Smart concepts are needed to change our society and make our life more sustainable. But even the best ideas do not always succeed in the market. So it is often a long way until a vision becomes a success story.
The German Ecodesign Award is Germany's highest state award for ecological design. Here we report on how former award-winning projects have developed.
kaputt.de
Repairing things instead of throwing them away is something many people would like to do. Searching the internet for the right repair manual can be frustrating though, and often, it leads to people giving up and buying a new product after all. To our rescue comes an online portal – comparing repairing solutions and helping with prolonging the lifetime of electronic devices: KAPUTT.DE.
Coboc
The E-bike had a hard time earning its good reputation. Despite the obvious advantage of representing an alternative to cars, e-bikes were perceived more often as a bulky and heavy means of transportation, appealing less to a younger group of cycling enthusiasts. However, along came COBOC, and with it a transformation of the e-bike’s image.
Too Good To Go
In Germany, around 18 million tonnes of food are thrown away every year according to a WWF study. Next to supermarkets, restaurants and hotels also have many leftovers at the end of the day which they can’t serve again. This is were “TOO GOOD TO GO” comes in.
Everwave
People talk about plastic waste in the oceans often nowadays. They are looking for solutions on a global scale. One architect developed a concept proposing to filter plastic waste from the oceans – to then use it for generating energy: EVERWAVE (formerly Pacific Garbage Screening).
Solarkiosk
The Berlin based company SOLARKIOSK has developed kiosks that run on solar power. In many parts of the world, it can be life-changing to have access to these units. It’s like throwing a stone into water, says the inventor, it keeps on drawing larger circles.
Radbahn Berlin
When people choose to ride their bicycles and leave their cars at home or even get rid of their cars altogether, particulate matter pollution decreases and the city becomes quieter and prettier. A bold concept suggests building the first roofed cycle path along the U1 underground line in Berlin - RADBAHN.
PYUA
For anybody who likes to enjoy nature not only when the sun is out, reliable clothing for outdoors is mandatory. It has to keep up with outdoor conditions. But often, this kind of outdoor wear is manufactured in a way that is not in line with the best interests of that same, much loved nature. PYUA attempts to resolve this contradiction.
Engel Sports
Everything we do, use and consume has an impact on the environment. Even the healthiest of activities – doing sports - can be questioned from this aspect. A large industry has evolved around sportswear, aiming at making physical exercise easy and enjoyable for us. Here is the story of the textile company ENGEL in Germany.