Spotted: Analysis of the global food packaging market predicts the value of the industry will increase every year and reach just under $600 billion (around €560 billion) by 2033, up from $335 billion (around €313 billion) in 2022. Unsurprisingly, demand for plastic food packaging remains particularly high. Seeking a scalable alternative to plastic packaging that requires no infrastructure change for manufacturers and distributors, Israeli startup MadeRight created a fungi-based option.
Grown on a variety of organic waste materials, MadeRight packaging can be made locally, further increasing the circularity of the product and reducing its carbon footprint. The fungi used in the process feeds on industrial streams of organic waste. The resulting growth is then converted into a new biomaterial. Because the fungi grow well on a range of materials, the technology is deployable next to current food production systems, making it usable in many different environments and as a secondary market for a diversity of crop waste.
Once the fungus has been transformed into a biomaterial, it is mixed with bioplastics, making it immediately usable in the existing machinery of current production systems. This not only makes the material more affordable, it makes it easier for businesses to switch from their current plastics to green packaging. MadeRight packaging is both biodegradable and reusable.
The company recently raised $2 million (around €1.85 million) in seed funding, which the founders plan to use to produce a commercially viable prototype by late 2024 and continue to improve the overall production process. As part of the Fresh Start incubator, MadeRight has the opportunity to connect with other food tech startups also working on sustainability initiatives.
From a biodegradable coating for paper packaging to naturally biodegradable packaging, innovations in Springwise’s archive highlight the myriad ways innovators are seeking to replace plastic pollution with truly sustainable alternatives.
After years of exploring the merging of biotechnology with design, Natsai Audrey Chieza and Christina Agapakis have started what they describe as the “first biodesign lifestyle brand”, which launched at London Design Festival.
Titled Normal Phenomena of Life (NPOL), the brand will take the form of an online platform selling objects fabricated with the help of bacteria, algae, fungi, yeast, animal cells and other biological agents.
Biodesigned objects do not just use plant or animal matter as a material but are made by harnessing the natural processes of living organisms.
New brand Normal Phenomena of Life will focus on selling products made through biodesign
A silk jacket dyed with bacteria-produced pigment and a letterpress print created with ink grown by algae will be among the first products available on the platform, which will also focus on telling the stories behind the designs and developing consumers’ “material literacy”, according to Chieza.
“My vision for it is that not only does it story-tell and make visible the work of so many others under one umbrella, it also catalyses innovation and creates a less traditional framework for pushing products through a pipeline,” Chieza told Dezeen.
Chieza is the founder of multidisciplinary agency Faber Futures, while Agapakis is the creative director of biotechnology company Gingko Bioworks.
Like many others in their field they hope that biodesigned inks, yarns and building materials, which are non-toxic and resource-efficient, could come to replace high-polluting and petroleum-based materials.
Among the brand’s first products is the Exploring Jacket and Musette
With NPOL, they aim to give themselves the ability to develop more prototypes, more quickly, while also setting up the infrastructure so that other biotechnology companies can channel their innovations into products.
The platform’s own brand, NPOL Originals, which Chieza describes as “basically our R&D pipeline”, will designate goods made together with partner companies “who don’t have the bandwidth or don’t have a clear pipeline for how they might bring a consumer-facing product to market”.
The unisex jacket is dyed by a bacteria that naturally produces pigment
Among the first NPOL Original products will be the Exploring Jacket and Musette, created together with biotech company Mbeu, designer Louise Bennetts and garment manufacturer Fabrika.
The unisex garment and accessory are made from silk that has been batch-dyed with the wild-type bacteria, streptomyces coelicolor, a microbe that naturally produces pigment.
There will also be the print series Lessons from the Living World: Breathe In, made by algal ink manufacturers Living Ink and designer and printmaker Kelvyn Smith.
Another NPOL product is a triptych of prints titled Lessons from the Living World: Breathe In Editions
The non-toxic, carbon-negative black ink is grown from algae, and the triptych’s designs represent the role the plant plays in converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Alongside the NPOL Originals, the platform will stock products by other companies. Not all of these will be biotech-enabled, including books and cosmetics, but Chieza and Agapakis hope they will contribute to communicating the brand story in a world where true biodesign is still rare.
