The average five-year-old in Sweden owns more than 500 toys. At the same time, the industrialised nation of Sweden consumes the resources of approximately four Earths. Retoy wants to offer all children a sustainable relationship to consumption, while educating both them, their parents and other adult role models on children‘s rights. At toy swap events children exchange toys they no longer use, donate them to kids in need, or upcycle them in the Retoy Lab. Potentially harmful toys containing toxic chemicals are sorted out in the process. A total of 70,000 toys have already been exchanged since 2011, equal to 120 tons of CO2 saved from swapping instead of buying new toys.
TORP is a concept for reviving a monitoring station at the Puck Bay, the western portion of the Bay of Gdansk. Constructed as a torpedo station during World War II, the guard point has since been left to the sea. The project aims to carefully restore the historic station, and foresees the construction of office and residential spaces within the building. On the outside area, vegetables can be grown, provisions stored and rain water collected. The facility will run on renewable energy. Waste water will be collected separately and disposed of.
Every year, schools and public authorities dispose of vast quanti-ties of inventory, such as furniture, sports equipment and teaching materials. Often, these items are fully functional and useable, but the facilities lack storage and suitable networking possibilities. Here, the FLOW brokerage and auction platform can serve as an interface. Used inventory is listed for social organisations or is made available for auction.
UNO Parks are adventure parks and children playgrounds made of natural and reusable materials. Only leased tools as well as local, certified wood are used for the construction. If installed in nature, the construction area is cleaned from industrial and organic waste beforehand. UNO Parks are easy to repair and are made accord-ing to the client’s desires, landscape and brand. The company has already realised projects in China, Europe and the USA. Adventure Architects offer their customers and partners as well as students, refugees and the unemployed education programmes in the areas of Circular Economy and Ecodesign.
With the online game CO2-Kompass, Deutsche Bahn – one of the largest employers in Germany – is committing to raising awareness of the efficient use of resources among employees and company members. The playfully motivating approach of CO2-Kompass, in which users compete against each other, encourages partici-pants to save CO2 at home and in the office. Practical everyday tips, for example on the use of recycled paper or efficient heating, help to limit demand for CO2 and provide a gauge for activities.
The KOMPLOTT series of stickers appeals to everyone’s ecological awareness. The images counteract everyday ‘environmental sins’ in an unconventional and exhilarating way, thereby helping reduce energy and resource consumption. Originally designed for the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, usage in other facilities like public offices, medical clinics, and schools is also conceivable.
Carbon Sink Design Studio
Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Applied Sciences
Wood draws the greenhouse gas carbon-dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The Carbon Sink Design Studio research project promotes interdisciplinary work dealing with this phenomenon: students from the fields of design and engineering cooperate with companies to jointly develop innovative prototypes that replace fossil materials with sustainable alternatives. The project aims to create ecological materials, sustainable business models, and new forms of cooperation. The project is financed by the European Social Fund (ESF).