Zero Waste News: Clean Up Your Act! Innovation, Inspiration & Motivation
Hello!
Clean up your act! Community initiatives and recycling/waste management, in particular, took a backseat due to Covid-19. With spring in the air and vaccines rolling out, our lives and communities are starting to open up again!
Weβre SO here for it - over the last two weeks we have collected some of our favorite stories and initiatives to inspire and motivate you:
New Eco-ship will Collect Marine Debris for Recycling and Energy Production
The SeaCleaners have built a 54ft catamaran, called the Manta, to collect marine debris, recycle plastic and generate electricity to power itself. The vessel will be able to collect up to 10 000 tons of waste per year. And 100% of the waste collected will be managed on board, where it will be transformed to resources to clean resources. The SeaCleaners hope to combat ocean waste while setting a course for others to follow.
Saudi Arabian Company Launches a New Material Made with Plastic Collected from Ocean-Bound Waterways
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) is collecting plastic from waterways within a 50km radius of the ocean to use in a resin for electronics and consumer goods. With 20% recycled plastic, each kiloton of the resin will divert the equivalent of 24 million single-use PET water bottles from ending up in the ocean. It reduces carbon by 7% and energy consumption by 11%, compared to creating it with virgin materials! More of this, please π
Cool tech and innovations are coming into our local communities too β these three initiatives are connecting people to resources, and each other:
Facebook Announces Communities for Recycling Initiative for Hyper-local Recycling Info
Communities for Recycling is a partnership between Facebook and an NGO, The Recycling Partnership, which offers hyper-local information on what, where, and how to recycle in your specific area. Confusion around what can be recycled and where/how to recycle locally is a major roadblock for the public, which leads to most recyclable waste ending up in landfills. The initiative aims to combat this by offering location-based information via Facebook Messenger.
ShareWaste β An App to Connect Local CompostersΒ Β Β
The ShareWaste App connects people with others in their area to share their food waste and make compost. Food waste in landfills is a major source of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Composting at home diverts kitchen scraps from landfills and allows them to be composted safely, in the right conditions, which donβt create the same gases. The problem is that most people in urban areas canβt compost in their homes. The app connects those who can compost, with those who canβt!
TradeMade β An App to Trade Goods and Services to Reduce Consumption and Waste GenerationΒ Β Β Β Β
As consumers, buying second-hand, swapping, and bartering are the best way to Reduce and Reuse. The TradeMade App connects people to share, swap, barter, and sell their goods and services. They aim to empower people to make real changes to their consumption habits and divert waste from landfills by offering a simple and safe platform for people to find what need and offer what they have.
If you want to clean up your act at home β start with how you buy and what you consume. These guides will help you make better decisions:Β Β
Biodegradable Materials: The Simple Guide for Eco-minded People [2021]
17 Best Eco-Friendly Companies You Must Know About in 2021
9 Awesome Zero-Waste Stores: Online & Offline
Thatβs it for today.
Now get out there (safely, of course) and clean up your act π Share your experiences with us by replying to this email β we love hearing from you!
Best,
Liza and Johanna