Chances are that if you are reading this, then you’re into green gadgets.. If you’re not, then Welcome, and please feel free to browse around the store to see why you should be! For the rest of us, being into gadgets might also mean you’re a bit of do-it-yourself-er. If you are, then today’s post is for you, because its about instructables.com
Instructables.com is a self-described “documentation platform where passionate people share what they do and how they do it…”. The idea for the site was created by a group of MIT students who later went on to found Squid Labs. Supported by an incredible community, instructables.com has become a great place to share ideas and be inspired by others. The premise is simple but powerful. Each instructable is a set of linear steps, accompanied by images, that shows how to accomplish a project. Using this simple format, the website has developed a huge number offerings in categories such as art, food, games, music, science, and technology. And of course, the reason we are covering it today, is their Green category.
The green category consists of wide array of projects. There are guides available for composting bins, gardening projects, jewelry making, computer recycling, and energy saving. Since the last couple of posts have focused on saving water in the home, I thought this would be a good area in which to demonstrate types of instructables available.
At one end of the spectrum is an instructable titled “Conserving Water: 2 Stage Toilet Flush“. This project requires no money, no tools, and very little labor. Simply by understanding how your toilet works, and making a small change to its internals, you can convert your standard flush toilet into one that has the capability to perform a low-water flush, for minimal waste, or a full-flush for anything else. Once you read this, you may think that its too simple to bother sharing but often it is the simple actions that make a big difference.
Now, one step up in difficulty is an instructable titled “Simple Laundry Greywater System“. This project requires some basic plumbing supplies and skills, mainly the ability to connect a hose with a nut and washer, and some effort. Reading through this shows you how you could possibly start using greywater from your laundry washing machine in your garden. The best part about this instructable is that it really opens your mind to the possibilities. Its pretty easy to re-route your laundry machine’s waste water and if this solution isn’t exactly right for you, you might be able to change it until you have something that does work.
This last instructable actually won recognition from earthjustice.org, and its called “Save Water! Kitchen Faucet with Foot Pedal“. This project requires several parts (tubing, solenoids, wires), some skills, but mainly confidence. I say this because it involves electricity and water. So I hope we all understand that there are no guarantees when you do your own work (but isn’t that what is so great about it?). This idea is pretty cool though because the end product is a foot pedal that controls the water flow from a faucet. Not only is it green, but its a cost-effective solution that you could theoretically implement yourself.
So if you’ve got the time and notion, go over to instructables.com and take a look around. There are projects for every skill level in a variety of areas that you may never have considered.
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