Zero Waste Weekly: Edible Platic Bags & Amazon and P&G are Taking Action
A Recycled Car Named Luca
Students from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have designed and built a fully functional and innovative car, named Luca, using waste and recycled materials.
They utilized a waste conversion technology developed by UBQ in Israel, which turns unsorted waste into a plastic-like composite for use in the manufacturing of durable plastic products.
The waste types used include food waste, paper, cardboard, mixed plastics, and even garden trimmings. These waste types are under-recycled and often go straight to landfill or, particularly plastic, straight into sensitive natural environments like the ocean and inland waterways.
The materials like those produced by UBQ are a giant leap towards viable, sustainable, circular economies.
Image: TU/ecomotive
Japanese City Invents a Safe Edible Plastic Bag after Deer Die from Ingesting Plastic Bags
The ancient city of Nara, in Japan, is home to around 1300 deer that roam around the city’s central park. Tourists love them and feed them crackers sold in local stores, however, tourists also often leave litter and leave plastic where the deer will find them and eat them.
Several deer died last year, one with over 4kg of plastic in its stomach. A local businessman, Hidetoshi Matsukawa, heard of the deer’s plight and enlisted other firms to help him come up with a solution – a safe, edible, plastic bag made from milk carton pulp and rice bran.
The bags are designed to pass safely through the deer’s complex digestive system without harming the animal. The bags protect the animals and promote local the economy through the branding and sales of the bags, as well as supporting tourism in the city.
Amazon Launches ‘Climate Pledge Friendly’ an Eco-Friendly Shopping Platform
Ecommerce giant Amazon has launched its ‘Climate Pledge Friendly’section, which is dedicated to “eco-friendly” products.
The products listed include zero-waste alternatives, handmade products, ethically made products and products from small businesses – everything from shampoo bars to organic, children’s clothing.
Products are certified by various external bodies, like Fairtrade International and the Carbon Trust, as well as by Amazon’s own ‘Compact by Design’ certification for products with more efficient designs.
Image: Amazon
P&G Beauty Announces Reusable and Refillable Aluminium Bottle System
P&G Beauty in the UK has announced that it will be moving over to a refillable bottle system in 2021 for its popular brands Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Herbal Essences and Aussie.
The new bottles will be 100% aluminum and the recyclable refill pouches will be made using 60% less plastic than the standard bottles they currently use. This initiative contributes to P&G Beauty’s mission to reduce virgin plastic usage by 50% in shampoo and conditioner bottles by the end of 2023.
Their collective efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle it will reduce virgin plastic production by 300 million bottles per year!
Bacardi Unveils their new Biodegradable Spirits Bottles
Bacardi has announced that they will be using new, bridgeable, plant-based bottles by 2023. The bottles will eliminate around 2500 tons of plastic per year. The new plant-based material is made from oils found in Palm, Soy and Canola seeds.
In addition to the plant-based bottles, they will also be able to use the material for inner closure seals and lid liners on their glass bottles that have metal lids/caps. The polymer in the new material can decompose in as little as 18 months!
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Liza & Johanna