Printer company Epson has developed the world’s first machine for performing in-house paper recycling without the use of water and with the ability to produce crisp white sheets, calibrated to custom brightness levels.

The PaperLab uses a technology that first strips the papers into fibers and employs special adhesives that bind the fibers in creating new paper, all without the costly, time- and money-consuming cycle of sending out paper for recycling.

Aside from the sustainability benefits, the PaperLab also makes shredders potentially redundant, as sensitive documents can simply be recycled on the spot.

The machine pumps out a whopping fourteen sheets per minute, too, making it able to keep up with demanding, high-paper-waste environments. The device debuts next year, and while no price has yet been set, it is large, innovative and intended for work environments and will likely cost more accordingly.

The post Clean Sheets: The World’s First In-Office Paper Recycler first appeared on Gajitz.

A self-recycling stroke of design genius, this creative candlestick channels used wax into its base, the collected runoff automatically reconstituted into a fresh candle.

Designed by Benjamin Shine, Rekindle allows you to reuse the same wax up to eight times simply by suspending a fresh wick below and allowing the new candle to create itself while the old one above burns down.

Set on a base of stainless steel or anodized aluminum, a clear container lets you watch the magic happen. And while the effect is visually nifty, it is also highly functional, saving vital materials in emergency situations.

When the process finishes, one simply removes the surrounding container, turns it over, and starts it up again.

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Developed by a trio of physics and engineering students at the University of British Columbia, this all-in-one recycler and printer grinds up waste plastics and melts them into usable filament for 3D printing.

The ProtoCycler from ReDeTec (Renewable Design Technology) is not the first reuse-oriented printer design but it combines the best elements of what is generally found separately – products that grind the plastic or melt it or extrude it – for faster and all-in-one use.

Taking anything from old plastic toys or soda bottles, it can turn trash into fresh filament at a record rate of ten feet per minute (making it the fastest extruder publicly for sale). Its materials are cheap as well – free, of course, if you generate them from your own plastic waste, but also only $5 per spool if made from the company’s plastic pellets (about 1/6 the cost of a typical filament loop).

The system can be pre-ordered for around $700, making it not the absolute cheapest desktop 3D printer out there but certainly a competitive option for those getting started with 3D printing or looking to save on material costs in the longer term (not to mention the environmental benefits).

The post Student-Built 3D Printer Uses Recycled Pop-Bottle Plastic first appeared on Gajitz.

The heartbreak of dropping your expensive iPhone is so much stronger than you might expect, particularly when you get the repair bill. Chris Koerner, an iPhone repair tech, is somewhat mitigating that heartbreak by taking broken iPhone parts and making them into new and useful home objects.

Koerner noticed that phone pieces which couldn’t be reused for anything were rapidly accumulating in his workshop, and he wondered if he could give them new life and keep them from the landfill.

From this thought was born Twice Used, a project focusing on upcycling broken iPhones into stylish and useful everyday items.

The collection includes a gorgeous wall clock, coasters, picture frames, jewelry, and even a coffee table. The pieces are all masterfully crafted, with special attention given to the repeating modern shapes of the shattered phone pieces.

Even the cracks in the glass are beautified with the addition of some subtle color. If you’ve ever experienced the painful loss of your lovely (and pricey) iPhone, these upcycled pieces might be just what you need to get over that lingering sorrow.

The post Broken iPhones Upcycled Into Lovely Modern Home Decor first appeared on Gajitz.

At one time, kitchen appliances that were no longer in good working order were taken to a repair shop – and those that no longer matched the decorating scheme of the rest of the room were simply used anyway or given to someone who needed them. Today, many of our small appliances end up in the landfill when they are no longer wanted, which creates a huge environmental problem. French designer Gaspard Tiné-Berès is using environmentally-friendly cork along with discarded appliances to create a line of sustainable appliances. He calls his project Short Circuit.

Tiné-Berès was inspired by Bright Sparks, an initiative of the UK’s Islington Council which seeks to resell or repair appliances rather than send them to a landfill. The appliances which are beyond help go to Tiné-Berès, who uses their still-working components to create new objects, along with bodies made of natural cork, factory seconds and reclaimed materials.

Tiné-Berès proposes to use landfills and appliance dump sites as new sources of perfectly usable electronic components. Even when the cases of such items are destroyed, the interior components are usually still in working order or easily repaired. The initiative could become a viable and successful business model, creating new jobs and new skill sets for workers. Overall, his plan could benefit not only local areas but the entire planet by diverting hazardous electronic waste from landfills.

So far, Tiné-Berès has created a coffee maker, an electric kettle and a toaster. He plans to create even more appliances and eventually to offer them for purchase through a business he calls RE-DO Studio. He is working closely with Bright Sparks to move toward their joint goal of sustainable living.

The post Recycling Project Turns Discarded Appliances Into New Ones first appeared on Gajitz.