Aarthi Rayapura
Aarthi Rayapura is tagged in 78 stories.
Page 1 of 4.
Product, Service & Design Innovation /
Cura Coffee Co, a San Diego-based startup, sells a direct-trade, premium organic coffee that directly connects coffee lovers with the farmers who produce it.
- 9 years ago
Collaboration /
The travel and tourism industry needs to put sustainability at the forefront of everything it does and businesses need to lead by example — that’s the message from David Scowsill, CEO & president of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Scowsill asked leading sustainable tourism businesses to play their part in ensuring that the industry’s ethics are raised to the highest order.WTTC just launched its 2015 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards program and is calling for applications from companies in the industry who are setting the sustainability benchmark in their field. Scowsill explained that the purpose of the Awards is to be an inspiration to others and to educate governments and travel & tourism businesses about how to improve the sustainability of the Industry.
- 9 years ago
Waste Not /
Bank of America has announced two new initiatives in its efforts to help address California’s severe drought conditions - a $250,000 grant to the Pacific Institute, which will go towards the Institute’s drought research and response effort; and the expansion of xeriscaping, or drought-tolerant landscaping, at six of its California banking centers.
- 9 years ago
Behavior Change /
The gender divide starts young in our society, with boys and girls generally encouraged to adopt a standard set of acceptable behaviors and preferences from an early age. But a number of companies have recently begun to encourage young girls and women to forgo limiting gender roles and fulfill their true potential by embracing their strengths and smarts.
- 9 years ago
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging /
Plastic is the boon and bane of our times. While its uses are numerous and at times, even critical, its waste and the resultant pollution clogs up our rivers and oceans and pollutes our lands. But recent advancements in packaging offer hope.
- 9 years ago
Product, Service & Design Innovation /
Five eco-friendly startups from the Netherlands, UK, France and Vietnam are competing in the final of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, an annual global competition for startups with environmentally sustainable business plans. On September 11th, the finalists will present their ideas in Amsterdam before a jury led by Dame Ellen MacArthur; the winner will receive US$680,000 and runners-up will receive US$272,000 towards their ventures.
- 9 years ago
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging /
Scientists at City University, Hong Kong have developed a treatment for cashmere that enables it to self-clean with some help from the sun.The technology coats cashmere fibers with tiny particles of the mineral anatase titanium dioxide. When exposed to sunlight for 24 hours, the mineral starts a chemical reaction creating oxidants that act as tiny electric currents to break down dust, dirt, bacteria and even trickier stains such as coffee and wine.
- 9 years ago
ICT and Big Data /
The Global Footprint Network (GFN) has released data designating today, August 19, as this year’s Earth Overshoot Day — meaning we’ve already overshot our ecological footprint for the year.Each year since 2000, GFN has calculated the number of days of that year that Earth’s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot:(World Biocapacity / World Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day
- 9 years ago
Supply Chain /
Biotech giant Monsanto's permit to plant genetically modified soybeans that resist the company's pesticide 'Roundup' was overturned by a district judge in the state of Yucatán in Mexico last month, reports the Guardian. This marks a big victory for the group of Mayan beekeepers and farmers who along with Greenpeace, the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas and the National Institute of Ecology have been protesting against the permit.
- 9 years ago
The Next Economy /
The UK Environmental Audit Committee has released a new report – Growing a Circular Economy: Ending the Throwaway Society – which calls for lower taxes for businesses that repair or reuse goods; mandatory municipal waste separation systems; longer warranty periods for consumer goods; banning food waste from landfills; and increased funding for agencies that promote transitioning to a circular economy.The Committee was appointed by the British House of Commons to review government policies and programs in terms of their contribution to environmental protection and sustainable development.
- 9 years ago
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging /
The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment (AMERIPEN) has published a new brochure called Reducing Fresh Food Waste: The Role of Packaging.The free brochure explains that Americans throw away 36 million tons of food each year, worth $162 billion, and says that “one factor accounts for about two-thirds of the problem: spoilage from not being used on time.”It says that better packaging can help alleviate spoilage and other forms of waste and lists all the benefits it offers:
- 9 years ago
Supply Chain /
The Coca-Cola Company and its African bottling partners announced a new investment of $5 billion during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held earlier this week. To be made over the next six years, this increases the company’s total announced investment in Africa to $17 billion from 2010 to 2020.The companies anticipate that the investment will fund new manufacturing lines, cooling and distribution equipment and production; create additional jobs and opportunities across Coke’s African supply chain; and support key sustainability initiatives and programs focused on safe water access, sustainable sourcing, women’s economic empowerment, community well-being and operational efficiency improvements.
- 9 years ago
Marketing and Comms /
Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, has announced the launch of its annual World Hunger Relief effort, the “Pass The Red Cup” challenge, featuring multi-Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera. The challenge is designed to drive awareness and inspire donations and the effort spans more than 125 countries, over 40,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants and 1.5 million associates.
- 9 years ago
The Next Economy /
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:
- 9 years ago
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging /
A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that the use of new nanomaterials in tire production could help further the sustainability of the industry and reduce the environmental impact of vehicles, provided the environmental, health and safety risks of the technology are managed carefully.
- 9 years ago
Collaboration /
PepsiCo and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) today announced a five-year partnership called Recycle for Nature, aimed at inspiring people to protect drinking water sources in the US through recycling. The initiative's goal is to save and restore one billion gallons of water over five years in rivers that supply water to more than 35 million people across nine states - including the Colorado River, Denver's Front Range Forests, Arizona's Verde River, Arkansas' Kings River and North Carolina's Cape Fear River.
- 9 years ago
Organizational Change /
Timberland is calling for entries for its inaugural Timberland Serv-a-palooza Challenge – a sponsored volunteerism competition hosted in partnership with charitable fundraising platform, CrowdRise, founded by actor Edward Norton. The six-week challenge aims to encourage consumers to volunteer for a cause of their choice in return for chances to win prizes for themselves, along with donations for the nonprofits they choose to support.
- 9 years ago
Behavior Change /
Over the last few years, as awareness and urgency around the issue of obesity have grown, campaigns promoting more fruit and vegetable consumption have been launched all over the developed world. But according to a team of researchers at the University of Sydney, such policy efforts have resulted only in modest gains and increased awareness (especially among children) but have largely been ineffective in bringing about a change in consumption behavior. The research was presented at The Quest for Quality Food 2014 Research Symposium at the University of Sydney.
- 9 years ago
Products and Design /
The Electrolux Design Lab announced its 35 semi-finalists for this year's competition for design and technology students. They include everything from sustainable fashion solutions to futuristic air purifiers to food growth and storage systems.
- 9 years ago
Waste Not /
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.
- 9 years ago