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Malaysian startup Klean recognised for plastic waste reduction

Posted on by dishanth
Malaysian startup Klean recognised for plastic waste reduction

“THE fact that, as a startup, we’ve made it past 200 applicants worldwide and into the finals shows recognition on the importance and urgency of resolving the plastic waste problem worldwide,” says co-founder of Klean, Datuk Mohamad Arif Abdullah.

Klean, a Malaysian-based startup, was one of the six finalists for The Liveability Challenge which aims to close the financing gap between the ideas that will make cities better and the investments that will turn their solutions into reality.

Over 200 applications from 34 countries around the world were filed over two months and the six most promising ones selected, including Klean.

 

Good cause: Boden hopes to encourage the public to recycle with his Klean Reverse Vending Machines.

 

Klean, with the other five finalists, took the stage at The Liveability Challenge Finale and pitched their innovative solutions to secure up to S$1mil (RM2.96mil) in funding for the development of their projects.

The event was held on the sidelines of the World Cities Summit and CleanEnviro Singapore Summit on July 11 at Marina Bay Sands.

Klean, which in June won the first Asean edition of Pitch@Palace, plans to talk to Asean governments and government-linked companies on boosting the recycling rates.

In addition, they are also trying to talk to the UK government as the UK is expected to introduce the container deposit scheme towards the end of this year to curb plastic waste.

Both Mohamad Arif and Datuk Dr Nick Boden, as founders of Klean, will proceed to pitch in the finals at Pitch@Palace Global at St. James Palace in London this December.

Klean’s ecosystem utilises a unique Malaysian-made smart reverse vending machine (SRVM) with its own Klean operating system and an app that rewards people for recycling empty polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and aluminium cans with an innovative points scheme, which is redeemable for rewards such as prepaid air time and discounts for transportation rides, goods and services.

Their greatest achievement to date was to team up with HelloGold to tackle generational poverty.

By returning bottles and cans, users can build up a gold portfolio, allowing poor people to save money using readily available waste.

They can even use this gold as collateral to secure a loan, start a business and increase savings.

In Singapore, Klean has teamed up with a leading beverage company to start a proof of concept on a container deposit scheme in the island state.

“Available data shows that the container deposit scheme has been proven to resolve the PET plastic waste problem and increase the recycling rates of countries that adopt them.

“We are aiming to start a scheme here in Singapore and in Asean and turn the tide on the problem of plastic waste in this region,” Mohamad Arif said.

They are currently seeking to secure US$5mil (RM20.2mil) in funding to allow further research and development and to launch machines across Malaysia, Singapore and the rest of Asean. — Bernama.

 

 

Source The Star

Singapore is building a 42,000-home eco ‘smart’ city

Posted on by dishanth
Singapore is building a 42,000-home eco ‘smart’ city

In a country where over 80% of residents live in public housing, a government commitment to sustainable urban design could have huge implications. And when it’s a tropical country where convenience and air conditioning are a way of life, the impact could be greater still.

Promising 42,000 new homes across five residential districts, the eco-town of Tengah — the Malay word for “middle,” though it’s in the island’s western region — will be the 24th new settlement built by Singapore’s government since World War II. It is, however, the first with centralized cooling, automated trash collection and a car-free town center, which conservationists hope offers a roadmap for slashing carbon emissions in the Southeast Asian city-state.

The development is being dubbed a “forest town” by officials, due to its abundant greenery and public gardens. Once home to brickmaking factories, and later used for military training, the 700-hectare (2.7-square-mile) site has been reclaimed by an extensive secondary forest in recent years. A 328-foot-wide ecological “corridor” will be maintained through its center, providing safe passage to wildlife and connecting a water catchment area on one side to a nature reserve on the other.

Planners say the town has been designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind. Credit: Courtesy The Housing & Development Board

 

 

The project has proven a tabula rasa for urban planners advocating green design principles and “smart” technology, according to Chong Fook Loong, group director for research and planning at Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB), the agency overseeing the country’s public housing.

“Tengah is a clean slate,” he said in a video interview, explaining that roads, parking and utilities are being pushed beneath the town center. “We’re going for the ideal concept of segregation of traffic, (with) everything underground and then the ground level totally freed up for pedestrians — for people. So, it’s a very safe environment for all.

