Environmental experts recently called toilet paper “one of the greatest excesses of our age,” leading to suggestions that Americans adopt reusable cloth toilet wipes as an environmentally friendly alternative. Gross? Maybe, but it’s just one of a slew of slightly offbeat ways to save the environment. Here’s a look at 10 of the most odd, along with TIME’s assessment of just how crazy they are….. — Dan Fletcher
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Reusable Toilet Wipes - These are made of cloth, reusable wipes which offer all the comfort of the triple-ply, ultra-quilted toilet paper roll with none of the nasty tree-killing consequences.
- Sustainable Love - The use of eco-condoms and plant lubricant each made with latex from sustainable sources.
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Stapleless Stapler - Instead of using those thin metal planet-killers, the staple-free stapler “cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses the strips to stitch up to five pieces of paper together.”
- Pig Urine Plates – Produce dinner plates made them from pig urine. A urea compound which is a key component of urine can be used to produce bioplastics that can be made into biodegradable plates and utensils
- Doing the Electric Slides - Harness the energy on the dance floor by outfitting the floor with springs that, when compressed by dancers, produce electrical current that is stored in batteries.
- Urine Batteries - Harness human urine to create a chemical reaction that powers a rudimentary battery. Add a drop of pee to an assembly of copper chloride, magnesium and copper, and voila — it produces as much power as a AA battery.
- The Greenest Convention Ever - Asking the public to save water by wearing their underwear for four days in a row: forwards one day, backwards the next, then inside out for two more.
- Resomation -Submerge the body in alkali and water. Add pressure and heat. Let simmer until liquefaction. The process, called resomation, reduces the body to a fluid of biological compounds and remnant calcium from the bones. The fluid can be used as a fertilizer and the calcium discarded without environmental harm, or even put in an urn like ashes. Practitioners say the process is energy efficient, with limited carbon emissions and no harmful mercury use like burial or cremation. Heaven for the eco-conscious.
- Bra Power - a bra made of fabric interwoven with tiny wires can produce electricity from the bosom’s natural bouncing motion throughout the day, enough to power a cell phone or an iPod. The larger the cup size, the more energy produced.
- The Tempuramobile - a race car that runs on cooking oil from tempura — a popular Japanese method of frying fish and vegetables. Researches say the car burns cleaner than fossil fuel and without as many harmful emissions.
