Zero Waste News: Reloop Comes to Us and Unilever Is Making Progress
Hey!
We’ve gathered all the exciting news from the past two weeks about the state of waste to present you with our favourite stories and innovations:
Reloop is entering North America
Reloop, the organization responsible for some of the momentous changes in Europe towards circular economies has announced that it is coming to the United States. Reloop is best known for their part in changes to policies around extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit return systems and packaging design changes across Europe. Their extension into the US is intended to drive policy change discussions at all levels of government, which will hopefully drive changes in how we do things and bring us closer to a fully circular economy!
Hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles in Germany could significantly support climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
As Germany looks to new and innovative ways to meet their national climate targets, the use of hydrogen energy for heavy-duty vehicles under discussion. Researchers have concluded that “a shift towards hydrogen-powered mobility could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and greatly improve air quality”. Changes like these could lead to widespread change and pave the way for other countries to follow suit.
Turning Container Deposit Refunds into Donations for Charity
As container return deposit systems become more widely available, people are doubling up on their good deeds by donating the proceeds of their collections to charity! As we head into the peak of ‘consumer season’ the number of beverages cans and bottles we use goes up significantly. With more than 60 states, provinces, or countries now offering a deposit system for cans and plastic bottles, more and more people are using these systems to collect for charity and support worthy causes.
Unilever’s Remarkable Progress towards their Waste Goals in 2020
Unilever, one of the biggest producers of all things packaged in plastic, has made some incredible changes to its policies on plastic packaging in the last few years. Their ‘progress on plastics’ report details how they have redesigned their packing to use less plastic, reduced the amount of virgin plastic used to manufacture their containers and phased in packaging that is 100% recyclable. They’ve also rolled out refilling stations for detergents and are making progress with using more plant-based solutions in their cleaning products!
When major players like Unilever and Johnson & Johnson move towards environmentally sustainable practices and reducing waste, the impacts start to become more tangible and they set a precedent for others to follow and a standard for consumers to expect – maybe 2020 hasn’t been all that bad after all?
That’s all for today. Happy Holidays!
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Liza & Johanna