We believe in the possibility of a new kind of tourism. Far from encouraging standardized tourism that favors over-construction and economic escalation, HomeExchange enhances local tourism and promotes a more egalitarian and circular way of travel thanks to a redistribution of members’ resources.
We attended the #ChangeNOW Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, where 28,000 participants gathered to showcase and learn about practical/sustainable solutions to tackle the world’s eight most urgent issues. Of the thousands of innovations presented, we want to share with you the four most inspiring things we learned.
- It’s possible to fight the waste of electricity and to save money at the same time, thanks to the Ecojoko connected device. All you have to do is put the device on your electricity meter. The device captures your use of electricity, detects where you consume the most, and makes recommendations to help reduce consumption.
This smart device is currently only available in France. Would you like a discount on this product? If so, email lola@homeexchange.com.
Learn more: www.ecojoko.com
- Collect 15 liters of drinking water with a small machine that extracts water from the air! This is made possible with Space Apes. This rocket-shaped prototype has not yet been released, but the technique seems to be pretty revolutionary for countries with little access to drinking water. Today, the cost to produce such a machine would be € 500. However, if mass-produced, they could significantly reduce that cost.
Learn more: www.sapes.co
- Technology puts itself at the service of the planet with The Ocean CleanUp. This nonprofit aims to clean up the oceans and rivers by removing 90% of plastic waste floating on the surface. How? With floating structures, aptly named Interceptors, each made up of a 600 meter long float that traps waste, and a 3 meter deep conveyor belt that prevents it from passing underneath. This 100% solar-powered, scalable solution allows them to collect the debris then recycle it, all without disturbing the maritime ecosystem. Their first successful operation took place last October in the North Pacific where they managed to capture not only pieces of plastic but also dangerous microparticles measuring only one millimeter.
Learn more: theoceancleanup.com
- Adidas also attended the event. The brand has been successfully using recycled materials in 40% of their products. The big news is they are going to release sneakers that are 100% made of recycled materials and 100% recyclable! The agents even promise that customers will be able to buy a pair of the Futurecraft Loop shoes with a guarantee that Adidas will replace (recycle) them to create a brand new pair...for life! Too good to be true?! We'll find out in 2021!
In the meantime, you can plan an environmentally friendly vacation this summer!
