The TV presenter and designer reveals his favourite eco-friendly brands and products promoting sustainable living ahead of Grand Designs Live at ExCel London.
Image: Eoacoustic
Inspired by his passion for state-of-the-art eco-friendly product design and green building products, Kevin McCloud’s ‘Green Heroes’ will return to Grand Designs Live at the ExCel from 4th - 11th May 2019.
Each brand and product has been selected and hand-picked by Kevin, showcasing the very best eco-innovations, for home builders, owners and design enthusiasts. With an array of eco friendly initiatives at this year's exhibition, they will sit right at the heart, providing a platform for eco-conscious creators to present their latest innovative designs.
Here's this year’s list of brands that have been carefully curated by Kevin:
Musiccloth by Rehyphen - woven material made from recycled cassette tapes
Image: Rehyphen
Tackling the issue of the obsolete nature of past technologies, Rehyphen uses the tape from cassette tapes, manipulating them into a durable and aesthetically pleasing material which can be used for a variety of items from art to fashion. This upcycling initiative aims to reduce and eliminate e-waste while giving life to a new product.
EO Acoustic - Noise-cancelling interior material based on spruce needles
Image: Red Shift Media
EO Acoustic’s panels are a natural porous material that absorbs sound reflections, regulates humidity and temperature, while creating a comfortable and healthy atmosphere.
The individuality of the material is found in the preservation of the original shape of the needles, which create a natural texture and a feeling of wood in the interior, as well as highly decorative properties.
Tala - an award-winning eco-conscious lighting brand
Image: Tala
Founded on the premise that good design can help mitigate climate change, perfectly echoing the ethos behind Kevin’s Green Heroes, Tala believe that beautiful objects and efficient technology belong together.
Combining the best of British design with superior componentry, selecting methods and materials on their environmental impact, and remaining committed to reducing carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
Vlisco Recycled Carpet Studio – Environmentally sustainable carpets
Image: Red Shift Media
Using leftover and rejected textiles from Dutch based textile manufacturer, Vlisco, Simone Post has developed a line of high-quality, environmentally supportable carpets.
Whereas the destruction of the leftover and rejected textiles is time consuming and costly, recycling is environmentally sustainable and also offers a challenging platform for innovation.
Corrugated Hemp Fibres by Margent Farm - affordable eco-structures with plant-based material
Image: Margent Farm
Using hemp within the structure of a building is carbon negative, due to the carbon dioxide within the hemp plant being locked away for the life of the life of building. Margent Farm use corrugated hemp in a building as it is better for insulation, cost and better for Planet Earth.
Air-Ink - The first ink made entirely out of air pollution
Image: Air Ink
Pollution collected by KAALINK undergoes various proprietary processes to make the end product is safe to use. Then the carbon is taken through a chemical process to make different types of inks and paints. The ink is then used by artists and printing companies to create carbon-negative prints.
HyO Cup – Disposable Biodegradable Cups, dried gourds grown inside 3D printed moulds
Image: Red Shift Media
The HyO vegetable cups could become a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic cups.
Squash are fast-growing plants that carry sturdy fruits every season, and once dried, the outer skin and inner fibres of the gourds become watertight.
Designs studio Cream has a centuries-old tradition of using gourds for vessels, to create its own compostable cups, using custom 3D printed moulds.
Mapuguaquen – The world's first active sound system made of clay
Image: Red Shift Media
Mapuguaquen fuses state of the art electronics and craft techniques to create unique, customised pieces, using raw, regional and biodegradable materials.
Poppy Pippin - Design solutions that improve cities and create a healthier environment
Image: Red Shift Media
These moss tiles by Poppy Pippin are press moulded terracotta wall tiles designed to encourage moss growth to improve air quality in the urban environment by absorbing carbon dioxide.
ecoBirdy - Sustainable 100% recycled plastic furniture
Image: Red Shift Media
Antwerp-based brand Ecobirdy has used recycled plastic toys to create a range colourful furniture for kids, aiming to raise their "awareness for sustainability". With an overarching goal of introducing
children to the circular economy, all the pieces from Ecobirdy's debut collection are made from old plastic toys and are completely recyclable.
See Kevin McCloud's Green Hereos this week at Grand Designs Live to see the Green Heroes showcase.
If you haven't got tickets yet, take advantage of our exclusive ticket offer.
Which Green Hero are you most excited about seeing at Grand Designs Live 2019? Tweet us @granddesignsmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.