“We want a town that allows walking and cycling in a very user-friendly manner,” he added, saying that cycling has “taken off” in Singapore in the “last three to five years especially.”

The master plan will see the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, while the streets are also being “futureproofed” to accommodate emerging technologies, Chong said.

“When we planned the road network, we envisaged a future where autonomous vehicles and self-driving vehicles will become a reality,” he said.

 

Cooler by design

Although comparatively small, with a population of under 6 million people, Singapore’s per-capita emissions are higher than those of the UK, China, and neighboring Malaysia, according to the country’s National Climate Change Secretariat.

That’s due, in part, to air conditioning, which accounts for more than a third of typical household energy consumption. Global warming will only exacerbate this dependence. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) has predicted that, by the end of this century, average daily temperatures in the city-state may be at least 34.1 degrees Celsius (93.4 degrees Fahrenheit) “almost every day” during the eight warmest months of the year.

An artist’s impression of the 2.7-square-mile site. Credit: Courtesy The Housing & Development Board

 

 

As such, keeping cool will, increasingly, be a necessity for residents. Rather than demonizing air conditioning, Tengah’s planners have instead sought to reimagine it. Cold water, chilled using solar power, will be piped though the district’s homes, meaning residents don’t need to install inefficient outdoor AC condensers (though they can still control the temperature in their own apartments).

According to the town’s energy provider, SP Group, this will generate carbon dioxide savings equivalent to taking 4,500 cars off the roads each year. The state-owned energy company reports that, of the apartments already sold in advance, 9 out of 10 future residents have signed up for centralized cooling.

Planners used computer modeling to simulate wind flow and heat gain across the town, helping to reduce the so-called urban heat island effect (whereby human activities and structures make urban areas notably warmer than the surrounding nature). Elsewhere, “smart” lights will switch off when public spaces are unoccupied, and trash will be stored centrally, with monitors detecting when garbage needs collecting.

“Instead of using a truck to collect garbage from every block, we will suck all the garbage through the pneumatic system to a chamber that serves several blocks,” Chong said. “From time to time, the (garbage) truck just needs to collect from the chamber.”

One of the town’s five residential districts, known as the Plantation District, will offer community farming. Credit: Courtesy The Housing & Development Board

 

 

Of the 42,000 homes being built at Tengah, more than 70% will be made available through the HDB on long-term leases. Prices for two-bedroom apartments currently begin at just 108,000 Singapore dollars ($82,000), with the first apartments set to complete in 2023.

All residents will have access to an app allowing them to monitor their energy and water usage. (“You empower them to take control of where they can cut down their energy consumption,” Chong said.) Digital displays in each block will meanwhile inform occupants of their collective environmental impact, which could even encourage competition between residential blocks, according to SP Group.

Regardless of whether the use of smart technology can significantly dent greenhouse gas emissions or not, engaging residents with their own consumption could instigate behavioral change, according to Perrine Hamel, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University’s Asian School of the Environment. This, she added, is a crucial part of Singapore’s goal of reaching peak emissions by 2030 and reducing them thereafter.

“Thinking about food consumption and thinking about the way people use air conditioning is all part of (achieving climate targets),” she said. “Changing behavior is going to be an integral part of it and, of course, urban design is the first way to affect and change behavior.”

Dubbing the project a “forest town,” planners aim to retain some of the site’s natural greenery. Credit: Courtesy The Housing & Development Board

 

 

Connecting with nature
For Hamel, the integration of nature and residential areas — which creates “more opportunities for people to interact with nature” — is where Tengah’s plan excels. In addition to the aforementioned forest corridor, the town’s residents will have access to community farming in the so-called Plantation District.

Beyond promoting and protecting biodiversity, conserving nature on the site can lead to further behavioral change, Hamel said.

“There are a lot of examples, from around the world, showing that changing our relationship with nature through everyday encounters does help people take environmental action,” she said. “On that front I think the biophilic design and (Tengah’s) master plan actually does a good job.”.

The Nature Society Singapore (NSS) has nonetheless criticized the plan for conserving too little — less than 10% — of the site’s existing forest. The environmental group has proposed two additional “core forest areas” at either end of the green corridor to promote biodiversity and protect migratory species.

 

 

The government said it is “refining” its plan based the NSS report, though Singapore’s Land Transport Authority has since disclosed that even more of the remaining forest — about 3% of the proposed corridor — will be felled to make way for viaducts connecting the town to a nearby expressway.