The platform will include mycelium goods, which are “still not mainstream enough”, according to Chieza, despite their growing presence in design.
“We need ubiquity,” said Chieza. “We need it to be everywhere. And it takes a lot of hard work and many years of dedication for that to be the case.”
The prints are created with algae ink
The NPOL founders’ mission is to contribute to this ubiquity by creating informed conversations around biotech innovations that consumers may eye with suspicion.
“One of the reasons why we thought it was important to create a place like NPOL is because the boundaries between synthetic and natural are so grey now, with the emergence of these technologies,” said Chieza.
“How do we create consumer insights into products that might be engineered with biology? How do we talk about the benefits of that? How do we problematise that in a way that is constructive and opens up critique from all of the right places?” she continued.
NPOL’s founders hope the brand starts a conversation
“It’s very important that we have material literacy around the kinds of technologies that are mediating the living world and that are going to permeate our lives,” Chieza added.
Chieza started in biodesign while undertaking her masters in Material Futures at London design school Central Saint Martins, from where she graduated in 2011. She went on to found her biotech-leaning multidisciplinary agency Faber Futures in 2018 and has become a leader in the field.
In 2021, she laid out a manifesto of five principles to advance the field of biodesign for Dezeen.
NPOL will launch during the London Design Festival with the exhibition This Is Living, on at the Design District, Building D4 in Greenwich from 16 to 24 September. For more information about events, exhibitions and talks, visit Dezeen Events Guide.
Spotted: Textile production is a major user of energy and water resources – as well as a major source of CO2 and pollution. While progress is being made to develop less energy-intensive materials in some areas of textile production, it has been difficult to replicate the benefits of fibres derived from petrochemicals or animal-based fibres like silk, cashmere, and wool using lower-energy materials.
Japanese company Spiber, however, has developed a novel process for creating fibres and other materials through fermentation (brewing) of plant-based ingredients. Company representative Noriko Fukushima, described the Brewed Protein process as “utilising sugars and microbes, rather than petrochemical or animal-derived raw materials.”
Spiber currently uses sugars obtained from agricultural products such as sugarcane and corn as the main feedstock for the production of Brewed Protein materials. The company is aiming to shift to a regenerative and circular system involving the use of agricultural and textile waste, such as end-of-use fibres.
Spiber was founded initially in 2007 but began mass production in 2022 at a plant in Rayong Province, Thailand and is collaborating with ADM on the construction of a second mass production facility in Iowa. Since 2019, the company has also been working with well-known apparel companies and brands, including The North Face, Goldwin, and Pangaia, as well as introducing a new mascara with Shiseido that incorporates Brewed Protein fibres.
While fermentation is a novel way to produce fibres, Springwise has also spotted a wealth of plant-based alternatives to animal fibres. Recent innovations in the archive include footwear made from food waste and regenerative fibres.
Dezeen has announced the 93 projects longlisted for this year’s Dezeen Awards in the sustainability categories, including projects by Universal Design Studio, Foster + Partners, Blond and Fletcher Priest Architects.
The 93 longlisted projects, which are in the running for awards in six different sustainability project categories, are by studios located across 28 different countries including Peru, Taiwan, Austria, Israel, Norway and Germany.
The top three represented studio countries are the UK, with 30 longlisted entries, followed by the US and the Netherlands, which are tied with six each.
Amongst the sustainability longlists are a low-carbon community arts space in Uganda, a mass-timber office building in London and a redeveloped brutalist housing estate in Sheffield.
Other longlisted projects include a biomaterial construction block made from a sugarcane by-product, a residential building wrapped in colonnades of tree trunks and a collection of colourful surface tiles made of paper waste.
All Dezeen Awards 2023 longlists revealed this week
Dezeen Awards 2023, in partnership with Bentley Motors, revealed all longlisted projects this week. The architecture, interiors and design longlists were announced earlier this week.
Longlisted projects have been selected from over 4,800 entries from 94 countries for the sixth edition of our awards programme, which celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design, as well as the studios and individuals producing the most outstanding work.
Top image: Ombú by Foster + Partners. Photo by Nigel Young. Above image: Living Coffin by Loop Biotech. Photo by Studio Hendrikx and Loop Biotech
The next stage of Dezeen Awards 2023 will see all longlisted projects assessed by our international jury of leading professionals including architects Chitra Vishwanath and Koichi Takada, designers Maurizio Montalti, and Piet Hein Eek.
