How did they think of that?

by Laura Brooks

Pollution sensitive dress

Have you wondered how much pollution is in the air you’re breathing? For those of you that have but lack the necessary technical equipment, this is the product for you. Californian designer Stephanie Sandstrom has created a dress with tiny sensors embedded in it that ‘read’ the surrounding atmosphere and wrinkles the fabric in an area where air quality is poor. It’s probably best to steer clear of traffic jams when you’re wearing this one.

Biodegradable car

You can get biodegradable cups, shopping bags…why not cars? A team of experts at Warwick University have created a racing-car made almost entirely from plants. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, it can also reach speeds of 150 miles-per-hour. The car runs on biofuel created from fermented wheat and sugar beets, while the tyres are made of potatoes and the brake pads were created from ground cashew shells. The team behind the 95 per cent biodegradable car hope their creation will lead the way for similar cars on the Grand Prix circuit, as well as the car industry.

Edible shoe cream

A shoe company which claims its purpose is to: “set new standards in ecological footwear manufacturing” has created a multi-purpose shoe cream that can also be eaten or used in your skin care routine. The Po-Zu cream is made from coconut oil and can be used as a moisturiser, hair conditioner, in drinks, as massage oil or as cooking oil. It is organic, and free of cholesterol, additives and sugar – good news for those of you picky about what to have for dinner.