My very first green gadget was a SavaPlug that I wired to an old freezer that was used to store my allotment produce. The old freezer saw its demise a few years ago and has been replaced with a super-efficient model, but it was the start of my love affair with green gadgetry. Wow, haven’t things moved on? Be warned, I’m no ecogeek, so don’t go expecting technical specifications and other techno-bafflement. This is my pick of green gadgets for the masses.

1. Freeplay Energy compact DAB wind up radio & flashlight

I’ll admit a bit of a penchant for wind-up stuff, so this one’s first on the list. The latest radio offering from Freeplay is a lot smaller than previous wind-up radios, and as the lovely Richard from Freeplay puts it in this video, the radio gives you more reward for your wind with an improved cranking mechanism.

2. Philips Eco TV

This sexy looking high-definition LCD television won the “Best in Show” award at CES2008. It’s the perfect telly for your off-grid home with several power saving features meaning it uses less electricity than a 100W lightbulb to run. These will be available from March in the States, with a price tag of just under $1400. Philips UK say they’ll be out here in March or April too, priced at £999.

3. Everex Cloudbook P40

A super-compact laptop with a battery that keeps going for five hours thanks to it’s low-voltage processor from Via. It comes with plenty of pre-installed open source software and is available from the end of January from Walmart stores in the US at $399. Sadly it seems these are going to be hard to get hold of in the UK, but things may change. Doesn’t ASDA belong to Walmart? Mmm, somehow I don’t see these lining the shelves of ASDA.

4. Green Plug

This little baby has been getting a lot of attention all over the green blogosphere. It’s a super clever plug that actually facilitates communications between power sources and electronic devices, reducing energy usage by putting an end to “phantom power”. Wow, that’s a bit technical for me to get my chompers round. Make your own judgement.

5. Voltaic’s range of solar bags that can power a laptop

Most bags with solar panels will power hand-held gadgetry, but Voltaic has succeeded in ramping that up to power your laptop. Charge your computer while you’re on the move, or charge your smaller electronics, camera, digital video camera, laptop, MP3 player, GPS or PDA. And, to make them even greener, Voltaic bags are made from recycled fizzy drinks bottles, using less energy than nylon and creating a demand for recycled materials. Bags cost from $199 in the US and you can buy the backpack shown in the UK for £191.79 delivered.

6. United Pepper webcams & USB hubs

Who ever heard of a Fairtrade and biodegradable computer accessory, and no plastic? NO PLASTIC? That’s unheard of. United Pepper makes webcams and USB hubs that are really, really cute, and are more eco-friendly and people friendly than anything else in the same category. Apple and Dell have some catching up to do. Buy them at Play.com priced £17.99.

7. Fashionation’s recycled speakers

These speakers are made from 100% recycled materials, and can be folded flat for easy storage and portability. They apparently sound great, and cost a meagre $14.95. They come in a wide range of colours, from functional brown to girlie purples and pinks.

8. The Trevor Baylis Eco Media Player

Er, did I mention earlier that I have a penchant for wind-up gadgets? This is my latest, and favourite, eco-toy. In fact, I’m listening to Gogol Bordello in crystal clarity as I sit here writing this blog post. They are bigger than the iPod and probably not the coolest looking gadget out, but as far as function and adaptability goes, it beats the others hands down. As Stephen Fry said after trying one of these out, “Eat Trevor’s dust, Apple!” In my house it’s fondly referred to as the ecoPod, and those with a mere iPod look on in envy when their batteries run down on a weekend away from their PC.

9. USB Earthdrive

ATP covered all the environmental bases when they created the Earthdrive USB flash drive. It’s made of recycled materials, and is fully recyclable. Also a portion of its sales will go towards planting trees with the American Forest Foundation. It’s even completely waterproof, so even hardened treehuggers can take these out and about on their treehugging adventures and not worry about being caught in the rain.

10. NoPoPo eco-friendly batteries

Are they taking the piss? Apparently not. These batteries with an infinitely entertaining name are powered by urine, water, beer, juice, you name it. This is how they work: the batteries contain a mixture of carbon and magnesium which reacts with liquid to produce power. NoPoPo also contain no mercury, hexavalent chrome, lead or cadmium, so they’re okay to dispose of once they’ve been used to death. Worth keeping an eye out for.

2008 looks to be a promising year for green gadgetry. Exciting times ahead!

Advertisement: Reduce your CO2 footprint by as much as 2 tonnes/year & save up to £150 on your energy bills.

Share This