Redefining the idea of green transportation.
A passion for bicycles led Israeli entrepreneur Izhar Gafni to create his own truly Green bicycle.
A light weight, economical and functional bicycle. Made out of cardboard! Yes Cardboard, even the seat!
They are made of recycled cardboard, can withstand water and humidity, cost nearly nothing!
While on a visit to the bike shop to get some parts he heard a story of a canoe built out of cardboard. This struck a chord in Izhar that he just could get past, why couldn’t he make a bicycle out of cardboard.
He spoke with three different engineers who each told him that it would not be possible. “It can’t be done” he was told.
Just what Izhar needed to push him a little harder, that and the support of his wife who could tell that he was not going to get over this until he tried it for himself.
So he started dabbling with cardboard, testing shapes, strength, workability, etc…
Soon he had a working prototype, though it may have been an eyesore, it was a functioning bicycle built out of cardboard.
Here is a video showing how Izhar made his dream a reality:
Gafni’s bicycle redefines the idea of green transportation in every way, being environmentally friendly from early stages of production all the way through creation of the final product. The bicycles are made out of recycled and used cardboard so they are Green, strong, functional and inexpensive! Izhar figures that the raw materials would cost around $9 – $12.
Which could put the retail price in the $60 dollar range.
If you feel the need for a cardboard bike, they just might be coming to market in the near future.
If you a riding a cardboard bike, why not protect yourself with this: the Kranium
According to helmet-designer Anirudha Rao, many of the helmets we’re currently wearing aren’t really the best. Rao has developed a helmet that not only fits better, but also protects better than a normal polystyrene helmet. The most interesting part of Rao’s design is the material it’s made out of: cardboard.
Kranium is a bike helmet that is made from the same cardboard used for the boxes you find at the supermarket. This material, along with some clever construction, turns out to be a lot better at absorbing impact than the more usual polystyrene-filled lids. Four times better!
Another great safety and selling point is that the Kranium is custom-made and is manufactured by scanning the user’s head.
For those of you wondering, yes they are water proof!
Get creative, what is you great undiscovered project?
Is it Green?
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Category: Go Green News, Go Green Tech
About the Author (Author Profile)
Creator/Host of Go Green America TV
Jeff (Jf) Davis aka The Go Green Guy is from Maine
Moved to LA to follow his passion as an actor
these days he is still acting, lives in LA with his wife and two boys
an writes about Green Living for his website Go Green America TV
that will soon be a TV show!!
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