The constant stream of new models, products and processes that are helping organizations extend the useful life of resources and materials while reducing, repurposing and ultimately eliminating waste in all its forms
In a world where there is a glaring equality gap in the provision of food and adequate nutrition, plus increasing strain on the global food system from a growing population, food waste is becoming a much-discussed issue.
A new study released by Airbnb quantifies the environmental benefits of home-sharing for travelers, and finds that the company’s business model promotes a more efficient use of existing resources and is a more environmentally responsible way to travel: using Airbnb results in significant reductions in energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and waste, and encourages more sustainable practices among both hosts and guests.North American and European highlights from the study include:
More and more, we’re hearing stories of enterprising dairy farms, from Canada to New York to the Pacific Northwest, putting their mounds of manure to good use — turning it into biogas with the help of anaerobic digestion technology.
The Detroit Lions have partnered with REPREVE, a recycled fiber brand, to launch a sustainability initiative aimed at achieving a 100 percent recycling rate throughout the 2014 NFL season.The Lions are the first NFL team to join REPREVE’s #TurnItGreen program, which supports stadium-based recycling efforts and a consumer education campaign to encourage fans to recycle bottles during games.REPREVE transforms plastic bottles into recycled fibers that are used by many major brands, including Ford, Haggar, Polartec, Quiksilver and Volcom. On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the Lions and REPREVE will kick off #TurnItGreen efforts with a training camp takeover at Ford Field.
BlueOak Resources, a Burlingame, Calif.-based startup that aims to convert e-waste into a sustainable source of critical metals and rare earths, has chosen e-waste-recovery specialist Tetronics to provide plasma-refining technology for the recovery of precious metals from e-waste, first in a plant located in Osceola, Arkansas.
Internationally renowned novelist and environmental activist Margaret Atwood will visit Arizona State University this November to discuss the relationship between art and science and the importance of creative writing and imagination for addressing social and environmental challenges.
Food and garden waste from households throughout Glasgow has been transformed into compost and used in the development of Glasgow 2014’s Athletes Village and other Commonwealth Games venues, according to Zero Waste Scotland. Along with the use of compost during construction, the Athletes Village has been equipped with solar panels on the houses and a combined heat and power system.Currently underway, Glasgow 2014 has committed to being a truly sustainable Commonwealth Games, aiming to divert 80 percent of waste during the event and recycling as much as possible.
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) announced on Monday that General Mills has joined its coalition to advocate for innovative climate and clean energy policies.
New York City taxpayers spend $600 million every year to manage post-consumer packaging and printed paper, reveals a new data analysis by UPSTREAM, a national environmental policy organization. In Europe and now increasingly in Canada, these costs are borne by corporations selling consumer goods.
Smallholder cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire produce 40 percent of the world cocoa supply and are the backbone of a global industry worth billions of dollars. Yet while they generate up to 15 percent of the Ivorian GDP, the vast majority still live in poverty due to declining productivity.Cocoa yields in Côte d’Ivoire are some of the lowest in the world, primarily due to aging trees, deteriorating soils and disease. In the absence of long-term financing opportunities, cocoa farmers have been changing to other crops with better income opportunity, such as rubber trees.
Sainsbury’s today announced it has agreed to a £200 million corporate “green” loan to invest in ongoing carbon reduction and sustainability projects. While Green Bonds are now increasingly issued by institutions to support sustainability initiatives, the retailer says this is the first time that a commercial loan has been structured to do the same.
A new survey by the Shelton Group found that nearly one-third of Americans would be more likely to attend a game or concert if the stadium recycled and composted, and one in five say they would buy more food and beverages during the event.A significant number of fans care about the environment, and they’ll vote with their feet - and their beer cups,” said Suzanne Shelton, CEO of the Shelton Group.
Almost two-thirds of grocery shoppers in the US (63 percent) are more concerned with food waste than other issues such as air pollution (59 percent), water shortages (57 percent), climate change (53 percent) and genetically modified foods (52 percent), according to a new Harris poll.The poll, commissioned by Sealed Air Corporation, evaluated Americans’ food habits,
On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines announced the launch of LUV Seat: Repurpose with Purpose, a global sustainability initiative to upcycle 43 acres of used leather seat coverings into new products that will benefit communities by providing employment, skills training, and donated products.
The New York attorney general reports the State Supreme Court has granted an injunction that kept Lyft from launching as planned on Friday. However, Lyft claims this a "deliberate misstatement," and it put the launch on hold to make changes to its service that will comply with local regulations, The Verge reports.
As I was getting ready for my recent move from Los Angeles to San Francisco, I was looking for the best moving options available. Should I tow my belongings behind my car? Rent a truck and tow my car? Hire a moving company to do all the work for me? That is when I noticed U-Haul’s Environmental Protection Fee — an additional $5 charge for renting one of their trucks.
More than a thousand California business leaders are urging the State to deny requests to exempt oil companies from its cap and trade program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.The California Business Alliance for a Green Economy (CBAGE) is a network of more than 1,280 mostly small and mainstream businesses that support California's efforts to promote clean energy, fossil fuel independence and energy efficiency."Hundreds of California businesses have been successfully complying with the state's clean energy law — AB 32 — and the oil industry shouldn't receive a special exemption," said Susan Frank, director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, which recently signed a letter to a handful of lawmakers seeking such an exemption.
French long-distance ride-sharing service BlaBlaCar has raised a solid $100 million from VC funding — the largest VC funding ever for a French startup — to expand its service and network globally. The funding was led by Index Ventures, with contributions from existing investors Accel Partners, ISAI and Lead Edge Capital.“BlaBlaCar has a huge potential market,” said Martin Mignot from Index Ventures. “Everybody needs to travel long distance, that’s why ride-sharing makes sense. Comparatively, Uber or even cabs are all about convenience. BlaBlaCar is both convenience and necessity.”
Nestlé has reduced 44 percent of its waste per ton of product since 2010 in the US, and five factory locations reached zero waste to landfill status by the end of 2013, according to the company’s new sustainability report.The Creating Shared Value (CSV) report is the company’s first expanded effort to highlight U.S.-specific milestones and achievements tied to Nestlé’s global sustainability principles and commitments. The report documents the food giant’s nutritional, social and environmental progress from the past year, as well as provides updates on the company’s US progress toward its global commitments.
The 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open has diverted 100 percent of waste away from landfills for the second consecutive year, with a record attendance of 563,008 fans.The golf tournament is part of UL Environment’s Zero Waste Challenge, and earned Zero Waste to Landfill status, a certification proven through transparent reporting and detailed data. Zero Waste to Landfill is UL Environment’s highest landfill-diversion rate designation and recognizes the event for achieving a 100 percent landfill diversion rate with 10 percent incineration with energy recovery.