12 Gross and Strange Green Inventions

The development of green living is going to be key to man-kind’s longevity on this planet.  We need more poop fuel, more thing made out of garbage, to re-use the unusable, solar powered condoms… the usual stuff.  Inventions that we now use daily probabaly would have seemed very strange to people 50 years ago.  Some inventions on this list may seem weird now, but who knows… maybe fueling boats with our own fat will be the new norm.

12. Human Waste as Fertilizer

(It's dog poo, don't worry)

According to National Geographic, human urine and feces is currently be used by over 200 million farmers around the world. While most of these farmers are using human sewage as fertilizer out of economic necessity, studies have indicated that these developments are encouraging the development of effective waste water treatment centers in areas of the world with limited access to clean treated water. In the West, some green warriors choose to treat their own waste to make human fertilizer as a way to lower their carbon imprint.

This doesn’t mean that pooping on your lawn is now socially acceptable.

11. Human Remains as Fertilizer

One of the strangest developments to emerge from the green movement is the invention of a creation method that turns a human corpse into a type of high octane liquid fertilizer. A company called Resomation, Ltd has introduced the technology that they developed from their labs in Scotland to a public that was initially grossed out and then intensely curious. As it turns out, the processes used by Resomation, Ltd can transform the corpse of an adult human into approximately 200 gallons of liquid fertilizer. Who would have thought that saving the environment would be so easy after death?

Imagine Billy Mays pitching this product.

10. Biodegradable Plastic Bags

While biodegradable plastic bags are not the strangest green invention to appear lately, they represent a fundamental change in the way that we look at plastics and other disposable materials. The biodegradable plastics that are designed and manufactured by BioBag USA are made from natural products like corn and can even be composted from home. I realize this doesn’t neccesarily fit in so well with this list, but wanted to include it as it is such a simple thing that everyone serious about green living should use.

9. Eco-friendly Coffins

In case you are not quite ready to liquify your mortal remains for the common good, you can at least lower the environmental impact of your burial by purchasing one of the eco-friendly coffins created by Ecoffins. Ecoffins are created by using natural products like bamboo, willow branches, banana leaves and pine planks. They are designed to decompose fairly quickly and are not made with any products that could damage the surrounding soil.

8. Haute Couture Clothing Made from Cigarette Butts

Although it is unlikely that we will be seeing any of these unusual items of clothing on runways during Fashion Week anytime soon, the clothing made from cigarette butts created by Alexandra Guerrero show that even cutting edge designers are jumping on the green living bandwagon. Guerrero’s handbags, shawls and dresses are made out of a combination of wool and cigarette butts that have been cleaned and autoclaved.

“Hey I’m not smoking…I’m making a bag.”

7. Energy Generating Soccer Ball

The energy denerating soccer ball known as the Soccket is definitely the coolest eco-friendly invention to show up in recent years. The Soccket is a fully functional soccer ball that uses the kinetic energy generated during a soccer game to build up a charge in its built-in battery. This battery can then by used to power small lights at night or charge basic cell phones. Who would have thought that they could be saving the environment by kicking around a soccer ball?

Don’t forget to unplug your cell phone.

6. Biodegradable Motor Oil

Biodegradable motor oil is one of the stranger inventions to appear in the automotive industry in some time. This product is created by Green Earth Technologies and is made out of a mixture of beef tallow and other ingredients.

Beef tallow..sounds delicious.

5. Eco-friendly Feminine Hygiene Products

While some eco-friendly feminine hygiene items sound a bit gross at first, products like the Diva Cup have begun to catch on with women who are ready to take their commitment to environment to the next level. The Diva Cup is des

igned to be worn for 12 hours at a time and to drastically cut back on the amount of waste generated by traditional feminine hygiene products.

4. Wind Powered Knitting Machine

While it might be unlikely that the wind powered knitting machine will have many commercial applications, this strange green invention shows when happens people are willing to think outside the box. This ingenious device uses wind to power a basic knitting machine that can be operated from an apartment window. The wind powered knitting machine was designed by Merel Karhof and is marketed as the Wind Knitting Factory.

Sorry Grandma…I prefer the sweater the wind made for me.

3. Pet Fur Handbags

Fashionistas who have had a lifelong love affair with fur but have given up these products for political reasons just might find what they are looking for in these oddball green fashion bags. Designed by a pet groomer by the name of Danelle German in Simpsonville, South Carolina, these handbags are decorated in fur that has been groomed from a person’s own pet.

I’m just waiting on Man Fur handbags, who wouldn’t want a handbag made of my chest hair?

2. Urinal Hand Washing Station

Remembering to wash your hands might become easier than ever if the ONDA Urinal System designed by Lee Isherwood catches on. When a man flushes the urinal system, water is first flushed through a modestly sized sink for where he can quickly washes his hands. The same water is then flushed to the urinal portion of the system and is disposed of as waste water. As a result, virtually no water is used other than that which is used to flush the urinal.

Not only is it environmentally efficient, but it’s time efficient as well. Just imagine….brushing your teeth and peeing at the same time. Wouldn’t that make a great green living poster?

1. Green Boat Fueled by Human Fat

Although only one of these boats has been created to date, the eco-friendly boat that is fueled by human fat purchased from liposuction clinics is one of the stranger green inventions to ever appear. Peter Bethune designed his boat to be one of the fastest boats to ever ride the seas a few years ago, and it is has already broken previous speed records powered by its unusual form of fuel.

We may have hit a gold mine here, this actually may be able to remove our dependence on foreign oil. Keep the fast food coming…