March Top 10 Sustainability Highlights
1. Where Will Your Plastic Trash Go Now That China Doesn't Want It?
where will your plastic trash go now that china doesnt want it?
For those of us wondering why recycling isn't as simple as we want it to be, this is quite a helpful article. It goes through the history of plastic exportation in China and why they are no longer accepting it. Currently, other countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam are seeing an increase in exports, but according to NPR, it doesn't seem that will last long.
2. India Moves to End Plastic Waste Imports
https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/india-moves-to-end-plastic-waste-imports/
Case in point: India. They've officially prohibited the import of plastic scraps. Of course the UK and other exporters are none too pleased.
3. No-Deal Brexit Waste Shipment Agreements Reached
https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/no-deal-brexit-waste-shipment-agreements-reached/
Sounds like waste export notifications might roll-over with all EU member states even in a 'no deal' Brexit reality. All EU countries have agreed to the measure put forth by Defra. This is good news - the UK's waste infrastructure is heavily dependent on exports to other countries so a no-deal brexit would put us in quite a pickle.
4. Mastercard, Amazon and Accenture Partner to Establish Transparent Blockchain Supply Chain
Woah - this is a really cool one. Accenture, Amazon, and Mastercard (big names, eh?) are partnering to help make our global economy feel a bit more personal and support small businesses and independent farms in the process. It's so easy for us as consumers to pick up the apple or the pair of jeans and forget there was an entire unseen supply chain that brought it there. Through the power of digital and blockchain, these three partners are bringing the supply chain to the forefront. Think of scanning the tag on those jeans and seeing which businesses in which countries brought them to you. And even better, think of the benefit to those small businesses who are otherwise forgotten or taken advantage of - now with visibility and recognition the whole supply chain might just become more accountable. This article is well worth the read.
5. Let's Unwrap Where We Live from Single Use Plastic! - Surfers Against Sewage
https://www.sas.org.uk/Mass_Unwrap
Here's your daily dose of scary stats: 112 thousand pieces of plastic packaging is distributed every minute. Surfers Against Sewage called for communities across the UK to leave their plastic supermarket packaging at the till in their Mass Unwrap event.
6.Virgin Atlantic Removes Beef and Palm Oil from Flight Menus
https://www.livekindly.co/virgin-atlantic-beef-palm-oil-sustainability/
In partnership with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), Virgin Atlantic has begun culling their menu of un-sustainable ingredients. That’s no beef, unsustainable palm oil, soy, and other foods that contribute to deforestation for now. Serving over 5.5 millions meals annually you can imagine the impact this might have on our planet! While their primary environmental impact is carbon emissions, they say they are committed to do as much as they can to reduce their overall footprint.
7. From waste to resource: Is this the future for plastic?
https://news.sky.com/story/from-waste-to-resource-is-this-the-future-for-plastic-11638862
The community of Cambridgeshire is working to be the country’s first local full-on circular economy . They are launching a recycling scheme, but are urging more people to recycle their plastics.
8. Global Action Plan Launch #LongLiveTheLunchbox
http://ethicalmarketingnews.com/global-action-plan-lauch-longlivethelunchbox
Reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. Always. That’s why we love this #LongLiveTheLunchbox campaign by Global Action Plan’s Youth Panel. Local cafes and restaurants can display the little sticker in the window to share with the community that they are accepting people’s reusables containers if they prefer.
9. UN Launches Drive to Highlight Environmental Cost of Staying Fashionable
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035161
Here’s another scary stat: it takes 7,500 litres of water to make a single pair of jeans equivalent to the amount of water the average person drinks over a period of seven years. The fashion industry is considered the second most polluting industry in the world, by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The UN is spreading awareness through influencers. Take a peek at this article – it’s frightening and enlightening and hopefully inspires some change.
10. New UN Global Climate Report ‘Another Strong Wake-Up Call’ Over Global Warming: Guterres
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035681
According to a UN report released last week, climate change is accelerating. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, is urging countries to come with a plan of action. The message is that we have the technology, resources, and capacity to turn things around, but it requires immediate action.
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