Fabrik Releases Eco Bamboo [re]drive

Chris Albrecht — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:33 +0000

How do you make computing eco-hip? Wrap it in bamboo. Back in April, Dell showed off its bamboo-clad PC that uses 70 percent less power than a standard computer. Today, storage company Fabrik announced the release of its new eco-friendly external storage drive dubbed the [re]drive, made from bamboo and aluminum.

The 500 GB [re]drive uses a combination of materials, power management and design to minimize its environmental footprint. The bamboo and aluminum case is 100 percent recyclable, and the specially-designed ridges on the casing act as heat sinks, cooling the drive without the use of a fan.

As far as power consumption goes, the [re]drive has a Energy Star level 4-qualified power adapter, automatically shuts on or off with your computer and features a low-power hard drive that the company says saves up to 40 percent in power consumption.

The green of this storage machine also extends to the manufacturing and packaging. Waste aluminum from the manufacturing process is mixed in with the raw aluminum to make parts. The box it comes in contains no extraneous materials and is 100 percent recyclable.

Holiday Tip: 3 Options for Your Old Gadgets

Chris Albrecht — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 14:00:40 +0000

Chances are good that if you’re reading this, there’s a consumer electronic gadget topping your holiday wish list. We love that — we do have “tech” in our name. But we also have “earth” in there, so we’re obliged to remind you to recycle those old cell phones, iPods or other devices instead of dumping them in the trash. Here are just a few ways to do it:

Sell It Want to keep a little cash from your investment (the key word there being little)? Put it up for sale. BuyMyTronics will tell you what your old gizmo is worth and buy it from you — even if it’s broken. Or you can put your doohickey up for sale through eBay Rethink. You can sell your item yourself or enlist a service to sell it for you.

Donate it Holiday cheer making you feel a little less stingy? Then give that gadget away to someone who can use it. Recycles.org can help connect you with agencies that want your stuff. If you’re in California, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas or Pennsylvania, Goodwill and Dell formed the Reconnect Partnership (they accept any brand of computer), with the resale of donated items funding Goodwill.

Recycle it That device had a good life. But you wouldn’t foist that 2nd gen, monochrome iPod on your worst enemy. It’s time to take it out back like Ole Yeller and put it out of its misery (in a green way, of course). Collective Good does mobile phone recycling. MyGreenElectronics.org can help you find a local electronics recycler. Or check out the manufacturer’s recycling program. The EPA has a listing of corporate recycling programs from Apple, Sony, Toshiba and others. (The EPA has a pretty exhaustive listing of how to “ecycle.”)

Earth2Tech » Chris Albrecht

Fabrik Releases Eco Bamboo [re]drive

Holiday Tip: 3 Options for Your Old Gadgets