(In an email to CNN, the agency said it will later replant the trees in the cleared area and create “suitable temporary wildlife crossings … to provide a safe passage for animals during construction.”)

Yet, even Tengah’s critics have broadly welcomed the eco-town, with the NSS concluding its environmental critique by stating it is still “heartened by this bold plan.”

What these urban design initiatives mean for the rest of Singapore remains to be seen. When Tengah was first revealed in 2016, it was the first new town announced by Singapore’s government in two decades, meaning every other neighborhood was designed long before the era of autonomous vehicles and internet-enabled amenities. Chong readily admitted that “it’s not so easy” to retrofit underground road networks and pneumatic trash chutes in existing towns.

Nevertheless, he struck a positive note when asked what Tengah’s model offers future residential projects.
“We try to bring all the lessons forward — whenever we can and to the best of our ability,” he said. “You look at Tengah and, in a nutshell, you’re seeing the future of what the (government) is trying to build: the future of towns.”

 

 

Written byOscar Holland

Source CNN

Elon Musk just bought $100 million in publicity for the carbon capture industry

Posted on by dishanth
Elon Musk just bought $100 million in publicity for the carbon capture industry

There is no way to stabilize the world’s temperature without an aggressive plan to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates than more than 3 to 7 gigatons (GT) of CO2 will need to be removed per year by 2050—up to 15 GT by the end of the century—to limit warming to 1.5° C. That’s akin to “running the fossil fuel industry in reverse,” says Rob Jackson, an earth system science professor at Stanford University who leads the Global Carbon Project.

While plenty of technology exists to extract and sequester CO2, ranging from biofuels to direct air capture, none have been scaled up commercially.

On Jan. 21, Elon Musk fired up the climate community by offering a $100 million prize (about .05% of his estimated net worth) to any team that comes up with the best way to capture carbon. It’s a small but meaningful addition to the $4 billion committed to such projects in 2020. Details are reportedly coming this week.

 

 

Musk, by offering the prize, joins a long line of governments, industrialists, and charities seeking to inspire new technologies over the past 500 years. Recently, the MacArthur Foundation put up $100 million for proposals promising “real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time.” The Breakthrough Initiative extended two $100 million prizes searching for signs of alien life or demonstrating a fleet of spacecraft that can reach the Alpha Centauri system, our closest celestial neighbor at about four light-years away.

Some prizes appear to have worked: Since the 16th century, vaccines, lifeboats, and a method to calculate longitude at sea all emerged from prize competitions, according to Fiona Murray, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

But are prizes a good way to develop real-world solutions?

Here the evidence is shakier. The Virgin Earth Challenge, a $25 million prize sponsored by billionaire Richard Branson in 2007, failed to produce its objective of commercially viable CO2 removal technology, despite 10,000 entrants. Similarly, Google’s $30 million Lunar X-Prize failed to reach its moon landing after a decade.

In her book Inventing Ideas: Patents, Prizes, and the Knowledge Economy, Zorina Kahn analyzed 60,000 prize competitions over the past few centuries, and found that innovation prizes don’t typically result in scalable technologies that succeed in the marketplace. “The arbitrary nature of judging is a theme that reoccurs in all prize systems,” writes Kahn, a professor of economics at Bowdoin College and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Part of the problem is that “the best” in a competition is determined by the award’s administrator, rather than the market or society in general. “Even the most dedicated and knowledgeable panel are unlikely to be able to predict what will be the most appropriate technologies and how that will change over time,” Kahn writes. “Successful solutions are often associated with numerous incremental inventions and seemingly disparate discoveries rather than ‘THE best’ technology. The most efficient solution might be as simple as planting more trees or policies to prevent deforestation.”

 

All publicity is good publicity

The final product may not always be the point, and competitions that fail to produce the desired technology can still succeed at generating enthusiasm and ideas. At MIT, Murray researched the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize in late 2009 to build a clean-energy passenger vehicle with a range equivalent to 100 miles per gallon. She found that, like most of today’s competitions, the prize was designed to “maximize effort, not efficiency.”

