PRESS RELEASE -
The company is incorporating bio-based plastics and post-consumer recycled paperboard into their new and improved Earth’s Choice product line
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Two years ago a story was penned here on Sustainable Brands about a partnership between my company, PrintEco - a small startup with an app to enable more efficient printing - and Domtar, one of the largest paper & pulp manufacturers in North America. It was certainly a unique combination: a paper company promoting a paper-saving software.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and Sustainable Brands on the power of purpose in driving business success. The Huffington Post is a media partner for SB’16 San Diego, Sustainable Brands’ flagship conference — June 6th-9th.
PRESS RELEASE -
On 20 May 2016, Radisson RED Brussels welcomed 75 international bloggers and journalists to stay at our world’s first Radisson RED - a new global hotel concept inspired by art, fashion and music.
CLEANTECH -
Today, large quantities of CO2 are emitted when we extract raw materials for the production of consumer goods. After use, most of these products end up in landfills as wasted resources. Among other drawbacks, this linear, take-make-waste system harms local environments and economies, and exacerbates climate change.
PRESS RELEASE -
Elon Musk finally rolled out his highly-anticipated electric vehicle for the masses – the Tesla Model 3.
CLEANTECH -
As the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and seller of networking equipment, Cisco Systems faces many supply chain sustainability issues, including energy, waste and climate change impacts, among others. To address these challenges, Cisco has worked to improve energy efficiency, implemented circular economic methods to turn waste into resources and recently announced a new goal to avoid one million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain operations by 2020.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
21- and 22-year-old Jeanny Yao and Miranda Wang are making the most of their student years; since high school, the pair have filed 2 patents, founded a company, and raised about $400,000 in pursuit of developing a bacteria that can break down ocean-bound plastic waste.
CLEANTECH -
Earlier this month, engineers at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) announced they made a breakthrough in magnesium battery technology that could lead to smaller, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for “everything from cars to cell phones.” Magnesium metal has long been theorized as a much safer and more energy-dense alternative to current lithium battery technology, but research on magnesium-based batteries has previously been limited by a lack of suitable electrolyte.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
As leading fashion brands continue their creative battles against textile waste — check out recent innovations by Levi Strauss, H&M and adidas — a new breed of circular clothing disruptor is starting to emerge. These purposeful startups are looking to stop fast fashion in its tracks by building longevity and emotional durability into their apparel.
PRESS RELEASE -
In less than four months, Maven, General Motors’ personal mobility brand, has grown to five markets: New York City, Ann Arbor, Mich., and today announced Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Maven members have driven more than one million miles, bringing them closer to the things – and people – they love.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
With dramatically large amounts of clothing and other textiles being thrown out every year – nearly 10 million tonnes in the United States and more than 3 million tonnes in European Union (EU) countries – it is no wonder why designers and companies are increasingly looking to this waste as a potential resource.
PRESS RELEASE -
Today Cisco announced the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan to be the first Smart+Connectedtrade Community Lighthouse City in South Asia. Cisco Lighthouse City status credential is assigned to a select list of cities all over the world. With this development, Jaipur will gain access to Cisco's huge global network and channel program capabilities, and the city will also benefit from the economic and social transformation set to occur as the country embarks on the next phase of the Digital India program.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
From waste management to construction to apparel, circular economy models are gaining attention and proving effective in numerous industries. Even those in healthcare – an industry that requires the highest level of uncompromising performance – are beginning to re-evaluate linear product lifecycles.
CLEANTECH -
Yesterday, the Partnership for Freedom announced the winners of Rethink Supply Chains: The Tech Challenge to Fight Labor Trafficking, a competition seeking technological solutions that help fight modern-day slavery in global supply chains. Earlier this year, five finalists were announced; each was awarded $20,000 and participated in a Finalist Accelerator program to help them refine and develop their ideas.
CLEANTECH -
Schneider Electric has announced a new Silicon Valley Innovation program designed to scout and develop startups focused on applications related to the intersection of energy and the Internet of Things (IoT). The first phase of the program will identify and develop 10 startup companies by the fourth quarter of 2016, three of which have already been selected.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The construction industry has been slower than most to adopt technological innovations, which has stagnated the sector’s labor productivity in the United States and elsewhere in the last 40 years. At the same time, the construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, yet only a fraction of its waste gets recycled. According to a new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF), these factors coupled with the industry’s size and weight make construction ripe for disruptive transformation that could have profound benefits for the world.
WASTE NOT -
South Korea has been using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and a ‘pay-as-you-waste’ system to help cut back on waste. In 2013, the country found that its waste had a particularly high liquid content – about 80 percent – which was leaching into soil and causing outbreaks of insects. Now, South Korea is using technology to both cut back on food waste and divert more of it for processing into animal feed and fertilizer.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The UPS Foundation has partnered with drone manufacturer Zipline and leading vaccine alliance Gavi., to deliver blood, medicines, and vaccines to clinics across Rwanda via a fleet of Zipline drones. Drones can provide a faster, more reliable method of medicine delivery in areas where roads are often impassable, or where products cannot be kept for long without spoiling. The venture is planned as a one-year initiative, with hopes to expand in the future.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
As the pursuit of sustainability in business becomes more mainstream, it is intersecting with burgeoning and cutting-edge technologies that are transforming the way we interact with our planet, our things, our community, and more. Are these technologies just making it easier for us to live, or are they fundamentally shifting the way our lives work — ushering us into a new era of innovation and sustainability? Let’s take a look at six emerging technology trends that are reshaping the world we live in for the better.