The future of modern life turns in large part on making the packaging and delivery of the food and products we buy more sustainable and, eventually, environmentally neutral or positive. Our guest today, Robert Lilienfeld, is the executive director of SPRING, the Sustainable Packaging Research, Information, and Networking Group, a Denver-based think tank that provides expert advice and commentary on […]
When you’re looking for fabrics with the lowest impact on the environment, natural fibers almost always come out ahead of synthetics. With a huge carbon footprint and often coated in toxic chemicals, synthetics are best avoided. But sometimes there aren’t great alternatives to synthetics, particularly for special applications like raingear or athletic wear. Maybe you can’t live without your Gore-Tex […]
Extended producer responsibility (EPR), the idea that manufacturers of products and packaging should take responsibility for collecting and recycling the things they make, is a hot topic in the sustainability and business worlds. One EPR bill has passed so far in 2023, Washington State’s SB 5144, which requires battery makers to be responsible for the environmental management of their products. […]
Making circular living easy for people is the key to achieving our sustainability goals. The take-make-waste linear economy has excelled at making the disposal of products and packaging easy, but only if you consider the landfill an environmentally responsible solution (it’s not). Now we need to make collecting and reusing items as convenient as tossing packaging in the trash after […]
The documentary Kiss the Ground helped raise public awareness about regenerative agriculture. This no-till farming method helps restore the complex biology of topsoil and produces many public health and environmental benefits, such as boosting diversity and sequestering carbon. But finding regeneratively grown foods can still be challenging depending on where you live. Narrated by actor and environmentalist Woody Harrelson, “Kiss […]
Eco-minded consumers have a lot of options to weigh, and the labels and certifications designed to help us are often more confusing than helpful. Imagine this scenario: You’re holding two jars of honey; one is produced locally and the other is fair trade certified but produced a few thousand miles away. Which should you choose? You might consider that buying products […]
While having a clean toilet is a critical component of a sanitary home, commercial toilet bowl cleaners can harbor some of the most dangerous chemicals in your home. These chemicals contaminate waterways and pollute the air in your home. Using harsh cleaning products in your toilet can present more of a health risk than the germs you’re trying to kill. […]
A few states are pioneering the rise of compostable packaging and building a composting infrastructure. World Centric‘s Resource Recovery Managers Erin Levine and Elly Ventura share the lessons the compostable packaging leader is learning as California, Colorado, and other states introduce composting and extended producer responsibility programs for fiber and plastic packaging. Making packaging sustainable — whether it can be […]
Weddings are joyful celebrations but they can be hard on the environment. The associated travel, food, and other services can produce hundreds of pounds of waste and tons of carbon emissions. One of the many choices you can make to lower your wedding’s environmental impact involves the wedding dress. Making an informed choice about buying new or going with a […]
The UK took a huge step toward reducing its single-use plastic pollution. Starting in October 2023, a variety of single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates, bowls, polystyrene cups, cotton swabs, and balloon sticks will be banned. Fines of up to 10% of the UK revenue generated by the business that distributes these items and prison time for repeat offenders […]