The competition attracted participants from diverse communities including race enthusiasts, startups, universities, large corporations, high schools, and even solo entrepreneurs. None led to a company like Tesla, but “if you’re not quite sure what the solution should look like and you want to focus attention on something,” says Murray, “then you actually don’t mind the fact that lots of people are turning up and coming with novel ideas.”

Scandinavian researchers arrived at a similar conclusion after studying such competitions in Finland. As a matter of innovation policy, the awards delivered “mediocre or modest” results, but they proved excellent at delivering something else: media coverage and credibility. That, ultimately, is what drove participants: “The motives to enter award competitions are largely non-monetary,” the paper argues.

Today, carbon capture and storage need both more attention and more scalable innovations. The technology has languished for decades as mega-projects, such as the $1 billion Petra Nova “clean coal” plant and the $7.5 billion Kemper Project in Mississippi, proved too costly or unwieldy. The number of such facilities fell from a high of 77 in 2010 to just 37 in 2017.

In the last four years, more than 30 new projects have been announced, according to the Energy Information Administration, which would triple today’s global CO2 capture capacity to about 130 million tons per year if constructed, less than 1% of what’s needed by mid-century. To scale up the industry, the price of capture carbon (around $600 per ton) must come way down, and hundreds of billions of dollars in new investment will be needed.

Musk’s prize-winner may not produce the next Tesla of carbon capture and storage. But it could inspire the attention and excitement of someone who does.

 

 

By Michael J. Coren

Source Quartz

Shell Oil Asks What Public Is Willing to Do to Reduce Emissions

Posted on by dishanth
Shell Oil Asks What Public Is Willing to Do to Reduce Emissions

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday denounced the “audacity” of oil giant Shell after it waded into the global discussion about the climate crisis by asking members of the public what they would do to reduce carbon emissions.

“I’m willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change for 30 years when you secretly knew the entire time that fossil fuels emissions would destroy our planet,” the New York Democrat and co-sponsor of the Green New Deal legislation replied.

 

 

In the poll it posted to Twitter, Shell offered choices to the public including “stop flying,” “buy an electric vehicle,” and shifting to renewable electricity.

 

 

Coming from the world’s third-largest company, which knew as early as 1988 that its extraction of oil and gas was linked to the heating of the planet, the question was seen by Ocasio-Cortez and other critics as a gross deflection of Shell’s own responsibility.

“The audacity of Shell asking YOU what YOU’RE willing to do to reduce emissions,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “They’re showing you RIGHT HERE how the suggestion that individual choices—not systems—are a main driver of climate change is a fossil fuel talking point.”

The “good choices” American voters and lawmakers can make, the congresswoman added, are ones that will help “reign in fossil fuel corporations” that are actually fueling the destruction of the planet.

The journalism initiative Covering Climate Now called Shell’s tweet “a textbook example of greenwashing.”

Prof. Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Texas Tech Climate Center, echoed Ocasio-Cortez’s disgust at the company as she noted that out of 90 companies in the world, Shell is the sixth-highest contributor to fossil fuel emissions in history.

“Yes, everyone must do their part—starting with the biggest emitters,” Hayhoe tweeted, adding that the company has previously publicly suggested that individuals making changes to their daily habits is what will help save the planet.

 

 

Shell’s tweet drew outrage from international climate action group Greenpeace, international lawmakers, and climate experts.

 

 

 

 

“What am I willing to do?” Hayhoe wrote in reply to Shell’s poll question, which she later said was hidden on Twitter by the company. “Hold you accountable for 2% of cumulative global greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to those of my entire home country of Canada. When you have a concrete plan to address that, I’d be happy to chat about what I’m doing to reduce my personal emissions.”

 

 

By Julia Conley

Source: Eco Watch

Jaipur Designer Turns Waste Paper into 100% Biodegradable, Water-Resistant Furniture

Posted on by dishanth
Jaipur Designer Turns Waste Paper into 100% Biodegradable, Water-Resistant Furniture

Ever since the Chinse invented the process of turning wood pulp into paper sheets, the world has been in love with this versatile product. But this process is both a great boon and a bane. Yes, we get everything from package labels to money to drawing sheets from it. But lakhs of trees are cut down every year to make paper, which can be used and tossed in ten minutes. The tree takes a lifetime to grow.

Are there any solutions?