The judges will determine the projects that feature on the shortlists, which will be announced in October. A further round of judging by our master jury will determine the winners, which will be announced in November.
The six winners of the sustainable project categories will then battle to be crowned overall sustainable project of the year.
Read on for the full sustainable longlist:
Atri by Naturvillan AB. Photo by Marcus Eliasson
Sustainable building
› 24 Public dwellings in Platja d’en Bossa, Ibiza, Spain, by 08014 Arquitectura › Subterranean Ruins, Bangalore, India, by A Threshold, V Sampth Bhaskar and Kiran Mai › Nightingale Village, Brunswick, Australia, by Architecture architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball and Kennedy Nolan › Tipai, Maharashtra, India, by Ariane Thakore Ginwala › House Hoinka, Bavaria, Germany, by Atelier Kaiser Shen Architects › Nursery in Alma Palace, Paris, France, by Atelier Régis Roudil Architectes › Children’s campus Theodoor, Jette, Belgium, by Cuypers & Q Architecten › Layher Macropolis, Lima, Peru, by Dessin Technisch › The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School, Jaisalmer, India, by Diana Kellogg Architects › Forest Bath, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, by GAAGA and MAAK Space › 54 Social Housing Inca, Columbia, by Joan J Fortuny and Alventosa Morell Arquitectes › Yukinohako, Joetsu City, Japan, by Kei Kaihoh Architects › Precise Acts – Hermès Workshops, Louviers, France, by Lina Ghotmeh Architecture › Atri, Brålanda, Sweden, by Naturvillan AB › 32° East Arts Centre, Kampala, Uganda, by New Makers Bureau › Östermalm Hall Padel, Mölnlycke, Sweden, by Tengbom › The Black and White Building, London, UK, by Waugh Thistleton Architects › Fire Station in Straubenhardt, Germany, by Wulf Architekten › Center for Handy skills, Hormuz, Iran, by ZAV Architects
This category is sponsored by Moda Living.
Browse all projects on the sustainable building longlist page.
Maakleerplek by Polo. Photo by Stijn Bollaert
Sustainable renovation
› Prank Project Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan, by AtMa › Bafta Headquarters, London, UK, by Benedetti Architects › Villa VD, Waasmunster, Belgium, by Britsom Philips Architects › National Youth Theatre, London, UK, by DSDHA › The Three Little Pigs – Cork House, Madrid, Spain, by EME157 › All Saints, London, UK, by EPR Architects › Entopia, Cambridge, UK, by Eve Waldron Design › Warwick Court, London, UK, by Fletcher Priest Architects › Ombú, Madrid, Spain, by Foster + Partners › Sayeah, Shantou, China, by JG Phoenix › Takaone, Tokyo, Japan, by Kei Kaihoh Architects › MIT Hayden Library, Cambridge, USA, by Kennedy & Violich Architecture › Park Hill Phase 2, Sheffield, UK, by Mikhail Riches › Qing Dynasty Post Office Renovation, Shanghai, China, by More Design Office › Art_1 Office, Athens, Greece, by Neiheiser Argyros › Maakleerplek, Leuven, Belgium, by Polo
Browse all projects on the sustainable renovation longlist page.
Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo. Photo by Wen Studio
Sustainable interior
› Evagreen, London, UK, by Artform and Scenesmith › Visy Recycling’s Education Room, Auckland, New Zealand, by Atelier Jones Design › COS Biblioteksgatan, Stockholm, Sweden, by COS › Dr. Sarphatihuis Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by D/DOCK › Edit, London, UK, by Elly Ward and Joe Morris › Entopia, Cambridge, UK, by Eve Waldron Design › Freitag Store Shanghai, China, by Kooo Architects › Delatite Cellar Door, Mansfield, Australia, by Lucy Clemenger Architects › Corrugated Cardboard-formed Exhibition Space, Shanghai, China, by Luo studio › Big, London, UK, by Nina+Co › Family Home, Paris, France, by Retrouvius › Lai Zhou Bar, Shanghai, China by RooMoo Design Studio › Zero Restaurant, Surat, India, by Studio A+S › Coachtopia, London, UK, by Studio XAG › Our Time on Earth, London, UK, by Universal Design Studio › Larch Loft, London, UK, by Whittaker Parsons
Browse all projects on the sustainable interior longlist page.
