Compostable, biodegradable, recyclable- do they mean anything?
Or are they there to make us feel good?
Products these days are stamped with so many claims- compostable, biodegradable, planet friendly, made of safe material.
You buy them feeling these claims are genuine and then you realize that most of them are just marketing gimmicks.
Advertising companies are using them to increase sales…and make consumers feel better.
Sorry to break this to you but most of it is ending up in landfills- impacting our health and the planet.
GreenBiz did a great job in breaking down these suspecting, omnipresent terms. Check them out here.
My favourite one has been compostable. If you know me, you know how much I hate the phrase industrially compostable
Until the following is happening, you’re being greenwashed with compostable
Was it alive, like a plant, or part of a living thing, like a pig bone? Then it may belong in a compost bin. However, you can’t call a product "compostable" if someone can’t compost it safely and in a "timely" fashion at home. That is, if an item remains largely in its original form one year later while the rest of a backyard compost pile has transformed into fluffy fertilizer, then don't market it as compostable. If the product or packaging requires composting in a big industrial facility unavailable to most consumers, then a compostable claim may be bunk, according to the FTC
Moving onto this week’s content. So today, we have-
A startup that wants to keep construction waste out of landfills
Another startup that’s creating non-toxic clothes for kids
Some good news
Stat of the week- How do pollinators impact our food?
Can I help you?
🛠️ This US-based startup wants to keep construction waste out of landfills
Out of sight, out of mind…We throw our trash in the bins in our houses. It gets transported to bigger bins, which are eventually emptied into garbage trucks. Some of it is recycled, and some of it is composted but the majority ends up in landfills. And just sit there for years. It will outlive all of us. All industries are contributing to this waste. And the construction industry is no different. In fact, construction and demolition waste are one of the biggest fillers of landfill.
Your trash could be my treasure… RecapturIt has designed a marketplace to keep construction waste out of landfills. On one hand, there are sellers like deconstructionists, contractors, upcyclers that have valuable, one-of-a-kind materials and historical artifacts that are of no use to them. On the other hand, there are interior designers, contractors, and construction companies that are willing to use that material. But in a world where anything new can be bought in a few clicks, why would you make the effort of buying a used material?
So RecapturIt has decided to make the process of buying recaptured or reclaimed building materials as seamless as buying the new one.
Small hardware, bricks, wood, light fixtures, built-ins, facades, mantels- you name it and they would have it.
In case you’re looking for a specific product or quantity, you can use the “wanted” feature.
We got this…As a platform, RecapturIt tackles issues like shipping and taxes, making it easier for sellers and buyers to transact. They also have a geolocation feature where you can purchase from sellers close to you, bringing down the shipping costs and emissions.
🧒 This German startup is creating non-toxic clothes for kids
I don’t know but…There’s something about parenting that makes people more conscious. I’ve spoken to numerous founders whose kids were the motivation behind their ventures. Evelyn Schöller has a similar story. During her pregnancy, she came to know about the toxic chemicals used in our clothes. She did not want her child to wear those clothes. When she could not find a better solution, she decided to create one…
And thus was born…Luftabong with a vision that children's clothing would not be mixed with chemicals, they would not come from far away in a container and people making those clothes would be treated and paid properly.
They handcraft all of their clothing in Germany. All the cutting and sewing of the fabrics are handmade.
The clothes are produced in the Black Forest in Germany, promoting local production and shortening transportation routes.
Their clothing is manufactured to grow with the children, up to 3 sizes.
Morro do Papagaio…is their current collection. As a social project, it was created in a creative workshop in a favela(slum/ghetto) in Brazil. All the designs were made by children. 10% of the profits from this collection go back to the favela and they also co-finance an English teacher so that the children there can have a future.
😹 Some Good News
📌 Ultimatum- Europe’s biggest pension fund issues warning to banks over CO2.
🚘 What’s range anxiety?- Solar electric vehicle startup says its car will go 400 miles on a full battery and never needs to be charged.
💚 Time’s up- Colombia announces halt on fossil fuel exploration for a greener economy.
🐝 How do pollinators impact our food?
Pollinating animals like birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies.
This interaction allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants.
And if we won’t have pollinating animals in our ecosystem, this is how our food would get impacted-
There are only a few crops that are fully dependent: brazil nuts, fruits including kiwi and melons, and cocoa beans. A world without pollinators would mean a world without chocolate.
🔦Can I help you?
If you’re a brand that has planet Earth as a stakeholder, here are 2 ways in which I can help you-
Shine a spotlight on your brand in the newsletter and in a LinkedIn post (I post there every day). It’s completely FREE!
Help you with your content strategy
Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to write to me by replying to this email.
Have a great weekend and see you next week😊