For people who want to reduce energy consumption through the course of their daily lives without giving up modern conveniences, Spanish designer Miren Arrieta-Odria has created the Sustainable Toaster for Delft University of Technology. A second runner up at the the 2009 Domestic Appliances Design Award organized by Philip-TUDelft, the toaster is designed to use up to 34 percent less energy than a regular unit thanks to four insulated compartments.
As opposed to regular toasters that are created to toast several slices of bread at a time and use the same amount of power even when you’re toasting a single slice, the Sustainable Toaster allows users to toast single slices which reduces energy consumption immediately. Instead of popping the toast out when the timer is up, the innovative toaster keeps the toaster inside and keeps it warm till the user opens it to fetch the toasted slice of bread.
Four separate parts fit into the base allowing many slice of bread to be toasted at a time. Each compartment comes with an easy to open door that makes it easy to clean the unit while hidden heating elements make it safe for use by families with young kids.
What makes the Sustainable Toaster truly remarkable is the fact that it runs on batteries which are recharged by the power generated via a static bike pedaled by a person. Not only does this promote healthy living among families, it also helps kids understand how human power can be easily harvested for daily use. The unit is also geared to tell users how much electricity the unit is used and how much pedaling would produce the kind of energy needed to recharge the batteries used in the toaster.
Via: Cargo Collective