Glyph by The New Raw. Photo by Alina Lefa
Sustainable design (consumer)
› Gus by Tori Deetz for Good Growing › Glyph by The New Raw › Rango Ki Duniya rug by Jaipur Rugs for Project Freedom Manchaha › Biosphere Cellulose Kitchen by Abi Lambert Design › Blue Sky Lab by NIO Life › Tesoro Refillable Candle by Blond › Ruka Edge Slick by Blond › Kind Bassinet by DockATot by Wild Child Stockholm › Living Urn by Studio Hendrikx and Loop Biotech › PulpaTronics by PulpaTronics › Living Coffin by Studio Hendrikx and Loop Biotech › Ibuju by Fango › Phenomenal Fungi by Monash University Department of Design with K5 Furniture › Pix by Normann Copenhagen › Kankan Soap Dispenser by Kankan, Morrama and Two Times Elliott › Alpina by Barber Osgerby for Magis Spa
Browse all projects on the sustainable design (consumer) longlist page.
Unburnt Circular Tiles by Earth Mart. Photo by Loqa
Sustainable design (building product)
› Alted H01 Collection by Berta Julià Sala for Alted Materials › Armourcoat Clay Lime Plaster (Clime) by Armourcoat › Unburnt Circular Tiles by Earth Mart › Phoenix by MycoMatters Lab › Re.Wrap by Ric Frampton and ReWrap › Erosion Mitigation Units (EMU) by Reef Design Lab › Flyt by Snøhetta › LinoFloor xf2 by Tarkett › Mano by Tom Fereday for Eco Outdoor › A Brick for Venice by Urban Radicals, AKT II and Local Works Studio › Permeable YiBrick by Yi Design
This category is sponsored by SketchUp.
Browse all projects on the sustainable design (building product) longlist page.
Human Material Loop by Human Material Loop. Photo by David van Woerden
Material Innovation
› Vivomer by Shellworks › Pro-Turtle by Kai-Chieh Hsueh, Yu-Ting Chen, Hsun-Yu Chang, Zhong-Wei Lin, Kai-Chu Li › The Renu Jacket by Pangaia and Evrnu › Sugarcrete by Sugarcrete TM › Celium by Polybion › WoodenWood by Disrupt Design Lab › The Eggshell Project by Manufactura › Human Material Loop by Human Material Loop, Zsofia Kollar and Leonardo Avezzano › Herbier Project by Paula Cermeño León, Phytosphere Swiss Lab and Viviane Fontaine Paper Artist › Colorifix Limited invested in by The Mills Fabrica Investment Fund › Casta by Matter › Refoam by We+ › The Essence of Biocement by Friedrich Gerlach and Julia Huhnholz › Textile Tabletop by Kvadrat Really, Senator and Holmris › Bananatex® Jersey by Bananatex
Browse all projects on the material innovation longlist page.
Dezeen Awards 2023
Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.
Spotted: There is a significant gap in agricultural production in Africa, with the continent being home to 25 per cent of the world’s arable land, but responsible for only 10 per cent of global agricultural output. Researchers point to the legacy of “export-oriented colonial agricultural production systems” that have resulted in Africa being the only region in the world where increased exports caused a reduction in food production per capita.
Ghana-based fintech company Wami Agro is working hard to close the gap by turning smallholder farmers into stewards of high-production, yet sustainable land. Through a bundle of services, Wami Agro provides credit, access to fair trade markets and prices, and education that increases knowledge and resilience among farmers, thereby lessening shocks to supply chains and providing a steadier source of income to thousands of families.
Many of the farmers that Wami Agro works with are women, and, given that this group has generally been underserved by traditional credit systems, the company’s input finance solution, Wami Credit, enables more and more people to become self-sufficient and provide for their families. Wami Credit supplies farmers with seeds, tools, and fertiliser via Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) that fund farmers with little to no access to commercial bank credit. Wami Agro takes repayment of its loans via the commercial sales of a farmer’s crop.
