Circularity
Understanding the value of a circular economy and identifying circular solutions are essential to changing our world for good. Circularity, or the zero-waste principle of keeping materials in a closed loop and away from landfills and incinerators, is the future. Find out about the latest innovations and solutions accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the articles here from The Optimist Daily.
Maine is restructuring the modern recycling system
As much as we like to think that the material we recycle makes its way back into the market as revitalized packaging, the reality is that US recycling systems are frustratingly inefficient. According to the Columbia Climate School, only 66 percent of discarded paper and cardboard, 27 percent of Read More...
IKEA’s buy back and resell program has launched in select US stores
Last year, Swedish furniture company IKEA announced plans to launch a “Buy Back & Resell” program as part of their plan to reduce waste and become carbon neutral by 2020. After successful trials of the buy-back program in Europe, the sustainable initiative is officially coming to select US Read More...
New carbon capture facility will remove 1m tons of CO2 from the air yearly
We have previously written about emerging carbon capture technologies and their potential to help us tackle climate change. Now, we’re thrilled to share with you a real breakthrough in our efforts to cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Scotland is set to become home to Read More...
New battery biodegrades after a month in soil
E-waste is one of the most rapidly growing and toxic waste streams in the world today, but scientists at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have come up with a partial solution by creating biodegradable batteries that can actually be buried in soil once they’ve reached the Read More...
Prefab home design weaves sustainability and affordability together
In a quiet residential neighborhood in Brant County, Ontario, lies a home that outperforms neighboring houses not only in sustainable design, but also in affordability. Boasting Passive House standards — a highly energy-efficient building standard — the new house is an experiment for Habitat Read More...
Major automaker will incorporate parts previously rejected for cosmetic flaws
Global supply chain challenges are making for a stressful lead up to the holiday season, but for one company, it’s actually driving some greener choices. Toyota has announced that the company will now use scratched or blemished parts that would otherwise have been thrown away. The parts, which Read More...
Barcelona’s bus fleet will soon run on biofuel made from sewage sludge
In recent years, Barcelona has made headlines with a number of successful urban planning initiatives. One of the most famous ones is the superblock — a car-free zone that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists by diverting traffic to major roads outside the city center. Greener Read More...
A secondhand gift-giving guide for a more sustainable holiday
Do you want to make the holiday season more sustainable this year by practicing less consumerism, but are unsure of how to navigate giving pre-loved gifts with grace? A survey by online secondhand marketplace Vinted revealed that one in six people are dedicated to giving repurposed presents this Read More...
Jelly ice cubes are a zero waste solution for cold storage
What if we could ship refrigerated goods without the use of ice or traditional ice packs? This is the vision of UC Davis researchers who recently developed a new type of ice cube which does not melt and is compostable and anti-microbial. The new cubes, called “jelly ice cubes” contain mostly Read More...
Ikea plans to stop using plastic packaging by 2028
As the environmental burden of our excessive use of plastic packaging is regularly making headlines these days, some companies are looking to set an example by transitioning towards more sustainable packaging materials. One of the frontrunners leading this shift away from plastic is Ikea, which Read More...