Watch these grassy coffee mugs 'grow up'.

What is it?
''Grow Up'' is a set of mugs with grassy bottoms. The Grow Up Ceramic Mug has an inset base where soil can be packed and grass seeds can be planted.

Why it’s cool? 
The water that will create the grassy bottoms brings life into the mugs, that’s what makes it a strong concept. By literally watching this mugs ‘grow up’, a simple set piece gives you an extraordinary experience.
If you want to add an eco-look to your interior, this is exactly what you need! It hasn’t only a charming and green appearance, at the same time it has multiple functions!. This clever coffee cup can spend 5% of its time as a drinking cup, and 95% as a planter on your windowsill.

www.yankodesign.com

Tree wrapped traffic lights

What is it?
Korean designers Gisung Han, Hwanju Jeon & Jaemin Lee have come up with a way to make crossing the street safer and more eco-friendly. They designed the “Wearable Signal Walking Sign”. This is a solar powered LED traffic signal that wraps around trees, lamp posts or poles and wirelessly communicates with traffic lights to display the correct “walk” or “don’t walk” signal. The design consists of a small flexible solar panel, which is attached to a panel of flexible LED lights. This is a sustainable solution that turns trees into traffic lights.

Why it’s cool?
Why would you install seperate poles for traffic lights? Why not put them on existing ones and trees? With the wearable walking sign you don’t need electricity and additional installation of poles. This is easy and urban cause you can wrap it around any existing circular base like a tree or a utility pole. So now a tree can be a prime spot for a pedestrian signal. Nowadays designers want sustainability to be integrated in our daily routine. These traffic lights add a eco-cool aspect to the streetscape that everyone will notice! 

www.trendhunter.com

Upcycled hydrogardens: The grow bottle

What is it?

The grow bottle is part of Potting Shed Creations' new line coming spring 2011. This bottle is designed to be reused and makes indoor hydroponic herb farming compact and easy. The containers are made out of reclaimed, cut wine bottles.  After enjoying your freshly grown herbs, simply rinse out the system and replant with your own seeds or any of the organic replant kits offered by Potting Shed Creations. There’s a lot of diversity when it comes to te seeds: from basil to mint.

Why it’s cool?
Potting Shed Creations should be proud for its sustainable, forward-thinking gardening products. These sustainable Grow Bottles are a stylish addition to any home, especially one with limited space.With these bottles you can show other people you are socially-aware of the enviroment. When you finished your herbs you can easily refill and replant it yourself. This DIY garden-kit is easily to be used en reused over and over again!

www.pottingshedcreations.com

One liter ℓimit tap

What is it?
The  1ℓimit faucet looks more like an elegant test tube inverted on top of a tap. The glass tube holds exactly one liter of water, enough for a quick handwash. Normally we waste 6 liters of water while we only use 1 liter. Once the stored one-liter is used up, you have to turn off the tap till the next one liter fills up the tube.

Why it’s cool?
Other than other water-saving taps this one actually looks cool. At the same time it makes you waste less water. Hopefully this tap makes people realize the value of tapwater. I don’t get how people are able to waste 6L of water at one time. For certain people this water tap is a must have.
www.trendhunter.com

Eco-Sneakers that bloom

What is it?

At Amsterdam’s International Fashion Week, OAT shoes presented its “Virgin Collection”. This is a new line of bio-degradable shoes that can be planted in the ground to sprout trees. Its materials break down easily and the seeds are embedded somewhere inside the design. Bury them in garden, woods or compost and nature will welcome them! The concept was well received and won second prize at the Green Fashion Awards. 

Why it’s cool?

Finally, you can look cool and not feel guilty about what you’re wearing. Wearing those OAT shoes gets extra comfortable because you have the knowledge that one day your fashion will beautify the world with literal shoetrees. The goal of the founder Christiaan Maats is to help people connect with the enviroment in imaginative ways. And that worked out pretty well!

 www.yatzer.com

Monumental Glasses

What is it?

Artist Agathe Snow and German eyewear label MYKITA created the ‘’All Access World” show with a pair of ‘monumental’ sunglasses. On these special limited glasses you see the etchings of two separated skylines like Manhattan and the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza. These products belong to the ‘All Access World’ Exhibition for a show in Berlin. This exhibition examines the relationship of people and specific surroundings near monuments.Filled with lot’s of mobile sculptures, large-scale wall collages, video works and more, the exhibit shows the factors that bind people to places.

Why it’s cool?
The artist believes that monuments should be  "available as products".  The skylines were added in gold to the inner side of the glasses, so the wearer barely notices it.
These sunglasses are all handmade at the Mykita workshop, each pair is individually numbered on the temple and comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Agathe Snow. By paying €370 you will ‘own’ a monument on your glasses. 

"Monuments are a contradiction. Things that depend on the act of remembering cannot be static. How can you be of a moment in history yet speak of timelessness?" – Agathe Snow

www.leicismore.wordpress.com