Low-tech: Definition, meaning, and examples

A true accelerator of the ecological transition, low-tech is based on easy-to-use technologies with low environmental impact. This sustainable innovation allows us to explore new ways, complementary or even alternatives to high-tech products, and discover a new way of life that can also go a long way to helping tackle the problem of climate change. In this article, we’ll look at what is low-tech and give some examples of its use in day-to-day life.

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What is low-tech?

Low-tech is a set of techniques, objects, services, systems, practices, lifestyles and ways of thinking that are simple and accessible to all.

Low technology encompasses three fundamental principles:

1. Utility: meeting basic needs, such as energy, food, access to water or health;
2. Accessibility: be affordable and accessible to the greatest number of people;
3. Sustainability: optimising the ecological, social and societal impact at each stage of the life cycle.

• Low-tech in 2022:
• 83 countries referenced on all continents;
• 720 referenced projects, 9 of which are in the UK;
• 12 application areas (Communication, Energy, Agriculture, Food, Health, Housing, Hygiene, Materials, Mobility, Tools, Waste, Water).

Source: The Low-tech Lab

As Earth Overshoot Day arrives earlier each year, it is essential to change our consumption habits. Low technology is an alternative to current consumer habits. More respectful of the environment and human health, low-tech responds to the challenges of sustainable development.

By simplifying the manufacturing process and trying to do it better with less complexity and fewer materials, low-tech living opposes advanced technologies. This new concept tries to represent innovations from a different angle, simpler and more respectful towards the planet.

What is the difference between high tech and low-tech?Low-tech is technology that is designed to be simple to use and make. High-tech, on the other hand, is modern technology that uses advanced features. It includes items and devices such as the internet, computers, digital photography, high definition TV, etc.

Unlike high-tech products, low-tech objects must be of simple construction, using local and preferably natural materials, so that they are easily repairable and recyclable. The low-tech philosophy is very much in line with a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach.

Low-tech's mission is to explore everything possible to create useful, sustainable and accessible technical solutions for all. Thus, low technology makes it possible to live better with less. More than a movement, low-tech is almost a way of life. It means accepting that an object is less powerful, and not prioritising the use of high-technology. It also means giving up planned obsolescence and favouring a more minimalist lifestyle.

What is Earth Overshoot Day?Earth Overshoot Day marks the date in the calendar when the demand placed by humans on the world’s natural resources outweighs how much the planet can regenerate. This year, that date fell on July 29th.

The low-tech movement

As the world seems to be ever more dependent on high-tech gadgets and reliant on quick internet connections, for many years now there has been a group in society that has questioned the need for such speed of change and such dependency. Many publications have been set up across the world offering advice on how to switch to a low-tech lifestyle.

One of those is Low-tech Magazine, which was launched in 2007. Available online - on a solar-powered server - and in print, the magazine offers readers the very latest advice on how to live low-tech. Examples of lifestyle changes it advises on include how to take your house or flat off-grid.

Low-tech innovation in the UK

As mentioned earlier, there are a number of low-tech projects in the UK working hard to raise awareness of the need for a more sustainable way of living. Some examples of these projects include:

• Agriprotein: A company dedicated to finding solutions to the problem of increased demand for fishmeal and food waste by harnessing the power of insects to convert waste into protein for the agricultural industry.
• Loowatt: A London-based waste management company that has invented a toilet that does not need a water-flush system and can convert waste into biogas to generate electricity or for fertiliser.
• Wind Empowerment Association: A group of experts who share knowledge with communities around the UK on how to build their own wind turbines with locally sourced resources.
• Deciwatt: Inventors of the ‘nowlight’ cord which, when pulled for one minute only, can power a light for more than two hours or charge a mobile phone allowing for 15 minutes of talk time.

Examples of low-tech innovations

The fields of application of low-tech are numerous and very varied:

• Reuse and repair through the circular economy, such as the Fairphone (sustainable and socially ethical smartphone) in particular;
• Agriculture and food: permaculture, organic farming;
• Trade and distribution: zero waste initiatives, short circuit;
• Urbanism: ecological houses, eco-neighborhood;
• Industry and services with the Do-It-Yourself philosophy (unfiltered aquarium, solar oven, garden wind turbine, etc.).

How to set up a low-tech planted aquarium?

A low-tech planted tank is a low-requirement aquarium with no other equipment than its glass tank. This means getting rid of the filter (according to the Walstad method) and replacing it with naturally occurring plants and microorganisms that will clean and purify the water.

There are two steps to a successful low-tech aquarium:

1. Leave the tank open for the plants to flourish as in nature (contrary to popular belief, water does not evaporate in large quantities);
2. Install the tank behind a window or add an artificial light alternative, such as LED lighting.

What are the best low-tech aquarium plants?Low-tech aquarium plants are ones that require very little maintenance when starting your aquascaping project. Typical plants include crypts, java fern, pearlweed and christmas moss.

How to build a solar oven?

Building a solar oven is relatively simple and cheap. In fact, it is made from common materials, such as wood, aluminum foil, cork, or plywood.

How does it work? When entering through the oven glass, the sun's rays are reflected on the edges of the box until they hit the pot. The energy from these rays is then transformed into heat. Thanks to the sun's energy, the solar oven can heat water or cook dishes at a mild temperature (between 120 and 170 degrees).

Build a low-tech tiny house

The tiny house concept first originated in the USA but has spread across the world as people look to achieve a more sustainable way of life. In the UK last year, around 8,000 tiny homes were built and there is an ever-growing community of people living in these types of homes.

There are many benefits to tiny-house living, and one of them is being able to live a low-tech and sustainable lifestyle. Many tiny house owners choose to live off-grid and do so by turning to low-tech solutions such as using wood burning stoves for heating and small wind turbines or solar energy for power.

How to live a low-tech lifestyle?

As it becomes increasingly important that we all do our part to do what we can to help reduce our reliance on the world’s resources and to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, there are a number of low-tech options available to us in our day-to-day lives. These include:

• Using a traditional clothes rack to dry clothes rather than use a clothes dryer;
• Insulating curtains and shading windows. Simply by blocking direct sunlight entering your home, or by using insulating curtains, you can keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer without having to use any extra energy;
• Think about using solar chargers to charge household items like your phone, computer, and other gadgets;
• If you have the time and space, think about growing your own fruit and vegetables. All you need is a patch of land and a shovel or gardening fork;
• When cleaning your house, think about whether you need high-tech tools to help. What about a dustpan, brush and some old rags. And use environmentally-friendly products too!
• Don’t use a hose and water your plants directly from the tap. Use a bucket to collect excess water from your shower, or use your bath water to water your plants when you’re done.

Discover more guides on how to protect the environment and our planet.