Sustainable development is the core of environmental technologies; and in the recent years, we have seen a wide push towards more sustainable products, whether in the car industry, the food market, or even your local street vendor.

Having the choice between a non-environmental product and one that is easily recyclable - most people will probably choose the environmentally sound product. However, I feel that if the “green” product is more expensive or just harder to get, the average consumer will default back to the non-environmental product. To that effect, I am writing a short list of products that makes you environmental conscience without going out of your way.

USBCell

With over 15 billion batteries needlessly thrown away each year, USB Cell proposes a innovative and trendy solution to common alkaline cells batteries - a battery that is recharged through a USB port. Traditional rechargeable batteries have never been truly portable as they are dependent on chargers or adapters, and so most consumers prefer single use alkaline cells. The convenience of charging wherever there is a usb port makes this product very attractive, while being sustainable and practical for the everyday use.

USB cell comes in four different models, the AA And AAA batteries, the 9v battery cell and the cell phone & PDA battery. Read More at the USBCell website.

Western Digital Caviar GPWD came out with a hard drive that claims to be more sustainable and reduces the use of energy. Caviar Green Power drives yield an “average drive power savings of 4-5 watts over competitors’” And according the their website the power savings equates to reducing CO2 emission by up to 13.8 kilograms per drive per year - the equivalent of taking a car off the road for 3 days each year. While a single hard drive might not result in a large impact, the standardization of such drives in office would help reduce our CO2 emission. Read more at the WD website.

Earth DriveThe Earth Drive, by ATP, is designed and built using the maximum amount of biodegradable materials. Its casing is made completely of bio-recycled plastics (PLA) and is also recyclable. PLA (Polylactic acid) is a biodegradable polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn. So, in theory you are able to throw away this drive along your recycle cans and bottle. While that is great, the fact that ATP has partnered with the American Global Forest Re-Leaf program to donate a portion of the profits and help replant trees around the United States.The drive comes in sizes ranging from 1GB to 8GB and is waterproof, dust proof, and shock proof. Learn more at the EarthDrive Website.