Waste Not? Some States Are Sending Less Food to Landfills

The idea of  a circular economy—one in which materials are used in a closed loop, running on renewable energy—is gaining traction, and many companies are setting goals to become circular in the next few decades. The coming years will be crucial in solidifying the growing circular economy. Here are seven trends that are likely to help it expand in 2021. More Brands Will Employ Reusable Packaging. A growing number of companies are rethinking product design to avoid disposable packaging. Startups like Blueland and Everdrop now sell cleaning products in the form of tablets that can be dropped in reusable bottles. Bite sells tiny toothpaste tabs so it can avoid the standard plastic tubes.

Pollination & human livelihoods Pollination is a keystone process in both human managed and natural terrestrial ecosystems. It is critical for food production and human livelihoods, and directly links wild ecosystems with agricultrual production systems. The vast majority of flowering plant species only produce seeds if animal pollination move pollen from the anthers to the stigmas of their flowers. Without this service, many interconnected species and processes functioning within an ecosystem would collapse. Highlights In Depth Understanding The more we know about pollinators, plant pollination services and the interactions between agro-ecosystems and pollination management, the more we can understand how to conserve them and manage them to maintain biodiversity, ensure ecosystem health and improve human livelihoods. Monitoring pollinator declines, monitoring pollinator deficits, assessing socio-economic values, pollinator identification and understanding plant/pollinator interactions expands the knowledge base. Managing Both wild and managed pollinator populations require habitat and forage resources in order to…