Whether you’re returning to school or just need a new bag to bring your laptop to and from work, Corkor‘s all-natural women’s laptop bag is one of the greenest options available. The bag is handmade with cork, a sustainable material. The bag features one large zippered back pocket, a large file compartment, and a cell phone pocket. The handles are made of leather, and the bottom is made of dark brown leather and has five metal feet to safely stand on floor without damage. In addition to being a sustainable material, cork is also very easy to keep clean and maintain.

+ Corkor

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Post tags: "natural materials", cork, cork bag, cork laptop bag, Corkor, hand bag, laptop bag, leather, renewable resources, sustainable cork, Sustainable Materials, women's laptop bag

The TECLA chair, produced by Portuguese firm TECLA Studio, is characterized by the simplicity of its smooth lines, which result in a minimal and elegant form. Two angles and a vertical bar come together in a central panel, leaning forward to achieve a better conform in the sitting position. The chair is composed of solid wood, lacquered in white, and its interior has been filled with corkwood — a sustainable material. The corkwood covers and surrounds the entire chair, and its texture gives a sense of continuity to the material. The end result is a good contrast between the white and corkwood natural color and texture, making it elegant by the use of natural materials.

+ TECLA Studio

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: "green furniture", "natural materials", Cláudia Sá Lima, cork, cork chair, cork tree, cork wood, corkwood, eco-friendly furniture, modern furniture, renewable resources, Tecla Chair, Tecla Studio, Telmo Roriz

Read the rest of Bambu’s Renewable Ideas Fuse Design and Social Responsibility

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Post tags: "natural materials", 100% organic, 100% vegan, 2012 New York International Gift Fair, 2012 NYIGF, Amanda Coen, Amanda Silvana Coen, animal free, Bambu, china, cork fabric, cork fabric placement and coaster set, eco design, eco-friendly, Environmentally Friendly, ethical design, Fair Trade, gift fair, Green America, Green America’s Gold Seal of Approval, green business, green design, green gifts, green home, green office, green products, home products, inhabitat, Inhabitat.com, ipad case, kitchen products, manhattan, new york city, new york international gift fair, New York., Northern Vietnam, nyigf, office products, organic bamboo, pesticide free, product design, Qin Ling Mountains, renewable design, renewable resources, Singapore, social enterprise, social responsibility, socially responsible, SustainAbility: Design for a Better World; 2012 NYIGF, sustainable bamboo, sustainable coconut, sustainable cork, sustainable design, sustainable soy, sustainably harvested, trade show, Vegan design, Vegan products

Researchers from the Poznan University of Technology in Poland and the Linkoping University in Sweden have been whittling away at the possibilities of creating energy from wood waste. The key ingredient in this new technology is lignin, a chemical compound of waste produced in the paper-making process. Scientist are using the lignin as an insulator and polypyrrole as a conductor to create and hold an electric charge. Wood is of course a renewable resource, and it’s much more readily available than the chemicals used in traditional batteries. While the technology is still in research phases, we could see the use of wooden batteries in our lifetime as we continue to utilize our natural resources for renewable fuel and energy!

Via fastcoexist

Image © duchamp

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Post tags: batteries, battery research, eco batteries, eco research, eco science, Green Batteries, green research, green resources, green science, lignin, natural resources, renewable energy, renewable resources, research, science, sustainable batteries, sustainable research, sustainable science, Wood, wood batteries, wood energy, wood waste, wooden batteries, wooden resources

The sun set on the disco era decades ago, but polyester is still just as prevalent as ever. Roughly 40 million tons of polyester fiber is produced worldwide each year, and studies have linked some of the chemicals used in conventional polyester to testicular atrophy and early breast development. So we’re excited to learn that scientists at Toray Industries in Japan have developed samples of the world’s first renewable, bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber, which is what polyester is made of. The discovery could open the door to the production of a new type of polyester that is both better for the environment and safer for people.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: bio-based clothing, eco textiles, eco-fashion, Japan, polyester, renewable resources, science, Toray Industries

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Post tags: "green wall", "living wall", "solar energy", eco design, gabled roof, green design, Middlebury College, New England, New England Farmhouse, off the grid, photovoltaic array, photovoltaic roof, renewable resources, Self-Reliance, Solar Decathlon, solar heat gain, sustainable design, washington d.c.

