Planned obsolescence and E-Waste, the ugly side of upgrading tech

Rachel and Helen-Sage Lee, identical twins and Co-Founders of PRISM Bags, launched the ultimate, hands-free bag for quarantine on Kickstarter. The ACTIVE Recycled Fanny Pack innovatively reimagines single-use plastic waste from the pandemic by using 100% recycled nylon, engineered from plastics such as water bottles and takeout containers.  A new line of functional fanny packs inspired by our new normal. Made of 100% recycled nylon from single-use plastics.  The product is fitting for our times, as the COVID-19 pandemic has not only had a severe impact on the environment, but also had a disruptive effect on the lives of many women. Waste from single-use plastics, namely disposable masks, takeout containers, and plastic bags, has globally surged, with enough plastic waste produced to cover the entire land mass of Switzerland. In addition, women have had to adapt to their new lives during the pandemic, since there has still been a need to run errands masked up, go for an outdoor walk, or grab take-out. Women’s fashion lacks function and purses and backpacks on the market are too big for the work-from-home culture.

Society is facing ever greater pressure to protect the environment. The transportation sector in particular is being called on to make a considerable contribution to these efforts. DB Cargo UK aspires to lead the way in the environmental protection movement. We want to become the leading green logistics services provider and prove that CO2 emissions can indeed be reduced as transport grows.

India’s first biomaterial startup, and fragrance-focussed wellness brand Phool.co, has raised $8 million (Rs60.5 crore) in a Series A round from Sixth Sense Ventures, a consumer-centric venture fund. The round also saw participation from existing investors Alia Bhatt and IAN fund.  Founded in 2017 by engineering graduates Ankit Agarwal and Prateek Kumar, Phool.co is a flower recycling technology startup. It uses floral waste—collected from dumping temple waste in rivers—to make patented organic fertiliser and charcoal-free luxury incense products.  The Kanpur-based startup currently accumulates floral waste from three Indian cities, which includes one of the biggest temples (Kashi Vishwanath), averting 13 tonnes of waste flowers and toxic chemicals from reaching into the river every day. Self-help women groups handcraft the waste into patented charcoal free incense sticks and essential oils through the ‘flower cycling’ technology.

Understanding the impact of oil and gas operations and embracing transparency around data better equips companies to take transformative action and “bounce forward” rather than back. The increased speed in realizing actual value delivers benefits to the bottom line, now and in the energy future.