In honor of Earth Day, I'm highlighting the sustainable tech I'm most excited about in 2025. From products to projects, these ideas definitely don't suck, and they might even save the planet!
Earth Day 2025 is right around the corner. And, as Gadget Flow’s self-proclaimed sustainable tech writer, I’m excited to highlight the innovations that are actually moving us forward. Sure, the headlines can feel heavy, but real progress is happening and these products and projects are the evidence. Yes, these ideas make me optimistic about the future I’m building for my kids. Want to see what gives me hope? Keep reading!
There’s actually a lot going on in sustainable tech right now. First and foremost, Aptera—the solar-powered car—presented a prototype at CES 2025. Yes, this company has a solar-powered car in the works since 2006. After several starts, stops, and new ownership, the company is back in the hands of its original founders—and they have a working model!
Related: Future-Proof your lifestyle: the best eco-friendly tech gadgets in 2025
Then there’s Back Market. Founded in 2022, this marketplace for refurbished electronics gives a second life to pre-loved tech like smartphones, game consoles, tablets, and laptops. Users can buy and sell their tech on the site, reducing e-waste and saving money. Operating in 17 countries, including the US, UK, Spain, and Japan, Back Market brings a higher profile and smoother sales process to refurbished gadgets—something I couldn’t be happier about.
Without a doubt, companies are listening to their customers—and that’s amazing. Check out what they’ve come up with this year:
1. HP All-In Plan
My printer runs out of ink at the worst possible moments—tax time, kids’ midterms…you name it. HP aims to eliminate this user pain point with its newest All-In Plan. The subscription plan gives you a new HP printer, automatic ink delivery, and continuous printer coverage. Best of all, after your subscription expires (in 2 to 3 years) you’ll be eligible to receive a new printer—HP will recycle your old one for you.
How does this help the planet? The plan makes recycling used ink supplies and printers effortless. Because, how often do you really return those used ink cartridges? With the plan, HP sends you prepaid shipping labels and recycling envelopes, so you don’t even have to think about it!
Price: plans start at $6.99/month
2. ASUS Signature Edition Zenbook Series
I buy a new laptop every 5-6 years. Over time, that’s gonna add up to a lot of plastic and chemical waste. Well, ASUS may have just found a way to produce laptops more sustainably. The brand unveiled its Signature Edition Zenbook Series with Ceraluminum at Milan Design Week 2025.
What is Ceraluminum? It’s ASUS’s proprietary material, made of aluminum and ceramic. It’s super durable and eliminates the use of toxic chemicals in the production process. Plus, it’s 100% recyclable, so it can be used for something else, once you no longer need it. I love the tactile, stone-like feel it brings to the laptops and Earth-inspired designs.
Price: For availability updates, follow ASUS on Social Media & visit the official website.
3. ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential
Home heating and cooling takes a bite out of your paycheck and harms the environment. Luckily, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential can lower your bills and reduce your carbon footprint. How does it work? The gadget learns your routines to help you make better use of energy. It’ll save while you’re out and keep you comfortable while at home. The brand estimates $250 in savings per year.
Other features I love are the energy insights & alerts. Users receive energy reports each month so they can see exactly when the heating/cooling is being used. Then, the real-time alerts help you avoid disruptions. Overall, it’s a great way to save money and help the planet!
Amazon Price: $124.99
4. Aptera Solar-Powered Cars
Can you imagine a future where cars and trucks are powered by the sun—and nothing else? The team at Aptera believes it’s not just a fairytale—they’re devotedly applying breakthrough solar tech to create sun-powered cars. The current prototype has a 400-mile range or up to 40 miles running on free–yes, $0–energy.
Shaped a bit like a hummingbird, it’s definitely unlike any car you’ve seen—ever. And last month, it completed its first road trip with incredibly efficient results. The brand’s vision is to mass produce the vehicles and jump in on the public interest generated by electric cars. If anything could change our environmental trajectory, it’s these cars—or something like them. I genuinely hope to see them on the road in the near future!
Price: Learn about investing on the official website
5. VPS Solar Covered Parking
Parking lots take up vast amounts of otherwise useful land—but therein lies an opportunity. VPS reasons that car shades topped with solar panels stretching the length of a suburban mall’s parking can help companies comply with state energy mandates, save on taxes, and reduce energy spending.
It sounds like an awesome idea to me. The company has built solar-covered parking solutions for hotels, car dealerships, and malls. The solar panel creates energy for heating and electricity and amounts to long-term, durable protection for parked cars.
Price: Request a quote on the official website
6. AquiSense UV-C LED Water Purification
Everyone deserves clean drinking water. Unfortunately, many current purification systems rely on harmful chemicals or materials to make water fit for human consumption. AquiSense offers an alternative. Using full-spectrum UV LED lights, the brand treat water without leaving negative effects on the environment.
What does it target? The systems use UV-C LEDs to reduce or destroy harmful bacteria and other pathogens in water. It also targets microbes in the air. Overall, the brand’s systems clean water without chemicals or mercury-based lamps, which is something to be excited about. Choose from the PearlAqua Micro, PearlAqua Deca, and the PearlAqua Kilo & Tera platforms.
Price: Request information on the official website
7. Fairphone 5
I’ve long been a fan of Fairphone. Launched in 2013 on a mission to create fairer smartphones, the team sees itself as a smartphone disrupter—building sustainable smartphones that result in a fairer future, for everyone. The current rendition, the Fairphone 5, includes 2 high-quality 50mp cameras and is futureproof until 2031!
Meanwhile, the phone uses gold, silver, and cobalt that are fairly mined, which means consuming the materials improves the lives of the mining communities that produce them. Plus, it’s e-neutral, meaning for every Fairphone 5 made, the company collects and recycles 212 grams (the same weight as the Fairphone 5) of electronic waste. Oh, and the design is modular—you can take it apart and repair it yourself.
Price: $622 $566
8. Back Market Refurbished Tech Marketplace
This one’s not a product, but a major 2025 trend. Back Market is a refurbished tech marketplace where you can buy (and sell) high-quality refurbished phones, tablets, laptops, and more. You’ll reduce e-waste and save money.
Yep, you can get a 2020 iPad for just $130, or an Apple Watch SE 2 (2022) for just $128.48. Got tech you want to trade in? Make up to $370 on your old iPhone and up to $200 on other phones. It’s a great way to keep great tech in circulation.
Love it? Visit the official website for more information
Parting thoughts
Sustainable tech alone won’t fix everything, but it is a start. In a world where the headlines can be bleak, seeing companies spearhead renewable energy, reusability, and eco-friendly production processes feels like we’re on a forward trajectory. It’s not a perfect process, but every smarter choice brings us closer to a future we can be proud of.
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