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Post tags: "solar energy", Cargotecture, eco design, green design, off the grid, photovoltaic roof, radiant flooring, recycled shipping containers, renewable resources, shanghai, Solar Decathlon, sustainable design, Team China, Tongji University, washington d.c., Y Container

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Post tags: "solar energy", Appalachian State university, asheville, bifacial photovoltaic panels, eco design, green design, modular home, north carolina, off the grid, photovoltaic roof, renewable resources, Solar Decathlon, Solar Homestead, sustainable design, The Great Porch, Trombe Wall, washington d.c.

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Post tags: Architecture, bat house, breeam excellent rating, Daylighting, edwardian style, einfield library, geothermal energy, green lighting, green renovation, ice rink, library, London, renewable energy, renewable resources, social design, Sustainable Building

We’ve seen a lot of interesting and inexpensive green methods of cleaning wastewater: algae, sewage eating poo-gloos, and indoor wetlands, just to name a few. But a new method discovered by a group of scientists in Brazil takes the cake for innovation. The team found that minced banana peels quickly and effectively remove toxic metals from wastewater. In fact, the method works better than many leading chemical treatments, and the same batch of peels can be used up to 11 times!

Read the rest of Research Finds Banana Peels Can Efficiently Remove Toxic Metals From Wastewater

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Post tags: banana peel functions, banana peel resources, banana peels, banana peels clean wastewater, banana peels remove toxic metals, clean technology, eco-friendly wastewater treatment, green technology, green wastewater treatment, renewable resources, sao paolo research foundation, wastewater treatment

While several other countries use offshore wind farms to generate energy, no such systems exist in the United States and only two are in the works. But thanks to a new initiative unveiled yesterday, offshore wind energy development along the States’ coastlines could soon see rapid development. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that the government has pledged to spend up to $50.5 million over the next five years to make offshore wind farms viable.

Read the rest of Offshore Wind Energy Gets $50.5 Million Boost from U.S. Government

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Post tags: "wind power", offshore wind energy development, offshore wind energy u.s., offshore wind energy us, offshore wind farm development, offshore wind farm u.s., offshore wind farms atlantic, offshore wind farms us, offshore wind power, offshore wind power united states, renewable energy, renewable resources, u.s. government offshore wind power

In coastal desert countries like the United Arab Emirates, fresh, clean water is a lacking resource. Desalination is a necessary process to receive fresh water, but it often harms the environment by returning concentrated saline back to the ocean. Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency recently announced that they have developed a new solar-powered desalination system that would cut costs and be more eco-friendly.

Read the rest of United Arab Emirates Tests New Solar Powered Desalination Process

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Post tags: abu dhabi, abu dhabi solar power, desalination plant abu dhabi, renewable resources, solar energy desalination system, Solar Power, solar power desalination plant, solar powered desalination, uae solar power desalination plant, united arab emirates, united arab emirates solar power desalination, united arab emirates water

Image © Peggy Greb via Wikimedia Commons

Energy efficient technologies like wind turbines and electric car engines are much greener choices than their traditional counterparts, but the powerful magnets essential to their operation require rare earth metals that are diminishing in supply. While countries in North America, Australia, and South East Asia hurry to bring more rare earth mines into operations — a process that can take years — General Electric scientists have created a new breed of nanocomposite magnets that would require less rare earths to achieve the same high magnetism as magnets currently on the market.

Read the rest of GE Developing New Magnets that Could Reduce Demand for Rare Earth Metals

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Post tags: GE Global Research, ge less rare earth metals, ge new magnets, greener resources, less rare earth elements magnets, less rare earth metal magnets, less rare earth metals, less rare earths, rare earth elements, rare earth metals, renewable resources, sustainable design, Sustainable Developments, sustainable technology

The Toyota Prius may be one of the most popular hybrid cars on the planet, but Toyota believes they can make it even greener. As such, they are researching and developing a new electric motor that is cheaper and requires less rare earth metals to make. In a statement, Toyota said that the technology would also reduce the company’s dependency on China, which currently produces 97 percent of the rare earth metals needed for many high-tech products.

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Image © Joanna Poe

PepsiCo is taking big steps toward using 100 percent renewable energy. The company announced that within the next 13 years, all of its operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland will be completely fossil fuel free. Currently 4 percent of PepsiCo UK’s energy and 17 percent of its electricity come from renewable resources, but a recently released sustainability report says that by 2023, all manufacturing and distribution will be powered by renewable energy.

