Following on from last year’s success, the Green Product Awards drew over 400 entries with competitors raising the bar even higher this year. Spread across 11 categories, 22 winners were announced – one professional and one newcomer per category – with concepts that were revolutionary and reflected sustainable innovation at its best. The mission, to encourage the use of new, sustainable materials when developing their products.
CONSUMER LIFESTYLE
NEWCOMER: This Too Shall Pass
Why is it that a milk carton takes several years to decompose naturally, yet milk goes sour after just a week? Tomorrow Machine challenged themselves to come up with a new kind of product packaging that made use of the vast array of technology available today. The result was “This Too Shall Pass”, a series of innovative food packaging wherein the containers have the same short lifespan as the foods they hold. The packaging and its contents work together symbiotically to create a sustainable solution for the near future.
PROFESSIONAL: Metro by NOMOS Glashütte
The latest model from German watchmaker NOMOS Glashütte, the “Metro” style combines exceptional technical precision with elegant, eye-catching design. The chic dial features the date, power reserve indicator and clear minute markers reminiscent of vintage precision instruments. The internal design is equally compelling; with hand-wound calibre DUW 4401 movement, the Metro comes equipped with the NOMOS “swing system”, a new in-house escapement. With nearly 95% of production conducted in-house, NOMOS Glashütte is able to ensure shorter supply chains, efficient energy use, sustainably sourced raw materials and local jobs.
CONSUMER PRODUCT
Newcomer: TIOBrush
Rethinking an everyday product and optimising its sustainability was the principal motivation behind the development of TIO, the innovative manual toothbrush. The resulting product demonstrates concern for exceptional aesthetics and sustainable design without neglecting the fundamentals of proper dental care. Their use of bioplastics made from renewable resources along with intelligent product and packaging design ensures that TIOBrush reduces CO2 emissions and makes a positive long-term contribution toward saving valuable natural resources.
Professional: HEMP
Hemp protein is the healthy and sustainable alternative to animal proteins. As our global population increases, we must rethink what we consume on a daily basis. Hemp protein powder provides sustainable protein sustenance. It contains twice as much protein as beef and is very easy to digest. Packed with all 23 amino acids, it’s the perfect protein for human consumption. Hemp is a resistant plant and doesn’t require pesticides to grow. Since hemp sprouts quickly and absorbs carbon dioxide, it has a positive effect on global warming. Hemp protein is the eco-friendly alternative to meat protein.
OFFICE
Newcomer: Spray the Cup
Disposable cups add up. Spray the cup enables multiple uses of the same cup. After someone uses a cup, they need simply return it to the dispenser. The next user presses the “spray” button to initiate a nano-coating process. The spray nozzles are directed at both the inside and outside of the cup, creating a 5-micron-thick layer of protection. This prevents the transfer of bacteria and germs from one user to the next. This cycle can be repeated up to 200 times, resulting in 15 times less plastic cup consumption.
Professional: Acoustic Green Wall
Today, the acoustics absorption market is overflowing with cold, technical products made of non-sustainable materials. As an alternative, we designed the Greenwall 2.0, a sustainable and modular moss wall which combines proven acoustic absorption technology with natural aesthetics. Its innovation lies in its combination of natural elements and effectiveness as well as the ease with which it can be mounted on multiple surfaces. Greenwall 2.0 is more than just a product, it’s an interior solution that turns every space into a naturally happy one.
MOBILITY
Newcomer: Wooden ebike
The wooden ebike is an ambitious project from ace team GmbH to create an electrical bicycle using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. In cooperation with faculty from the Wood Science and Technology Department of Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), they’ve developed the first wooden ebike for production. In addition to being a natural material, wood also retains CO2, whereas metal production requires eight times more energy input, leading to increased CO2 emissions. As a result, the wooden ebike has a significantly lower carbon footprint than a standard bicycle.
Professional: Citrus Concept
CITRUS is a three-wheel foldable kick-scooter that accompanies the user throughout the day, as it easily transforms from scooter to trolley cart. The product can be brought onto busses and trains, into shops or workplaces. It may also be fitted with a small motor. Challenged by the problems of urban transport and influenced by close interaction with public transportation, designer Peter Opsvik developed this smart, intermodal transport concept. CITRUS offers its user independence in navigating city traffic as a tri-scooter and transforms into a compact trolley cart via a one-grip movement. An electric drive works in combination with kick scooter functionality, offering a handy means of transportation that can be used by anyone, anywhere.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
NEWCOMER: MAPUGUAQUEN
Mapuguaquén (Mapudungun for “the sound of the earth”) is a series of unique hand-thrown clay speakers that combines ancestral pottery tradition with wireless audio technology. Mapuguaquén speakers are made from clay on a potter’s wheel, finished with terra sigillata and rounded with other natural materials such as olive wood and cork. They were conceptualised to safeguard the manufacturing tradition, respect local identity and work with regional resources, while simultaneously fulfilling the contemporary needs of an audiophile community. Additionally, this unconventional method of fabrication also helps sustain the environment, allowing us to rethink pottery as well as speakers.
PROFESSIONAL: DTSE9
This USB stick can be easily connected to objects such as key rings via a single large eyelet. Its shape is streamlined, the emphasis being on functionality and handling. The plug and case form a sleek, continuous line – a contrast to the shape of most USB sticks. The innovation of the stick lies in its ergonomic form. It adapts to the shape of the user’s thumb and allows for intuitive handling, as the top and bottom are easily identifiable. The user, therefore, instantly plugs the USB stick in the right way.