Wami Market, meanwhile, provides reliable market access with fair prices by buying from various smallholders and selling in bulk to distributors and retailers in Europe and beyond. The buyers, for their part, receive a fully traceable product that is grown with biodiverse, regenerative methods that enrich local environments.
Wami Info is a third solution that educates farmers on new techniques for building capacity and provides important weather updates in local dialects to help improve long-term resilience, even in changing climates.
The startup is currently focusing on further developing its technology and plans to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) for more personalised weather alerts. The company also plans to continue expanding its network of farmers, regionally and internationally.
Smallholder farmers are such an important part of the global economy that Springwise’s library includes a variety of innovations highlighting their contributions and improvements to the world’s food and produce supply chains. Examples include using regenerative farming to sequester carbon and using microforests to retain and regrow important regions of biodiversity.
Spotted: The fashion industry has been in for a lot of criticism over its poor environmental record – and with good reason. Textile production makes up 10 per cent of global carbon emissions and produces more than 20 per cent of global wastewater. Luckily, awareness of these issues is leading to innovations that are driving change in the sector.
One of the companies working to make textiles greener is Smartex, which has developed a suite of software tools that make fabric production more efficient. Smartex’s Core platform uses cameras, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to make fabric production more efficient. The system identifies defects before they can create waste, aids in article management, and creates digital twins of textile rolls produced, among other features.
At the same time, the company’s more recently unveiled Loop platform provides suppliers with precise data down to each roll of fabric, enabling greater transparency across the supply chain. The result is much greater efficiency and communication between suppliers and brands – all of which reduce waste.
The increased interest in making fashion more sustainable means there is a big demand for this type of platform. Smartex completed a $24.7 million (around €23 million) series A funding round in 2022, building on a $2.9 million (around €2.7 million) seed round in 2019.
Smartex’s Taylor Bradley told Springwise that the company “will continue to tackle enormous, pervasive problems across the global textile industry by providing tailored AI, software and hardware solutions which will help the industry become modernised and digitised. Our goal is to provide essential tools for every Modern Textile Factory.”
The fashion industry has been working to improve its environmental track record with a wide number of innovations. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted 3D weaving to reduce textile waste and leather alternatives made from brewing waste.
Spotted: As coal mining winds down, innovators are coming up with some novel ways to repurpose disused mines. One of these is Australian startup Green Gravity, which is using vertical ventilation shafts in decommissioned coal mines to store clean energy.
Green Gravity stores energy using the principles of gravity and kinetic energy. Ultra-heavy weights, made from 30 tonnes of steel coil, are lifted and then lowered in the shafts. As the weights are lowered, the cable holding them passes through a device called a ‘winder’, which is used to turn a motor, generating energy. The weights are lifted using excess renewable energy, then remain at the top of the shaft, holding potential energy, until demand rises, when they are lowered to generate energy to meet that demand.
While gravity energy storage is not new, Green Gravity aims to save money and resources by using old mine shafts, rather than purpose-built towers. This makes the company’s technology lower cost than similar options. In addition, because it is installed using existing equipment and sites, it uses fewer resources and is thus more environmentally friendly.
In September 2022, the company announced a partnership with leading Australian artificial intelligence (AI) and automation company xAmplify. Under the partnership, Green Gravity will use xAmplify’s AI to enable digital simulation, data processing, deep learning, and automated operations. In the words of Green Gravity CEO Mark Swinnerton, “Deploying advanced AI platforms will accelerate the rollout of Green Gravity energy storage, bring down the cost of renewable energy, and reduce carbon emissions from the electricity grid.”
Springwise has previously spotted energy storage systems such as a hi-tech fluid that makes pumped hydro storage more affordable, underground storage for hydrogen, and the world’s first large-scale sand battery.
Whether they’re structure, infrastructure, or comfort and decor, we are selecting sustainable materials for how they will be used in our homes. It’s important to identify the key factors that impact how long you will utilize and enjoy a product. Here is where cost-effective and eco-friendly come into harmony. A product that is expensive to run is likely consuming energy and/or excessive resources and materials throughout its usable life. Interestingly, people are inclined to hold on to—or pass along for reuse—a product or building that functions flexibly, is durable, or brings delight. If you are less than satisfied, it’s likely headed for the curb no matter how much it cost.
