sustainability

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She Ran a Marathon, and It Sparked a Business Idea

Kristina Smithe's Hiccup Earth rents reusable cups for use at races

(Newser) - Kristina Smithe was running the California International Marathon in 2019, grabbing cups of water to stay hydrated, when she started to think about how much waste such events produce. On the flight home, she did the math: 9,000 runners, 17 aid stations and something like 150,000 cups used...

In the 'Coral Triangle,' a 'Compounding Problem'

Vietnam struggles to save its coral reefs, only 1% of which are healthy

(Newser) - Southeast Asia's coral reefs make up more than a third of the world's supply and are part of the "Coral Triangle," a richly biodiverse marine area that generally stretches from the Philippines to Indonesia to the Solomon Islands. But most of these are now at risk...

He's Living Off the Grid —in Manhattan

Josh Spodek has the carbon footprint of about 3 house cats

(Newser) - Josh Spodek has been testing the limits of his capacity to tread lightly on the planet since 2015, when he decided to stop purchasing food wrapped in any kind of packaging. Then in 2022, he disconnected the circuit breaker in his studio apartment. With just four solar panels and a...

The Very Green Problem With Blended Fabrics

Washington Post breaks down which materials to shop for so clothing can have a second life

(Newser) - Purchasing some new threads? Then check the label for this sustainability marker: 100%. That's what the Washington Post advises in a rundown of how consumers can help keep fabrics from clogging up landfills. They argue that we can make a difference by eschewing blended fabrics, made from multiple materials...

These Are America's Most Sustainable Cities

LawnStarter ranks US cities by 39 sustainability metrics

(Newser) - What makes a city green? LawnStarter has a few opinions, including zero-energy buildings, alternative fuel stations, and how many greenhouse gases they emit. New York City topped the list of their most sustainable cities, ranking first for its green restaurants and public transit system that connects commuters to jobs. But...

Eye on Plastic Waste, Starbucks Rolls Out New Cups

New cold drink cups have 20% less plastic

(Newser) - Booming sales of cold drinks at Starbucks have created growing amounts of plastic waste from the single-use cups that Frappuccinos, Refreshers, cold brews, and other iced drinks are served in. The coffee giant said Thursday it plans to alleviate some of that waste with new disposable cups that contain up...

One Simple New Year's Resolution 'Changed My Life'

Change starts small, Kristin Hostetter reminds us, as she offers tips for sustainable living

(Newser) - On Jan. 1, 2018, Kristin Hostetter made a New Year's resolution that not only stuck but "changed my life." She decided to swear off single-use plastic bottles, and, as she writes at Outside , "my lips have not touched one since." She simply added a reusable...

Jetliner Crosses Atlantic Without Using Fossil Fuels

Virgin Atlantic 787 used high-fat fuel instead

(Newser) - The first commercial airliner to cross the Atlantic on a purely high-fat, low-emissions fuel flew Tuesday from London to New York in a step toward achieving what supporters called "jet zero." The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight was powered without using fossil fuels, relying on so-called sustainable aviation...

Band Goes on Tour, Walks the Whole Way

Chris Roberts and Seth Bye of Filkin's Drift trekked nearly 900 miles in Wales over 2 months

(Newser) - Get Chris Roberts and Seth Bye a foot massage, stat. The two musicians, members of the folk band Filkin's Drift , on Tuesday wrapped up their latest tour through Wales, performing dozens of shows over two months. But it wasn't private jets, regular commercial aircraft, or even a van...

This Is the Most Sustainable City in America

San Francisco tops LawnStarter's list

(Newser) - Saturday is Earth Day, so LawnStarter compared the 200 biggest cities in America to find the most (and least) sustainable ones. The site looked at more than two dozen metrics in five main categories: policy, including incentives and policies that center on energy efficiency and renewables; sustainable development (think the...

Egypt Pleads With Parents to Have Smaller Families

Nation's resources are becoming strained

(Newser) - Last year, Egypt’s population topped 104 million, five times what it was in 1950, and it continues to grow at a steady clip, per the Washington Post . Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi sees a population crisis that threatens national security and economic development, and he has “repeatedly scolded...

Big Heinz Move: Paper Bottles Come to Those Who Wait

Company developing alternative to iconic original glass bottle

(Newser) - People might be squeezing Heinz ketchup out of a paper bottle in the not-too-distant future. The company is teaming with the packaging company Pulpex—perhaps best known for making a paper bottle for Johnnie Walker whisky—to come up with a more green-friendly container, reports Axios . While the push for...

Jane Goodall Surrounded by Underwear in New Ad

Primatologist, 88, keeps her own clothes on in ad for sustainable clothing brand Boody

(Newser) - Dr. Jane Goodall has accomplished a lot in her life. But for the first time, at age 88, she's now fronting an underwear campaign. The renowned primatologist appears front and center in a new ad for Australian sustainable clothing brand Boody. Though her clothes remain on in the rainforest...

Plans Set for World's First Floating City

Construction to begin next year in Busan, South Korea

(Newser) - South Korea's second-largest city will reportedly play host to the world’s first "floating city." The major port city of Busan has partnered with the United Nations' Human Settlements Program and sustainable design startup Oceanix to develop a 15.5-acre floating city made up of three connected...

Crows Trade Butts—the Cigarette Kind—for Food

Sweden testing litter cleanup program

(Newser) - Some crows in Sweden will literally work for food now. A company based in suburban Stockholm is testing a program that sees trained crows pick up cigarette butts in the city in exchange for food, the Guardian reports. For each butt a crow places into a special machine, the bird...

World's Largest Jeweler Makes Huge Pivot on Diamonds

Pandora will sell lab-made diamonds only from now on in the name of sustainability, affordability

(Newser) - "Laboratory-made diamonds are a girl's best friend" may not have the same ring to it, but the world's largest jeweler is now banking on a shift in that direction and hoping it will be a lucrative one. The BBC reports that Pandora will cease to sell mined...

Where's the Beef? Not in This Popular Site's Recipes Anymore

Epicurious' move is in the name of sustainable cooking, but not everyone is happy about it

(Newser) - Food and cooking website Epicurious made a big announcement on Monday, with some critics saying it's a "drastic" one. "Epicurious is cutting out beef," the site, which falls under the Conde Nast umbrella, posted in a tweet , explaining that beef will no longer be included in...

Spirits Industry First: a Paper Bottle

Diageo announces Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky will have plastic-free packaging starting next spring

(Newser) - Tired: drinking out of a paper bag. Wired: drinking out of a paper bottle. Starting next year, you'll be able to do the latter, thanks to a spirits industry first. Reuters reports that Diageo—maker of such brands as Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, and Smirnoff, among others—has teamed up...

Starbucks Just Made a Change It Hopes You Don't Notice

Company is testing greener coffee cup with biodegradable liner

(Newser) - Starbucks' paper coffee cups aren't as easy to recycle as you may think. That's because it's challenging to separate the outer paper part from the thin plastic liner used on the inside to keep any hot beverage from seeping through. The chain hopes to change all of...

Virus Takes a Toll on Fashion Week
Virus Takes a Toll
on Fashion Week
Feb 15, 2020 3:18 PM CST

Virus Takes a Toll on Fashion Week

Outbreak keeps buyers, journalists, and clothes from reaching show

(Newser) - Climate change demonstrators firing smoke flares blocked traffic in central London to call for the cancellation of London Fashion Week, which opened Saturday against a backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak. The scare has reduced attendance by investors, buyers, and journalists, Sky News reports, and the long-term effects of the outbreak...

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