Waste Not
The latest in the growing number of efforts directed at reducing, repurposing and ultimately eliminating waste in all its forms.
Closed Loop Foundation Awards $350K to 8 Startups Fighting Food Waste
Approximately 63 million tons of food are wasted in the U.S. each year, a monumental number that has significant environmental and social repercussions. In an effort to reduce the amount of food that is lost and wasted, the Closed Loop Foundation has granted $350,000 to projects across the U.S. working to advance the reduction, recovery and recycling of food waste. Closed Loop reviewed 150 proposals over a period of nine months, finally selecting eight to receive funding to develop and scale their solutions.
Circular Business Models Could Unlock £4.4B for Electronics Recycling Sector
The way people buy, consume and discard their electronics is changing — and for the better. A new report by WRAP has revealed that an industry-wide adoption of circular principles could unlock new economic opportunities and drive the economy towards greater sustainability. The research outlined in Switched on to Value: Powering Business Change shows that while only 10 percent of UK households use household recycling schemes to discard their unwanted electrical items, 83 percent of households have demonstrated interest in retailer take-back and trade-in schemes, which can provide customers with a convenient way to properly dispose of products while ensuring data protection and safety.
The Freedom Sleeve: How One Reusable Coffee Sleeve Is Helping Create a Zero-Waste Future
Self-driving cars, solar panels and groundbreaking carbon-capturing technologies are essential tools in combating climate change and propelling the shift towards a more sustainable future, but complex, large-scale solutions aren’t the only ones driving change. New twists on seemingly inconsequential items that we use every day could be just as instrumental in turning the tides on systemic environmental and social issues.
Trending: Dow, Coca-Cola Ramp Up Efforts to Make Packaging Circular
Industry heavy hitters are making moves to create circular solutions that keep everyday products, such as chip bags and plastic drinking bottles, out of landfills with the launch of groundbreaking waste-to-energy programs and closed-loop packaging solutions.
19 US Aquariums Team Up to Fight Plastic Pollution
The crusade against marine plastics continues with a new initiative driven by nineteen aquariums across the US. Launched today, the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) seeks to drive a shift away from single-use plastic and toward more sustainable alternatives. As its first order of business, the Partnership has rolled out a new nationwide consumer campaign, "In Our Hands," to empower their 20 million visitors and millions more in their communities to make positive behavior changes and raise awareness around how plastic pollution threatens ocean and freshwater animals.
Trending: Diapers, Railway Ties Help Drive Forward the Circular Agenda
What do diapers and railway ties have in common? They’re two of the latest products to receive the circular treatment, helping businesses reimagine waste streams as resources and driving the economy towards a more sustainable, circular model.
Trending: SUEZ, US, Hong Kong Startups Uncover New Ways to Tackle Food Waste
New solutions to the world’s massive food waste problem are popping up almost daily. The latest innovations to arise come in the form of a digital organic waste platform in France and a card that prolongs the life of perishable food items.
Arizona State University (ASU), City of Phoenix Launch Circular Innovation Incubator
Arizona State University (ASU) continues to blaze new sustainability trails with the launch of a new innovation incubator program in partnership with the City of Phoenix, Arizona.
Trending: Turning Trash Into Treasure in the Name of Ending Food Waste
With one-third of the world’s food — approximately 1.3 billion tons — lost or wasted, finding solutions that keep waste out of landfills is just as important as stopping food waste at the source. Two new technologies could, however, hold the key to a zero-food-waste future.
Urban Barrels: Giving Sails, and Local Manufacturing, a Second Life
As humans, the number of problems we have created and must solve in the world can feel overwhelming at times. But if we all picked one thing and did our best to solve it, we would collectively make a tremendous impact. As a sailor and a sustainability enthusiast, I’ve always assumed old sails would go to landfill at their end of life. So, I was excited to discover Urban Barrels, a Southern California startup working locally to find a solution to this little-known problem by turning old sails into hats, bags and other products. I met with founder John Paul “JP” MacDonell to learn more.
6 Months In, IKEA's 'Food Is Precious' Initiative Has Prevented Over $980K Worth of Food Waste
IKEA has been making considerable progress towards its sustainability goals by embracing disruptive design and investing in sustainable materials. While the Swedish retailer has largely focused its environmental efforts on its home goods portfolio, the brand is now turning its attentions to tackling food waste.
Nordic Council Environment Prize Nominates Pioneering Waste-Free Solutions
The Nordic region continues to blaze trails on the zero-waste front, as innovators from across the region vie for the Nordic Council Environment Prize and a chance to bring their projects and initiatives to a global audience. The Council has announced the nominees for its 2017 prize, which seeks to raise awareness around the environmental work being done across the Nordic region. This year’s theme focuses on initiatives promoting, developing or initiating waste-free solutions.
New WWF Global Platform Seeks to Create Mainstream Market for Secondary Materials
Reliance on virgin raw materials to produce products has a significant, often detrimental, impact on both ecosystems and communities. A widespread shift towards a more circular model is essential to secure a more sustainable future, yet there exist systematic barriers to the acquisition and sourcing of high-quality, secondary materials.
Closed Loop Fund Impact Results Demonstrate Economic Benefits of Recycling for Municipalities
Closed Loop Fund (CLF) has released the results of its latest impact report, which highlights recent successes such as the diversion of 100,000 tons of materials from landfill, a 230,000 metric ton reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of more than $530,000 in economic benefits to municipalities.
Lord of the Flies: The Insect Army Storming the Food Waste Front
How do you solve a problem like food waste? There’s no magic bullet, but realizing that discarded food attracts flies like nothing else, UK-based startup Entomics has engineered an upcycling solution that exploits the metabolic power of insects to convert leftover scraps into high-value protein and fertilizer product.
Toxic Chemicals in Recycled Plastic Electronics Threaten Circular Economy
A recent report by UK-based charity CHEMTrust has linked the recycling of plastic components of electrical and electronic products to dangerous human health risks, creating obstacles for the recycling industry and the widespread adoption of a circular economy.
Case Study: Closed Loop Fund Shows Iowa's Scott County That Recycling Can Be Profitable
Less than one year after partnering with the Closed Loop Fund and investing $10.75 million in new infrastructure — including recycling carts and a newly upgraded county-owned and operated materials recycling facility (MRF) — Iowa’s Scott County has seen a 61 percent increase in recycling and generated $100,000 in savings and revenue.
It’s the Little Things: How to Add Brand Value, Sustainability to Retail Spaces
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, and it is not a feature reserved only for products and services. B2B and retail companies, too, face the challenge of distinguishing themselves in the marketplace with a strong identity that stands out from direct and indirect competitors. The expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with brands, and E-commerce sites, dynamic mobile apps, and text message ordering systems afford infinite possibilities for communicating initiatives and marketing.
WWF, AHLA, Rockefeller Foundation Kick Off Pilot to Curb Hotel Food Waste
Food waste is increasingly garnering attention from governments, businesses and private individuals as its impact on both environmental health, food security as well as bottom lines — companies that invest in reducing food waste can expect a 14:1 ROI — are increasingly researched and understood.
Good News, Bad News: The Current State of Global Water
World Water Day typically sees brands unveil new initiatives designed to reduce impact in their supply chains, report successes and team up with charities to raise awareness about water security in vulnerable regions across the globe. While there is certainly progress to celebrate, the reality of the matter is that much more must be done to address the growing global water crisis. First, the good news.