Fabrik, the creators of both storage hardware and software, has announced a new external drive, the SimpleTech [re]drive. According to Fabrik, the [re]drive may just be the greenest external drive produced.

The materials used to construct the [re]drive are far more sustainable than most of its counterparts. It's manufactured using bamboo and recyclable aluminum to construct the enclosure. It's energy-efficient and resource-concious to the point that even the power adaptor is Energy Star rated. The [re]drive needs significantly less power than other drives, as well.

Many businesses rely on external drives, such as the [re]drive to back up data as well as provide some level of portability in the event of a emergency. The [re]drive is ideal for such uses — it can store up to 500 GB of data. The price tag is $159.99, which is a little higher than the cost for similar drives with no claim to sustainability (top of the line 500 GB external drives are generally priced around $140). Fabrik is definitely charging a premium for its green product, but not a large one. Considering that just a few years ago, $150 wasn't out of line for a much smaller drive, Fabrik's pricing makes sense.

Fabrik has even thrown in their its backup service as an incentive for the purchase of a [re]drive. The green external drives are on sale now.

While I doubt the [re]drive is going to have a lot of appeal for big businesses that already have data storage plans in place, it seems ideal for small business owners. Many are looking for external drives that provide a relatively cheap way to back up data. The fact that the [re]drive uses less electricity is an added selling point — these days it seems like people are looking for every opportunity to reduce their utility bills by even the smallest amount. It's not a matter of being energy efficient. It's an issue of flat out affordability for the average business owner. It just happens that energy efficient is synonymous with eco-friendly.

Fabrik is definitely focusing on the green nature of its product, though. "Many consumers are concerned with helping solve the most important environmental issue of our time - protecting our planet from the threats of climate change," said Matt McRae, vice president of marketing at Fabrik, in a press release. "At Fabrik, we’re making an effort to support the environment, while adapting our products to better meet consumer needs and interests. We know we have a lot more work to do across the board as a company, but we’re committed to change and hope we’ll make a small dent in improving the environment - through our products, services, partner choices and company best practices."

Image — Fabrik