Day: December 18, 2020

Around 95% of couples initially planning to wed this year have postponed their big day to next year, but rather than allowing disappointment to take over, they are utilizing the extra time to plan their event in detail. From rethinking sites for photographs to planning wedding favors, wedding playlists, and reception meals and entertainment, carefully planned aspects promise to make next year’s weddings bigger, more beautiful, and certainly more Instagrammable than in past years.

Together with Fashion for Good we managed to a collect a selection of challenging graduation assignments. We are looking for graduating master level students, who are working on or looking for a thesis assignment related to Circular Textiles AND want to join an interdisciplinary and extra-curricular program together with other students from the LDE universities between February – July 2021.

Not all founders are cut from the same cloth. Federico Sainz de Robles was working in a textile laboratory when he wondered why clothing brands hadn’t evolved with the times. He decided that if nobody else was making attractive, practical, and sustainable clothing, then he would. So he founded Sepiia, a Spanish clothing startup that operates at the intersection of fashion, technology, and ecology. Instead of creating cheap resource-heavy fast-fashion items, Sepiia focuses on high-quality, durable items.

The Choose Love online store sells much-needed products that consumers can purchase for refugees and displaced people. These include items for day-to-day survival, for emergency situations, and for building their futures. The site breaks the Choose Love shopping journey down into three stages: “Browse our store,” “Choose real products,” and “Leave with nothing.”

Is the environment important? More than ever! In all types of commercial activity, there is a growing recognition of the important role of sustainable development as an economic driver. For the first time in 10 years of publishing its Global Risk Report, the World Economic Forum lists environmental risks in its Top 5.

Two new studies demonstrate how to fabricate materials with single atom-sized pores that can be used for liquid and gas filtration. This regime of “zero dimensional” pores has a broad range of future applications, from water and gas purification to energy harvesting.  The first study, published in ACS Nano (“Stochastic Ionic Transport in Single Atomic Zero-Dimensional Pores”) and led by graduate student Jothi Priyanka Thiruraman, postdoc Paul Masih Das, and professor Marija Drndić, shows the ionic transport properties of these pores, with promise for applications in water purification and desalination as well as for creating artificial pores that mimic ion channels in biology.

As the world continues to transition into learning, working and operating remotely, the data center industry is growing to match company and customer demands for high-performing IT equipment. However, with this increased demand for IT comes pressure for data center managers to meet sustainability goals to reduce their carbon footprints, save energy and reduce operating costs. However, there is another critical factor that improves sustainability in a data center: minimizing water usage.

Since antiquity leather has been valued for its durability, comfort, and luxury.  These desirable attributes continue to make it a preferred material for many of today’s products.  Also, since antiquity, leather producers have had to deal with leather waste. Up to 75% of traditional leather is unused and is often disposed of by being sent to landfill or incineration.  Sustainable Composites LLC has developed a patented, totally unique, technically advanced material made from leather waste which changes the environmental landscape for leather products.
Also, since antiquity, leather producers have had to deal with leather waste. Up to 75% of traditional leather is unused and is often disposed of by being sent to landfill or incineration.

Sustainable Composites LLC has developed a patented, totally unique, technically advanced material made from leather waste which changes the environmental landscape for leather products.

While the pressures of climate change bring a sense of urgency to renewable energy development, a new study serves as a roadmap toward uniting the goals of a low-carbon future with that of ecological sustainability and conservation.  The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainability from the University of California, Davis, and John Hopkins University, aims to help decision-makers avoid the unintended environmental consequences of renewable energy development.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainability from the University of California, Davis, and John Hopkins University, aims to help decision-makers avoid the unintended environmental consequences of renewable energy development.

“Renewables aren’t always sustainable, but they can be if we think proactively,” said co-leading author Sarah Jordaan,

Created by musician, producer, and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams, Humanrace is a skincare company that focuses on environmental and social impact. Products are made from vegan and cruelty-free ingredients and packaged in reusable containers made from 50% post-consumer recycled landfill plastic. To reduce waste, these containers can be replenished with recyclable refill cartons.

Making beauty product packaging environmentally friendly is a challenge for the beauty industry for reasons that include using mixing plastic materials and having poor recyclability as a result of packaging design and branding.  Beauty Kitchen is a UK-based cosmetics company with a focus on sustainable packaging. It’s ’Return, Refill, Repeat’ programme, launched in partnership with Unilever, enables customers to drop off empty containers at any Holland & Barrett store in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, or Belgium to be sent back to Beauty Kitchen. Consumers will then receive 100 ‘Reward for Life’ points at the retailer.
Beauty Kitchen is a UK-based cosmetics company with a focus on sustainable packaging. It’s ’Return, Refill, Repeat’ programme, launched in partnership with Unilever, enables customers to drop off empty containers at any Holland & Barrett store in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, or Belgium to be sent back to Beauty Kitchen. Consumers will then receive 100 ‘Reward for Life’ points at the retailer.

KBR has published its 2019 Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Report and announced a new sustainability agenda, the company reported on Friday. KBR will implement a plan to incorporate corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, policies, procedures and management approaches that will support positive environmental and social impact.

With their long eyelashes, banana-shaped ears, upturned mouths and stocky bodies covered with curly wool, llamas look like creatures that walked out of a Dr. Seuss story. And now they’re celebrities in the U.S.  Because of their gentle and docile demeanor, llamas are often favorites at petting zoos. They appear at festivals and weddings and have even been deployed as therapy animals.

Sustainable Pittsburgh is reminding Western Pennsylvania shoppers of opportunities to Shop Sustainably and to frequent Sustainable Restaurants this holiday season.  This year, the local business districts are getting creative! You can shop small and participate in these fun programs, while supporting your local shops here and throughout the Pittsburgh region — Want to shop online? Check out Handmade Arcade and I Made It! Market’s virtual marketplaces.

With all the fun and festive decorations, delicious cocktails, and endless holiday-themed appetizers and desserts it is one of the best times of year to bring friends and family together and just enjoy the season of giving. Unfortunately, the holidays can also come with some not so eco-friendly…

Wastefront AS is today announcing an exclusive long-term project delivery partnership with Devaltec LLC, a project developer and solutions provider in new and sustainable energies.  Devaltec, which was first introduced to Wastefront by Vitol in 2019, will now act as the primary strategic partner to Wastefront and will co-lead the development of all upcoming projects for the next 5 years. Devaltec is contracted to successfully deliver production from multiple plants of minimum 1000 MTD, commencing with Wastefront’s first waste tyre recycling plant in Sunderland, due for completion in 2023.

Motorsport governing body FIA has developed 100 percent sustainable fuel for Formula 1 cars. The organization and F1 aim to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and sustainable fuels will play a key role in that.  With its fuel, which is made from bio waste, FIA aims to demonstrate that renewable sources of fuel are viable for grands prix. It’s encouraging F1 suppliers to develop their own such fuels, while engine manufacturers have received their first barrels of the FIA fuel for testing.

In theory, eco-labels have great potential to reduce the environmental and social impact of products via consumer choice. In practice, the diffusion of eco-labels remains limited, with consumers expressing concerns about their value. One problem is a perceived tradeoff between the eco-label sustainable attributes and the quality of the product.