Waste Not
The latest in the growing number of efforts directed at reducing, repurposing and ultimately eliminating waste in all its forms.
Thread Forges 'Better Backpack' with 'Most Responsible Fabric on the Planet'
Thread, the Pittsburgh-based startup that's collected over 41 million plastic bottles from landfill communities in Haiti and Honduras and created fabric for some of the world's leading brands, today launched its own product on Kickstarter with a first-of-its-kind bag — the Better Backpack.
Rethinking Plastic Litter: Improve Your LCAs and Reduce Your Personal Impacts
Litter. It seems like such a ‘60s word, but it’s time to dust it off and rethink it — especially in the context of plastics and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). Start with the fact that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the environment annually, much of it into our oceans. That’s almost 3 percent (and perhaps more) of all plastic produced annually.
The Case for Change: Why We Need to Address Our Clothing Footprint Now
It’s time to face the facts. By 2030, we will consume 102 million tons of apparel per year, an increase of 63 percent from 2017. And by 2050, the global-fashion industry will consume a quarter of the world’s annual carbon budget — which represents the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions that can be emitted to keep climate change “tolerable.”
Timing Is Everything When It Comes to Fresh Produce
Have you ever wondered why your fresh produce often spoils long before the expiration date says it should? Food waste is a frustrating phenomenon that not only affects our environment but also impacts consumers’ wallets and businesses’ bottom lines. Up to 40 percent of the food we produce gets thrown out, costing the nation an estimated $218 Billion each year; furthermore, food waste accounts for more than 2.6 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions annually — the equivalent of 37 million passenger vehicles.
Trending: Liquor Giants Serve Waste Reduction with a Twist in New Product, Campaign
“In 2016, Bacardi led the drinks industry with the first #NoStraws campaign focusing on eliminating single-use plastic straws from its cocktails,” explained Dune Ives, executive director of Lonely Whale, a non-profit dedicated to positively impact the health of the ocean.
The Last Straws? Starbucks Eliminating Them Globally, More Regional Bans
Following Vancouver’s approval of a strategic plan to achieve zero waste and phase out plastic straws and other select packaging, its neighbor to the south is also taking action. Seattle recently became the first major U.S.
Trending: ¡Yappah!, Apeel Avocados, Taylor Farms Continue Food Waste Fight
Food waste remains a huge and costly problem, costing $2.6 trillion dollars in lost value globally each year. The U.S. retail food sector alone generates eight million tons of waste annually in distribution centers and stores, equivalent to about $18 billion a year in lost value for retailers.
Trending: Single-Use Plastics Continue to be Tossed – By Brands, Nations Imposing Bans
It’s a tough time to be a plastic straw producer. Over the past few months, it seems the message has broken through that plastic straws are harmful to the environment – and marine life in particular – that phase outs and bans are warranted.
'The North Face Renewed' Gives Refurbished Clothes Second Life
Today at SB’18 Vancouver, The North Face will announce the launch of The North Face Renewed — a collection of refurbished products for consumers who want to access affordable gear and reduce their environmental impact. All “Renewed” items — which are sourced from returned, defective or damaged apparel — have been thoroughly inspected, cleaned and refurbished to The North Face quality and performance standards.
New Report Reveals a Gap in the Clothing Reuse Loop
Today, Savers® released its third annual State of Reuse Report, which reveals that while people consistently state they are donating or finding ways to extend the life of their items, there is still a long journey ahead to fully embrace reuse — as 60 percent of North Americans shop secondhand only once a year or less.
Trending: Impending Bans in EU, Vancouver; £1M Fund Target Plastic Waste
These days — especially in sustainability circles — it seems impossible to avoid hearing about the massive problem that is plastic pollution, and what we can do to address it. In the past two weeks alone, there have been announcements from public, non-profit and private organizations alike, such as the European Commission, City of Vancouver, Zero Waste Scotland, and Hilton. It’s great to see, but before we declare that we’re “winning the war” on plastic waste, we need to take it one battle at a time.
Hilton Targets Plastics, Science-Based Targets in Journey to Halve Impacts by 2030
Like many large companies, Hilton has been steadily improving its sustainability performance one step at a time.
Trending: The North Face, Tetra Pak, Seventh Gen Continue Chipping Away at Plastic Waste
Awareness of our plastic waste problem continues to grow, prompting campaigns and corporate action around the world.
Real-Time Visibility Key to Reducing Food Waste in the Supply Chain
How does food get on a plate? Unless you’re growing it yourself, that food may have had a long, complex journey before it arrived on your fork. That long trail all too often results in a lot of food wasted and lost along the way. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that around 40 percent of food production is lost before it even reaches the market.
How the US Food Industry Can Divert 65M Lbs of Glove, Packaging Waste — Immediately
The US food industry uses roughly 30 billion disposable gloves per year. Estimates vary but between 45-75 percent of these are vinyl (PVC) disposable gloves. There are many scientific studies analyzing the effects of various health and food safety aspects of vinyl — including the dangers of plasticizers such as phthalates and the emission of dioxin at incineration or landfill, as well as at manufacture.
Jackie Chan Highlights Circular Economy ‘Green Hero’ Arthur Huang in New Documentary
On April 21st, at the Palace Cinema in Raffles City, Changning, Shanghai, I attended the premiere of the first of a three-part documentary series, “Jackie Chan’s Green Heroes” — a joint project by the action movie star, National Geographic Partners LLC and Buick — which captures stories of sustainability innovators to inspire and educate the public.
Over 1M People Join Greenpeace Call to Corporates to #BreakFreeFromPlastic
Around the globe, over one million individuals have signed petitions, taken to stores and restaurants, and posted photos of ridiculous packaging on social media to call out corporations for their massive single-use plastic footprints.
Trending: Tees, Jeans, App Unlock New Ways to Avoid Waste in the Textile Industry
Water and waste are issues at nearly every step of the textile and apparel lifecycles. Luckily, solutions are being developed across the board.
Q&A: Fuji Xerox on the Circular Approach That Redefined Its Business
Long before concepts such as future-fit and circular became buzzwords, Fuji Xerox was already busy redefining business as usual and demonstrating the opportunities to be harnessed by embracing a more sustainable, resource-efficient business model.
Colgate, TerraCycle Expand Annual Recycled Playground Challenge
In their biggest contest yet, TerraCycle, Colgate and ShopRite’s annual partnership is offering students across the eastern US the chance to win a playground for their school made entirely of recycled materials. It is the fifth edition of the Recycled Playground Challenge, which aims to teach school students, teachers and communities about preserving healthy smiles and a healthy environment.