We can do our best to reduce, of course. Recycling is a half-way solution since printed paper, with its dyes, glues and inks, makes dark and rough sheets when recycled. and cost more than fresh ones. There is reuse as well. We are certainly innovative with it in India. Street vendors wrap the goods in old notebook paper, homemakers line shelves with old newspaper and practically every home has an old paper stapled together as a writing pad. But these methods are not enough.

This is where upcycling comes in, with people like Spriha Chokhani making it interesting.

Spriha, a Jaipur-based product designer and entrepreneur, is the founder of Pulp Factory, a design studio founded in 2017 that makes products using waste paper.

 

The furniture made using paper is 100% biodegradable

 

The idea of making furniture out of waste paper first came to Spriha about ten years back when she was a student at a design school. As a part of the project assigned to them, they had to either work under someone or carry out independent work.

“We were supposed to work with materials and I started noticing that a lot of people were working bamboo or cane. While this helped in developing more products, materials like papier mache were heavily ignored. Other than a few souvenirs from Bihar and Kashmir, this material was hardly ever explored. This is what got me really curious,” says the 32-year-old, speaking to The Better India.

She came up with a range of papier-mache furniture, which is 100 per cent compostable. The six different styles of furniture that they have can withstand the weight upto 80-100 kg. Moreover, these are water-resistant and made using natural materials. Today she sells the same, along with pouches, totes, and box bags made using paper textiles, under her label – Pulp Factory.

 

Spriha Chokhani, designer and founder of Pulp Factory

 

Experimenting with Materials

Brought up in Assam, Spriha moved to Bengaluru to pursue a degree in Product Design from the Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology.

After deciding to use papier mache as her material of choice for her three-month-long diploma project, a long period of experimentation followed.

“Initially, when I was making the furniture, I was using strong adhesives made with chemicals. That had a negative impact on my health. I began questioning myself about what is the point of making a product if it isn’t maker-friendly. That is when I decided to look out for natural materials that ensure the wellbeing of whoever was making the furniture,” she says.

Spriha then started experimenting with materials like corn starch, potato starch and even rice. Finally, she settled on tapioca glue but realised that it would, unfortunately, leave an odd smell. By this time, she had finished her course and decided to take a break to dabble in pottery.

 

Each piece of furniture is hand-sculpted and made using natural materials

 

The thought of Pulp Factory (a name she coined in 2010 itself) never left her as she could envision the potential that the idea had. In 2012, she led Pulp Factory into its first exhibition with products made with a mixture of odour-free natural glues.

In 2014, she showcased these products at the India Design week in Delhi.

Spriha moved to Jaipur the next year to conduct research on different kinds of paper. Having done her schooling in Jaipur, the pink city was familiar to her. In 2017, Bharat Chokhani, her cousin joined her as a partner and Pulp Factory was registered.

 

Going about the Operations

“Our studio is like a one-stop destination where we extensively work with paper in different ways with a sustainable approach,” says Spriha. The operations for Pulp Factory are carried out at a small bungalow close to her residence in Jaipur. The core team consists of just five people.

 

Work in progress at her studio

 

A master weaver weaves the paper yarn into paper fabric and another team member crafts paper products like the bags. The furniture is handcrafted by Spriha and another employee, who sits on the terrace every day since it requires ample sun.

The most important raw material for this is the waste paper (mostly newspaper) pulp which is sourced from the neighbourhood kabadiwalas. Each piece of furniture is upcycled from at least five to eight kg of waste paper and takes almost 25 days to be ready.

“I think the most interesting aspect of the operations is how the furniture is made. We have ensured that the waste generated during the process is a bare minimum while also ensuring the wellbeing of the person crafting the furniture,” she says. Even for packaging, Spriha informs that they use agricultural waste to make small cushions, which are used as padding.

These sustainable values and unique products have drawn the attention of customers.

Richa Siotia, for example, first discovered Pulp Factory over three years ago at the India Design Fair. She was surprised to see that furniture made by upcycling waste paper could be so sturdy.

“Later, I decided to purchase two blue coloured stools that were made by them. The best part is they are sturdy, long-lasting and add a unique touch to the living space. I even take it out on the balcony once in a while. I have also checked out their other paper products like bags which are beautiful. I love the work they are doing and if you want to get into sustainable living, it is a good point to start from,” says the Delhi-based entrepreneur.

