to 1Love.org, an organization formed with the Marley family that supports ’charities that empower people to take action for sustainable and responsible living.’ While the products are going to hit the shelves later this year, they can be preordered from thehouseofmarley.com.

Yes printers use paper and ink and there is a growing movement for the paperless office. But paper is still in use, because hard copies are needed for various documents and, of course, as back-ups. After all, what would you do if there are hard disk crashes and the documents have not been saved elsewhere? For millions of documents a hand-written signature is extremely important and so we don’t see paper use completely obviated.

Then there are purposes that you need documents to be printed on paper, but after use the paper is thrown away, shredded or recycled. But even when paper is recycled, it still uses labor and energy for the process. This concept eco printer can actually reuse paper. It prints on paper with special ink but once the printed paper is exposed to ultra-violet radiation, the printing disappears and the paper is blank.

So the paper can be reused many times and you save some trees in the bargain as well as money spent on paper. If and when this printer comes out in the market, be careful not to use it for important documents or sensitive information.