Read the rest of PepsiCo UK Announces It Will Be Fossil Fuel Free by 2023

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Post tags: 100 percent renewable energy, low carbon footprint, Pepsi, pepsico environmental promises, pepsico sustainability, pepsico uk, pepsico uk sustatinabilty report, pepsico united kingdom, renewable energy, renewable resources, Zero energy, zero fossil fuels, zero landfill waste

Way back in 2008, we reported on a proposal for the Sahara Forest Project, an incredible sustainable solution to resource scarcity that would turn the Sahara Desert into a source for food, water, and energy. If you thought the idea was too good to be true, think again. Norway and Jordan recently signed an agreement to allow for the development of a pilot Sahara Forest Project system on a plot of land in a coastal area in Jordan. The group will also conduct a number of studies in Jordan, with financial backing from Norwegian authorities.

Read the rest of Norway and Jordan Sign Agreement to Make Sahara Forest Project Oasis a Reality

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Post tags: aqaba jordan, bellona sahara forest project, concentrated solar power, csp sahara forest project, norway jordan sahara forest project, renewable energy, renewable resources, Sahara desert, Sahara desert energy, sahara forest innitiative, sahara forest project, sahara forest project aqaba, sahara forest project development, sahara forest project jordan, sahara forest project oasis, sahara forest project reality, seawater greenhouse, seawater greenhouse sahara desert, Solar Power, water in the desert

In the town of Akobo in southeast Sudan, more than 55,000 people live on less than two liters of clean water a day. To mitigate the issue, the International Committee of the Red Cross is working on a solar powered pumping system that will increase the supply of safe drinking water to 10 liters a day per person. If the system is successful, it will be replicated in many other towns.

Read the rest of Red Cross Increases Water Access in Sudan with Solar Powered Pumps

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Post tags: access to clean water, akobo sudan, humanitarian projects, international committee of the red cross, Red Cross, red cross in sudan, renewable energy, renewable resources, solar panels, Solar Power, solar power sudan, solar powered pumps, solar powered water harvesting, solar powered water pumping system, solar powered water pumps, water yards

Last week, the banned alcoholic drink Four Loko was being recycled into car fuel, and today, it’s non-food waste from crops and wood scraps. Cellulosic ethanol is by no means a new idea, but no one has been producing it in bulk amounts. However, Mascoma Corporation, a biofuels company, will break ground on the first commercial production cellulosic ethanol plant in the U.S. this year. This morning, they announced that Valero, the nation’s largest independent oil refinery, will take the entire commercial output of the plant, set to open by 2013.

Read the rest of First Commerical US Plant to Turn Wood Waste into Auto Fuel

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Post tags: biofuels, cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic ethanol for auto fuel, cellulosic ethanol mascoma corporation, commercial cellulosic ethanol plant, developing biofuels, epa, green energy, green resources, mascoma and valero, mascoma biofuel company, mascoma biofuels, mascoma corporation, mascoma wood scrap ethanol, mass produced biofuels, mass produced cellulosic ethanol, natural resources, renewable resources, valero oil refinery

Image © Tomislav Medak via Creative Commons

It’s no secret that crowds cause temperatures to rise, but all those bodies generating heat could be a large source of untapped energy. Inspired by the hordes of people passing through Stockholm’s Central Station each day, a Swedish real estate company, Jernhusen, has found a way to harness the energy created by the 250,000 moving bodies to heat an office building across the street. As a result, the building’s energy bill has decreased by 25 percent.

Read the rest of Swedish Company Harvests Body Heat to Warm Buildings

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Post tags: body heat, body heat as energy, body heat building heat, body heat to heat buildings, body movement as energy, heating with body heat, humans heat swedish building, jernhusen, renewable energy, renewable resources, Stockholm, stockholm central station, stockholm train station, sweden body heat, sweden clean energy, swedish real estate

Wind and solar power dominate the renewable energy conversation, but tidal power could soon play a much larger role. On Monday, the New York based company Verdant Power filed the nation’s first-ever application to build a tidal power plant. The desired location? New York City’s East River.

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Post tags: "sustainable energy", east river nyc tidal power, east river ridal power, east river tidal power plant, new york city tidal power plant, renewable energy, renewable resources, tidal energy, tidal power, tidal power plant, tidal power turbines, tidal turbines, Verdant Power, verdant power east river, verdant power free flow system