Waste Not
The latest in the growing number of efforts directed at reducing, repurposing and ultimately eliminating waste in all its forms.
Groundbreaking Report Shows Pathway to Scale for Reusable, Circular Packaging Models
Cross-Posted from The Next Economy. In the report, Closed Loop Partners, IDEO and the NextGen Consortium share learnings from multiple pilots of reusable coffee cup systems that eliminate waste.
AZEK Cracks Recycling Code for Post-Consumer PVC Building Materials
Many plastic-based building materials that could be recycled aren’t, because most companies haven’t yet figured out how. The AZEK Company cracked this code, and diverted nearly 300 million pounds of waste from landfills in 2019.
Food Waste Recycling Sees Setbacks During Pandemic
While zero-waste initiatives in the US gained momentum in 2019 and early 2020, myriad complications related to the pandemic brought many to a screeching halt. But as we transition from emergency mode, there have been restarts.
Please Hold the Packaging: Creating a No-Landfill Meal Kit
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. Meal kits are synonymous with excessive packaging, but they have a crucial redeeming feature — they reduce food waste. At Just Salad, that got us thinking: Could we drastically reduce packaging to make meal kits an unambiguous environmental win?
Getting Creative to Create Organizational Change
Cross-Posted from Organizational Change. In 2019, Rubicon anchored a portion of employee annual bonuses to the amount of waste reduced across all of its company’s clients. The results have been remarkable.
New Guidelines, 2020 Brand Audit Aim to Finally Move the Needle on Corporate Plastic Stewardship
Since scientists first raised the alarm about plastic pollution in the environment, brands have been slow to respond. Will the 2020 Brand Audit and new plastic-stewardship guidelines help accelerate an overdue shift away from single-use plastic?
Brewed Responsibly: How Smart Craft Brewers Are Cleaning Up Our Favorite Beverage
The immediate future offers a financial challenge for most brewers and distributors; but everyone from craft brewers to large factories can increase sustainability and protect their bottom lines through process efficiencies, more nimble supply chains and smart recycling solutions.
Combatting Food Insecurity Takes More Than a Village
Cross-Posted from Collaboration. As Congress signs off for Thanksgiving, roughly 12 million Americans could soon lose jobless benefits. The hope is that people and companies continue to step up; government programs continue, and the flexibility the food supply chain has gained during COVID will enable a nimbler switch to accommodate future need.
Trending: H&M, Houdini Eliminating More Waste from Fashion
H&M’s latest collection includes garments made from recycled metals; circular, bio-based fabrics and food waste; while Houdini Sportswear has open-sourced the design of its Mono Air Houdi, to guide the industry toward further circularity.
How Your Company Can Enact the #1 Solution for Combating Climate Change
Consumers are increasingly aware of food waste, and its impact on food access and on climate change. Those businesses that commit to responsible food-waste recycling can turn a problem into a point of pride, customer loyalty and cost reduction.
Report: Small Behavioral Interventions with Pilots Add Up to Massive Savings for Airlines
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. A new whitepaper details an 8-month study conducted with Virgin Atlantic — in which a behavioral intervention with pilots created $6.1M in fuel savings, and demonstrated the most cost-effective carbon-abatement solution in history.
Barbour Christmas Campaign Extols Virtues of Repairing Much-Loved Items
Cross-Posted from Marketing and Comms. The heritage lifestyle brand used a true customer story as inspiration for its latest Christmas campaign, which celebrates the value of repairing used items vs purchasing new.
Repurposing Farm-Based Food Waste Provides Pathway to a Healthier Planet
Food waste handling presents itself as either a generator of deadly greenhouse gases — or a tool for immediate decarbonization of the food cycle, and an increase in the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.
More and More of Us Are Driving a Circular Economy in Our Own Homes
Cross-Posted from The Next Economy. Electronic waste is the world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream. But 100,000 tonnes of e-waste could be avoided, if we fixed just 10% of perfectly repairable appliances. The appetite for repair is growing and I believe this approach is here to stay.
Trending: Sustainable Sneaks Step Up Footwear Circularity
Newcomer Third Mind elevates men’s footwear in more ways than one; while a first-of-its-kind recycling service from Thousand Fell, TerraCycle and UPS ensures your sustainable sneaks won’t end up in a landfill.
That’s the Spirit! Bacardi’s Biodegradable Bottle Latest Boon to Beverage Packaging
Cross-Posted from Chemistry, Materials & Packaging. Set to arrive in 2023, the bottle — which will biodegrade in 18 months — will replace 80M plastic bottles currently produced by Bacardi across its portfolio of brands every year.
Growing the Market with Averted Plastic
Cross-Posted from Chemistry, Materials & Packaging. “Averted Plastic” encompasses any mismanaged plastic waste. Oceanworks has expanded its marketplace to include this material — incentivizing entrepreneurs worldwide to divert all plastic waste into economical recycling programs.
Trending: Levi’s, thredUP Fuel Growing Momentum Behind Secondhand Fashion
Cross-Posted from The Next Economy. The launch of the Levi’s Secondhand marketplace and the rebrand of thredUP reflect growing consumer support of a circular economy and pride in wearing used clothes.
Strategies for Scaling Ocean Plastic Supply
Cross-Posted from Chemistry, Materials & Packaging. Brand commitments are the engine driving recycled plastic’s transition to scale. Making recycled plastic content part of your brand story is hands down the most important way to move the needle.
Trending: 4 Steps Forward for a Circular Economy for Fashion
Cross-Posted from The Next Economy. Eastman's new Naia Renew portfolio, ASOS’ first circular collection, and the launch of brands Borobabi and Covalent add to the budding landscape of fashion that chips away at the rampant waste created by the industry.
