🌋 Turning Lava Into Buildings
From Threat to Resource
Today’s eco snapshot👇🏽
Turning Lava Into Buildings
Startup of The Week: B’ZEOS
5 Sustainable Brands I Recently Discovered
News That Lifted My Spirits This Week
3 Ways I Can Support Your Sustainability Journey
🌋 Turning Lava Into Buildings
What comes to mind when you think of Iceland? The land of fire and ice? Volcanoes, lava flows, or perhaps hot springs?
Iceland occupies a unique geological position. Situated on a rift between two tectonic plates, this location gives rise to volcanic activity and lava formation.
For centuries, this volcanic nature has been viewed as a local threat.
However, an architecture studio aims to reframe this perception of lava, encouraging people to see it as a valuable resource.
Arnhildur Pálmadóttir of s.ap architects will present her project "Lavaforming" at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2025.
Their proposal suggests transforming lava into a sustainable building material, potentially replacing non-renewable and polluting alternatives.
While this idea might seem far-fetched, so did geothermal energy when Iceland began exploring it 100 years ago 🤷🏽♂️
⌛ Time for the quiz of the week
In the late 1800s, a bottle return system called "flaskepant" was introduced in this country. It began with some dairies implementing it for their glass milk bottles. By 1922, beer breweries had established the first "pantsystem"—essentially a deposit system. Over time, this system expanded to encompass both beer and soft drinks.
Answer at the end of the newsletter. No one (including me) can see your response so feel free to vote 😉
✨ Startup of the week: B’ZEOS
This Spanish startup is using the power of seaweed to replace plastic packaging.
Plastic pollution is a ubiquitous problem impacting every creature, including humans. Fortunately, we have sustainable alternatives—one of which is seaweed.
B'ZEOS is leveraging seaweed to replace plastic. The company creates seaweed-based packaging solutions that can be used across multiple industries, including:
🫒 Food & beverage
📱 Electronics
💄 Cosmetics
💊 Pharma
Contrary to plastic, they biodegrade in a few days and are home-compostable. They become part of nature in 41 days.
Seaweed's durability makes it an excellent fit for packaging. It doesn't require land or freshwater to grow, and it emits negligible greenhouse gases during cultivation. These qualities make seaweed a great nature-based, sustainable alternative to traditional packaging materials.
✅ 5 Sustainable Brands I Recently Discovered
Nat4Bio: An edible coating that reduces fruit spoilage.
Faircado: AI-powered second-hand shopping assistant.
Akhirah: Upcycling plastic into clutches, totes, and sling bags.
Aigen: Renewable-powered autonomous robot that can remove weeds.
Hasiru Dala: Tackling waste management & social inclusion by creating waste entrepreneurs.
😹 News That Lifted My Spirits This Week
🐳 A Whale of a Tale: Legal Rights Make a Splash!
Māori and Pacific leaders have signed the 'He Whakaputanga Moana' treaty, granting whales legal personhood. This landmark declaration recognizes whales' rights to free migration and healthy habitats, aligning with Indigenous views of whales as ancestral beings. Supported by a $100 million conservation fund and potential UN recognition as "ocean ambassadors," this initiative promises a significant impact on global marine conservation efforts.
🌿 Coal-d Shoulder: Malaysia's Power Play
Malaysia is giving coal the cold shoulder, with Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof announcing a gradual phase-out of coal-fired power plants and no new ones in the pipeline. The nation is amping up its green game, aiming to boost renewable energy in the national electricity mix to 40% by 2035 and a whopping 70% by 2050.
🌱 Supermarket Sprouts: Greens Grow Up in Aisles!
A Swedish company, SweGreen, is revolutionizing grocery shopping by bringing farms directly into supermarkets. This innovative hydroponic system grows plants in rock wool plugs without soil, addressing water shortages and reducing dependence on global supply chains. With the ability to cultivate up to 100 different crop species, this sustainable solution promises fresher produce, reduced transport emissions, and improved taste for shoppers.
💁🏼 3 Ways I Can Support Your Sustainability Journey
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Give that 💚 a little tap if this edition helped you learn something new about sustainability and climate change.
Enjoy your weekend and see you next week :)