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Revolutionary recycling? A new technology turns everyday trash into plastic treasure.

Jim Morrison Shoshana Kordova

November 18, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Israel, Tze'elim

A company in Israel is setting its sights on reducing plastic waste by converting garbage into pellets that can then be used in manufacturing plastic to create "everyday items like trays and packing crates." Although the approach has been met with some skepticism, the company has already shown promise due to the creation of "a radical technology that transforms garbage into the raw materials for plastics manufacturers and earns them a profit in the end."

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Could 'invisible barcodes' revolutionise recycling?

Dougal Shaw

November 14, 2019 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV Programs |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Germany, Andernach

A pilot recycling sorting method hosted in Germany has created an easier way for recyclable and non-recyclable products to be separated. Designers printed invisible digital codes - much like invisible barcodes that can be picked up by a grocery store scanner - onto a myriad of products for a sensor machine to be able to sort products by material; the sorting machine saw over 90% success in correct allocation. Now, some of the largest food companies in the world are working together to use this technology on a wider scale.

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These shops will sell you shampoo, but it's BYOB — bring your own bottle

Cara Giaimo

November 04, 2019 |

Grist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Eschewing packaging reduces waste. Cleenland, a store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, encourages low-waste shopping by selling household items like soap, cleaner, and detergent in bulk. Customers bring their own containers and purchase the products by weight. The store is among the first in the country to offer package-free shopping.

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Leading Maggot Farmer to Expand From Cape Town to California

Antony Sguazzin

October 31, 2019 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town

AgriProtein, a large-scale maggot farm in Cape Town, is one of many companies addressing the “long on waste and short on protein” problem the world is facing. Maggots provide protein sustenance for animals like fish, poultry, and pigs while also eating organic waste. While the facilities are costly to make, the industry has been booming as the world shifts how it thinks about waste and sustainability.

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Green burials: Everything you need to know about the growing trend

Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin

October 29, 2019 |

CBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada

Green burials—the practice of burying a body in the earth with the intention of it decomposing naturally—are becoming more popular across Canada as people become aware of the high prices and environmental damage that come with traditional burials. The idea also lends itself to a communal enjoyment of the land: plots are reused and the spot remains unmarked. This practice is low-impact and offers other creative ways for people to bury their loved ones.

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US Supermarkets Are Doing Bulk Food All Wrong

Karine Vann

October 28, 2019 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Many supermarkets throughout the U.S. have made bulk food shopping available but have failed to take into account the packaging of these foods, which are oftentimes plastic. While some stores have committed to cutting down their plastic waste, zero-waste bulk shopping is still a possibility as evident in countries in Europe.

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Food is biggest stumbling block on zero-waste nature tour

JoAnna Haugen

October 10, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Natural Habitat Adventures, a tour company, has run the first no-waste, week-long trip through Yellowstone. With ecotourism producing millions of pounds of waste per year, the group wanted to demonstrate that doing so was possible as a way of holding other tour companies to a higher standard. Natural Habitat was able to reach the zero-waste success through composting, sharing meals at restaurants, heavy planning and preparation, and consulting with sustainability and waste experts.

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Curing Our Plastic Problem

Tom Gibson Vicky Feng Leila Hussain

September 30, 2019 |

Bloomberg |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Thailand

A company in Thailand called Universal Bio Pack created biodegradable packaging made out of cassava starch and natural fiber that could reduce the amount of single use plastic that people consume. Another company in Spain called Plastic Energy takes mixed plastics that can’t be recycled and converts it into usable oils that make fuel. Both are different solutions that could be used simultaneously to tackle the world’s plastic pollution crisis.

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Parisians fight climate change with a surprising weapon

Dougal Shaw

September 27, 2019 |

BBC |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: France, Saint-Denis, Paris Region

Les Alchimistes is a social enterprise outside of Paris that turns the 900,000 tons of food waste produced every year into compost that is then sold to farmers. The group is supported by industrial composters named Tidy Planet who have managed to speed up the natural composting process from 6-12 months to less than two weeks. The Alchimistes have six composting sites across France, and they rely on city cyclists to pick up the food waste from each participating restaurant.

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Handmade in Brazil: Rede Asta's transformation of artisans into entrepreneurs

Maria Eduarda Lannes

September 26, 2019 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

A collective for Brazilian women artisans named Rede Asta provides training, production networks, links to consumers, and an online market to empower them to make a livable income. The group is also environmentally-conscious, focusing on creative waste reuse solutions that result in upcycled products. There are challenges as the collective grows, but they have supported more than 1,500 artisan women since opening.

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