Considering the amount of time you will need a particular product can help determine whether it might be better to pay for use as opposed to owning it outright. Paying for use can take the burden of maintenance away, while giving you the flexibility to change things up. Renting furniture versus outright purchases keeps quality, usable pieces out of landfills and in homes. And if you love the piece, there are options like rent-to-buy.
Quality counts
For lasting useability, we’re selecting sustainable materials for their quality, innovative design, and durable construction. Often these attributes will cost more up front than less-expensive commodity goods (that’s why they call them cheap). But higher quality products and materials usually withstand the test of time. Materials that last are far more sustainable, avoiding the landfill or recycling plant for longer. And durable furnishings that you love can follow you on your next move, or be sold or passed along for someone else to use and enjoy. The Transformer Table, for instance, offers six-in-one flexibility, extending for large gatherings or breaking down into small sitting pieces. Flexible design and beautiful hardwood construction mean you’re more likely to use it, love it, and take care of it.
Spotted: It is estimated that around half the world’s population are dependent on food produced using synthetic fertilisers. While these fertilisers can increase crop yields and reduce the amount of land we use for agriculture, they also come at a high environmental cost in the form of pollution and carbon emissions.
One way to make fertilisers more sustainable is to improve their efficiency. This is exactly what Phospholutions is accomplishing with its RhizoSorb fertiliser. With conventional fertilisers, as little as 10 per cent of the active ingredients, such as phosphorus, are actually used by the crops after application. The rest is often washed into water sources, causing devastating contamination.
Phospholutions’ RhizoSorb, in contrast, delivers the same amount of phosphorus to the plants while using just half the fertiliser. More of the nutrients end up in the plants and, because less fertiliser is used, less ends up in waterways. This represents a potential reduction in runoff by 58 per cent, a reduction in leaching by up to 87 per cent, and as much as a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions.
The company’s process also decreases production costs for phosphate manufacturers, and an increase in profit margin that outweighs the reduction in applied volume per acre compared to conventional fertilisers. This is one reason why Phospholutions has been able to complete a recent funding round that raised $10.15 million from leading global fertiliser companies and investors.
Reducing the environmental impact of fertilisers is a crucial step in limiting global warming and increasing crop productivity. Other innovations in this space include the development of affordable, low-carbon fertilisers and a fertiliser made from waste cellulose.
Spotted: Global demand for coffee, particularly certified and organic products, continues to grow. At the same time, climate-change-induced weather alterations are making production more difficult. Unusually, both Brazil and Colombia experienced drops in production in the coffee year 2021 to 2022 due to unfavourable weather conditions. Coffee plants are particularly sensitive to changes in climate, causing coffee growers to frequently expand further into the rainforest when current arable locations become less suitable for growing.
As lovers of coffee who hate the impact its production has on the world’s forests, Dutch food technologists Northern Wonder have created a coffee made from non-tropically grown natural ingredients. Using combinations of roasted cereals, roots, fruits, and legumes, the company produces both caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions of its coffee.
Currently two products are available. A filter blend and industrially compostable capsules that are compatible with Nespresso machines are for sale on the Northern Wonder website. An espresso blend and cold brew versions are both in development, and Northern Wonder has two patents pending for its technology.
The full ingredient list for each coffee is listed online, and the Northern Wonder team is clear that the current products are only the first batch. The company ships worldwide and has plans to offer the products via retail partners at a later date.
Research and development for products and the entire life cycle of the coffee continues with partners that include Wageningen University & Research and the World Food Center lab. An initial Life Cycle Assessment of Northern Wonder coffee found a much smaller emissions and water and land use footprint than tropically grown coffees.
Other recent innovations in the coffee industry from Springwise’s archive include a new way to recycle capsules and new manufacturing uses for waste grounds.
Whether they’re structure, infrastructure, or comfort and decor, we are selecting sustainable materials for how they will be used in our homes. It’s important to identify the key factors that impact how long you will utilize and enjoy a product. Here is where cost-effective and eco-friendly come into harmony. A product that is expensive to run is likely consuming energy and/or excessive resources and materials throughout its usable life. Interestingly, people are inclined to hold on to—or pass along for reuse—a product or building that functions flexibly, is durable, or brings delight. If you are less than satisfied, it’s likely headed for the curb no matter how much it cost.
