In case you missed the Interface takeover on DesignTV by SANDOW Oct. 27, there's still time to watch the two programs that premiered from Interior Design and Metropolis, produced in partnership with the leading manufacturer of sustainable flooring.
IKEA Opens First Second-Hand Store in Sweden for Trial Run
IKEA, the multinational furnishing brand, is spotlighting the importance of limiting furniture waste by opening its first second-hand store in Eskilstuna, Sweden, on Nov. 2. Located in ReTuna Återbruksgalleria—an innovative mall for recycled and upcycled goods—the 74-square-meter store will open for six months as part of a pilot run as IKEA aims to become "a fully circular and climate positive business by 2030."
Manufacturers Take Recycling Efforts into Own Hands with Innovative Programs
While wellness remains top of mind given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some flooring manufacturers also are combatting another health concern—the mounting consequences of our warming planet. Action to reduce carpet waste, four billion pounds of which end up in landfills each year, is imperative as product demand rises, especially on the heels of the Carpet & Rug Institute’s recent announcement to suspend a $4 million voluntary product stewardship program.
To provide internet access to regions of Kenya, Loon will launch balloons with 4G internet into the sky. The network of balloons will give more people much needed access to information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
3D Print A Floating Home
In the Czech Republic, an artist 3D-printed a house in two days. It is expected to last 100 years and can be positioned on land or float on water.
Llamas could be the Source of an Effective Covid-19 Treatment
Scientists have found antibodies that could successfully block infection from the Covid-19 virus. These unique ‘nanobodies’ are found only in llamas and other camelids—likely due to a genetic mutation.
Take a look at how educators, architects, and designers throughout the industry are making strides to reduce their carbon footprints in the rise of "come-to-carbon" moments.
It's Electric: Lyft Announces Sustainability Goals
Lyft recently announced its daring plan to use only electric vehicles by 2030. The company also committed to increasing equity in transportation for vulnerable communities. Other leading companies may be inspired to follow suit.
Take a Look at the Future of Commuting
Startup company Virgin Hyperloop One is developing a fast and sustainable transportation system that could be available to the public by 2030. Imagine being able to travel at the speed of airplanes in driverless levitating pods?
SpinLaunch is developing a 100+ yard-wide centrifuge that could propel rockets into orbit by rapidly spinning and launching them into the air. If all goes well, the technique could change the nature of space travel.
Group Selfies Survive Social Distancing
Apple is developing technology that will be able to generate group selfies, a lost pastime in the age of social distancing, by combining individual selfies into one photo.
Pass The Pasta, and The Clean Fuel
A pasta producer near Naples, Italy, is testing a mix of hydrogen and natural gas as fuel in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, making use of boilers that also provide heat to dry and sterilize noodles.
A new book by Julia Watson, Lo—TEK. Design by Radical Indigenism, sheds light on a design movement based on indigenous philosophy and vernacular architecture to build a more sustainable future. Think aqueducts and bridges made of living tree roots.
Ventilators Made From... Car Parts?
Afghanistan's all-girls robotics team, the Afghan Dreamers, found a way to build emergency ventilators out of car parts, arming healthcare workers with much needed equipment during the pandemic.
The Dark Side of LED Lights
LEDs have become the gold standard of energy efficient lighting, but lighting researchers estimate that manufacturing them actually releases more than double the amount of carbon dioxide than manufacturing more conventional lighting.
