3 Eco-Friendly Inventions that Make the World Better

For the past 20 years, on April 26, World Intellectual Property Day has celebrated how IP rights encourage innovation and creativity amongst different

For the past 20 years, on April 26, World Intellectual Property Day has celebrated how IP rights encourage innovation and creativity amongst different sectors.

This year’s theme is “Innovate for a Green Future.”

And it focuses on creating green innovative, and sustainable technology.

Moving to a greener future is at the forefront of most companies’ mission statements.

Society’s eco-consciousness has also increased over the years, with people now putting greater emphasis on living an eco-friendlier lifestyle.

We’re in a unique place where we are more creative than before and are equipped with more resources to help fuel ingenuity and solve eco-related problems.

Within the last few years, we’ve witnessed eco-friendly inventions like consumable cutlery, eco-friendly floss, and an edible water bottle.

To participate in this special holiday, we’ve listed our top 3 favorite eco-friendly, patented inventions and how they work to tackle issues like water pollution and waste materials.

1. LifeStraw®

The LifeStraw, also known as a water purification device, received multiple patents between 2016 – 2017 to protect its water purification device, drinking straw, and water purifier.

An ideal survival tool for campers, hikers, travelers, and people in need of clean water, the LifeStraw removes bacteria, parasites, and microplastics from your water.

The personal, portable water filter boasts 5 years’ worth of drinking water or 1,000 gallons.

LifeStraw tops our list of favorite eco-friendly inventions because for just a few dollars to own, it’s solving a world issue and saving millions of lives.

Unfortunately, access to clean water is not a reality for over one billion people. Half of the world’s poor population suffer from waterborne disease and ultimately die from drinking contaminated water.

Inventions like LifeStraw become paramount in killing disease-causing microorganisms that can spread typhoid, Cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea.

2. Adidas Recycled Sportswear

In 2015, Adidas formed a partnership with Parley for the Oceans to turn marine pollution into sportswear.

According to their site, Adidas is fighting for plastic-free oceans while on a mission to reduce its environmental impact.

How can a multi-million shoe company have a stake in clean oceans, you may ask?

Adidas is using recycled plastic bottles as a replacement for virgin polyester.

Because polyester is the most-used material in Adidas products and consumes resources like energy and water to produce, the company believed recycled polyester is a greener solution.

And they’re right!

The shoe company says the partnership has prevented 2,810 tons of plastic from reaching the ocean.

Adidas’ goal is to replace all of its virgin polyesters with recycled polyester by 2024.

As of now, more than 40% of Adidas’ apparel uses recycled polyester.

If you’re questioning the look of recycled shoes, chances are you’ve seen it and didn’t realize it.

Ocean Plastic has been used to make clothing for college football, the NHL, and the Australian Open. There’s even a football field made with Parley Ocean Plastic.

3. The Ocean Cleanup

Boyan Slat, a Dutch innovator, was only 18 when he devised a concept that utilizes the natural oceanic forces to passively catch ocean plastic.

His design was able to raise $31.5 million in crowd-funding.

Since then, Slat has created a nonprofit called The Ocean Cleanup, which aims to clean up 90% of ocean plastic pollution.

According to its site, “The Ocean Cleanup is developing a passive cleanup method, which uses the natural oceanic forces to rapidly and cost-effectively clean up the plastics already in the oceans.”

The Ocean Cleanup makes our list of favorite eco-friendly inventions because it’s accomplishing what would’ve taken thousands of years to do in 10 years or less.

Slat’s commitment to a cleaner ocean helps save the lives of animals like turtles, seals, and birds.

But his heroic efforts didn’t come without backlash.

According to Business Insider, Slat “gave a viral 2012 TEDx talk about the plan, but several marine scientists were skeptical about the unproven plan to create the ‘largest offshore structure ever assembled‘.”

As of 2020, The Ocean Cleanup has successfully captured plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a trash vortex. It estimates that roughly 110,000 pounds of plastic can be removed from rivers daily.

And by 2025, the company has goals to tackle the 1,000 most polluted rivers, which accounts for 80% of ocean plastic pollution.

To think that this all started with a simple idea.

Using eco-friendly products work to improve our quality of life. Inventions like the Oceanic Array and LifeStraw help the environment and keeps the world’s population safe.

It may seem like everything has been thought of, from eco-friendly light bulbs, to recycled packaging and even clothing made from plastic – but this is just the beginning of innovation for a green future.

A push for a more sustainable life makes way for almost anything to be created. Keep exploring new areas of sustainability as we continue to innovate for a green future.

Are you working on a green idea and want to bring it to life with a patent? Call us at 1-877-Patent Professor for information on securing your intellectual property rights.