Eco-friendly tech that uses natural and recycled materials

Five sustainable gadgets for the kitchen and the living room, designed with the wellbeing of the planet in mind

Journalists: Adrian Justins and Elsa Court

Household tech is going green. From solar-powered chargers to sustainable stereos, this new generation kit combines style with environmental savvy.

The turntable

Audio specialist House of Marley has blazed an eco trail in its use of materials such as FSC-certified wood, sustainable bamboo, cork, non-toxic silicone and recycled fabrics made from organic cotton, hemp and discarded plastic bottles. The Stir it Up Wireless turntable (picture above) also uses recyclable aluminium. It can connect via Bluetooth to wireless speakers and has a USB port for recording audio from vinyl on to a computer. £229.

The television

With a flame-retardant frame made using recycled plastics such as CDs and bottles, the CO2 emitted while making each Sony XE90 Bravia LED TV is 80 per cent lower than when producing televisions made from virgin resin. The set also uses a Sony-invented material called Sorplas, which the Japanese tech giant says is 99 per cent recycled plastic compared with 30 per cent in standard recycled material. When the TV reaches the end of its life, the plastic can withstand several rounds of further recycling. From £1,200.

The charger

The glass surface of solar designer Marjan van Aubel’s Current Table 2.0, engineered from integrated dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC), mimics the process of photosynthesis in plants to harvest energy indoors, even from diffused sunlight. An integrated battery stores the energy, from which you can charge your devices. An app allows users to monitor light intensity and the table’s energy production. Price upon request.

The cooker

Manufactured in Gloucestershire using self-generated energy including from the factory’s own water mill, the Everhot 110i flue-free electric cooker can run on renewable solar, water or wind-generated energy. It heats the kitchen as well as food. To offset its energy consumption, Everhot planted 10,000 trees close to its factory in 2012, with 37,000 more planned by the end of 2021, and claims to be a carbon negative company. £9,195.

Photographs: Mitch Payne