MetaEfficient Reviews » Recycling

Efficient Home Improvement: Re-Using Materials Gets Easier

benjamin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:33:09 +0000

Efficient Home Improvement: Re-Using Materials Gets Easier (photo: Habitat For Humanity)

For “D.I.Y.”ers, using recycled construction products is a great way to reduce raw material consumption and lessen stress on landfills. But for retailers, the “Re I. Y.” trend (Re-use It Yourself) is taking the idea a step further, giving unused building products a new lease on life.
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Is This The World’s Most Efficient Windmill?

benjamin — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:30:31 +0000

Is This The World’s Most Efficient Windmill? (photo: William Kamkwamba)

Sometimes the epitome of efficiency is using whatever tools are available to accomplish the job at hand. No one understands this better than William Kamkwamba, a teenager from rural Malawi whose ingenuity provided his family and neighbors with electricity from a most unlikely source.
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GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation: Energy Efficiency From Recycled Material

benjamin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:18:09 +0000

GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation: Energy Efficiency From Recycled Material (photo: GreenFiber)

One of the simplest ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency and comfort is to make sure that it is properly insulated. Cocoon Insulation from North Carolina-based GreenFiber is a highly efficient insulator, offering more convenient installation and higher R-values than common alternatives, as well as utilizing recycled source material.
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A Viper Created With Recycled Keyboards

Justin — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:06:20 +0000

This is a viper made with keys recycled from discarded computer keyboards. It was created by the Korean painter Choi Jung Hyun.

Via: ArtInvest72

Christmas Trees Made With Recycled Bottles

Justin — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:03:18 +0000

These two Christmas trees were made with recycled bottles. Quite an efficient use for all those empties! The one of the left was made with 1050 beer bottles by Paul Deakin, a student at the University of Southampton (the south coast of England). The tree on the right was made with Grolsch beer bottles. Anyone feeling inspired to knock a few back, instead of heading out to the tree farm? (more…)

Can-Crushing Frog

Justin — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:14:24 +0000

From Japan, comes this frog that can crush cans! You can buy it from this Japanese store. A less whimsical can crusher can be found at Amazon for $20.

Bottle Crusher For Bars and Restaurants

Justin — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:49:35 +0000

An Australian company, BottleCycler, has developed a machine that crushes glass bottles, reducing the volume taken up by the bottles by 80%. Bottles are fed into the BottleCycler through an opening in the top of the device, which then quietly slices the glass into recyclable pieces. The glass falls into a garbage bin, which is picked up and emptied by BottleCycler. It also removes danger of staff injuries related with carrying, sorting and disposing of glass bottles, and reduces complaints about noise and broken bottles from residents living near clubs, bars and restaurants.

Via: SpringWise

Efficient Repurposing: Twist & Spout

Justin — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 04:18:26 +0000

Here’s a way to reuse virtually any soda or water bottle with a screw-on cap. It’s called the Twist & Spout, and it comes in two varieties. Use the Garden style to create a watering can. Use the Kitchen style to make those two-liter soda bottles easy to handle.

A set of two is available from Perpetual Kid for $5.99.