Cardboard

Cardboard is versatile stuff and, aside from packaging, has been used to make everything from a helmet to a bicycle, and even a church and guitar. The latest addition to the ranks is the Foldo Bebe, a flatpack cardboard baby crib that promises to be lightweight, durable, and green.

Japan's Shigeru Ban is a bone-fide starchitect best known for using his considerable talents to design temporary low-cost emergency housing using materials like beer crates and cardboard tubes. Two of his innovative shelters, plus other works, are currently on display in Sydney's SCAF art gallery.

Fly ash is generated during the manufacture of paper and cardboard, along with sludge. Most of it just ends up being dumped in landfills. That could be about to change, however, as scientists have discovered that it can also be used as a raw material in plastic goods.

The latest vintage-inspired camera, currently funding on Kickstarter, focuses further into the classic photo-taking experience. The cardboard-made Jollylook is designed to develop instant prints from analog hardware.

A new cardboard drone being funded by DARPA won't concern itself with the need to return to its sender, with the ability to deliver vital goods and disappear soon after the job is done. ​

​If you run a business that ships a lot of items, then you no doubt want the shipping process to be as efficient as possible … which is why Belgian start-up Fit Things created Slimbox. It's a machine that builds boxes on the spot, based on measurements of the goods.

Plenty of DJs have a cheesy taste in music, but none have ever taken it so far as to play their records on a pizza box. They can now though, courtesy of Pizza Hut's newly-created playable pizza box turntables, which connect to DJ software on a laptop or mobile device to put pizza fans in the mix.

Last year, Signal Snowboards and Fender made a one-off cardboard Stratocaster that sounded much better than it looked. Now French startup Obilab is introducing a new member to the band in the shape of a cardboard drum kit that collapses down to be carried like a backpack between gigs.​

Living in a cardboard box generally means you've fallen on hard times, but a new cardboard-based tiny house called Nido House makes the idea seem appealing. The off-grid home features a solar power system, rainwater recovery and will be offered in various sizes and designs.

Poopy Cat, the firm behind the Blocks cardboard pet playhouse kit we looked at last year, has unveiled its latest project. Landmarks features flatpack pet playhouses modeled on seven architectural classics, including the Sphinx of Giza, the White House, and the Kremlin.

If you've camped at music festivals, you'll know that tents are often discarded afterwards for campsite crews to clear up. This is, obviously, incredibly wasteful. Recognizing this, a pair of Dutch designers decided that, if people are going to leave their tents, they might as well be recyclable.

Oristand is a cardboard standing desk priced at just $25. Being made of cardboard has its disadvantages, but the low price is a definite plus that means anyone can use Oristand.