Technological advancements are pacing at a rate so much so that what is an innovation today becomes outdated the next month. While we are proud and excited about such sophistications, we tend to transgress the impact it has on our natural environment. For instance cassette tapes and gramophone records used earlier as audio storage devices are things to be preserved in a museum now. Likewise, external data storage devices such as floppy disks or even compact disks are rarely in use today. We have seen them decorating bicycle wheels, ornamental wall hangs etc.
However, most of these outdated/unused devices are thrown into garbage. Itâs a common manâs mentality to just get rid of them thoughtless about the after effects. Instead if we look at converting these devices to something more useful, it makes for saving the bucks as well as saving the environment. Following are some stuff that can be made out of floppy disks:
1. Portraits Made From Floppy Disks
Nick Gentry, a British painter from Camden in London propounded to make art from these floppy disks that are out-of-use. He started buying them from ebay and began making astounding pieces of art that looks like nothing before. Nick inspite of being a technology geek, became concerned about indiscriminate discarding of these floppy disks and tried to give them a new dimension by paining and bringing them together like a collage portrait which turned out to be fabulously artistic. Nick uses these floppy disks, pains, VHS tapes and canvas sheets to craft these portraits. Apart from the eco-friendly characteristic, these also serve as uniquely designed photo-fits and wall hangs.
2. Floppy Disk Pen and Pencil Holder
Pen and pencil holder is another eco-friendly item that can be made from these unused 3 ½â floppy disks. Five floppy disks each serving as one wall of the cubical pen holder with the fifth one as the base looks great in an office giving a professional demeanor. These pen holders can be improvised by painting their black façade to suit the atmosphere. They would make a great gift for co-workers.
3. Floppy Disk Laptop Bag
A laptop bag customized from floppy disks is quite unimaginable unless you see an image depiction. What makes it standout is its uniqueness â there could be nothing like it. This laptop bag made using 42 3 ½â floppy disks are eco-friendly with an elegant and professional look. In addition, there is no way this laptop bag can be stolen or go unidentified. Itâs a great thought and is bound to attract the tech geeks.
4. Floppy Disk Turned Into USB Drive
Charles Mangin from Option8 has skillfully created a USB drive using a 3.5â floppy disk that looks like the business card style USB device but made from something that would have gone out into the landfill otherwise. The man behind this has meticulously accommodated the storage of the USB connector stacking the components of two old floppy disks to provide the USB enough space within. The device also has a small LED that Charles got to work by aligning the floppyâs write-protect switch with the driveâs activity light.
5. Wallet made from old floppy disk cables
The floppy disk wallet is yet another product to circumvent the floppy disks disposal problem. Using the floppy disk stata cables, one could make a DIY wallet. This wallet literally made from waste materials is said to be highly durable and eco-friendly. Itâs a great idea to secure your bills and credit cards as well as show off something that is unique.
There are a jillion things one can make out of things that no more finds use for its purpose. It just takes some creative thinking and a bit of time. You could make highly unique and customized products from waste. These could turn out to be much better than what we buy from stores it terms of quality and the looks. A variety of other things can be made using these floppies such as letter holder, note pad covers etc.