Another customer, Kolkata-based Neha Agarwal, first discovered the Pulp Factory while browsing through her Instagram feed last year. “When I first saw the pictures, I couldn’t even believe that furniture can be made from paper,” says the 32-year-old graphic designer.

She then began looking at all the products and settled on a bag made from paper fabric.

“I use the bag from Pulp Factory daily. It is very durable and can carry anything that I dump inside. I also love the fact that it is 100 per cent biodegradable. Even their packaging is completely sustainable and I appreciate their conscious efforts,” she says.

 

Overcoming hurdles and looking ahead

The journey towards establishing her own venture has not been easy and Spriha discusses a few challenges that she has faced in her entrepreneurial journey.

“Working as a woman can be really hard. People don’t take you seriously and one really has to hold their ground to put forth their ideas,” she explains.

 

Spriha informs that the water-resistant paper furniture is strong enough to withstand 80 to 100 kgs of weight

 

Other than that, she adds that it is often difficult to explain to people that the furniture handcrafted from papier mache actually works. But, she quickly adds that with an increase in eco-consciousness and the buzz around it on social media, explaining the concept is easier now.

Spriha has a few words of encouragement for other small business owners.

 

“I think if you are in a field like this, one needs to have an extreme amount of patience. Just believe in your idea and keep pushing it. It is an evolving process. Don’t rush things, keep evolving, and be open to learning,” she says.

 

Now, Spriha informs that they are experimenting with making newer accessories with the paper fabric. She also wants to increase the pace of production while also working closely with schools and other institutions where she hopes the sustainable furniture can be installed one day.

“I want people to understand that sustainability is not a trend or a fad but a way of living. It is a holistic way of looking at things where nothing is left behind,” she says.

Rapid-fire:
*An entrepreneur/designer you admire.
Ans: Wendell Castle, a leading American furniture artist

*New tech that can transform the future of small businesses
Ans: Tech developed to harness the use of bio-materials

*One value that can help small businesses thrive
Ans: A team that is open and communicates

*Your favourite book
Ans: Radical Matter: Rethinking Materials for a sustainable future by Caroline Till and Kate Franklin

*In my free time, I ____…
Ans: Daydream, listen to music and take it easy

* Before this interview, I was ____…
Ans: I was at a product shoot

* A message for your past self about small businesses
Ans: Success and failure are equally important in one’s journey

*Best advice you ever got is ____…
Ans: The higher we go up, the humbler we should become

 

 

By Angarika Gogoi

Source: The Better India

Eco-Friendly Bulkers Built in Sri Lanka Part of New Building Trend

Posted on by dishanth
Eco-Friendly Bulkers Built in Sri Lanka Part of New Building Trend

The Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka is preparing to commence construction on a new class of eco-friendly bulk carriers that include electric power for Norwegian shipowner Misje Eco Bulk AS. This order is the second time recently that a Norwegian shipowner has contracted for construction of innovative ship designs from shipyards in this part of the world.

The bulk carriers to be built in Sri Lanka are innovative as they will have lower emissions compared to conventional bulk carriers of the same size. Each vessel will measure approximately 293 feet in length and is powered by a 4-stroke diesel engine with an electric hybrid system supplying additional power through a battery system. They will have a load capacity of 5000 DWT, carrying cargoes including grain, timber, unit loads, and containers.

The concept and the basic design for these innovative bulk carriers was developed by Wartsila Ship Design Norway AS and the detailed design work will be carried out by Colombo Dockyard.

The contract for the construction of six eco bulk carriers, with an option for four additional vessels, was signed on March 14, 2020, and is scheduled to become effective in September 2020, subject to final board approval. The first vessel of the series is scheduled to be delivered in 18 months and the subsequent vessels will be delivered at four-month intervals.

Misje Eco Bulk AS is a fully owned subsidiary of Kåre Misje & Co., a family-owned Norwegian company that provides a complete package of services from chartering and operation to technical and financial management.

Colombo Dockyard, which is 35 percent owned by the Sri Lankan Government, has been targeting the European market, especially for the construction of eco-friendly bulkers, cable laying and repair vessels, service operation vessels, and alike, which it believes are in demand and align with the shipyard’s capabilities.

A month ago, India’s Cochin Shipyard also announced that it signed contracts for the construction of two autonomous electric ferries for ASKO Maritime AS, Norway with an option to build two additional vessels. These autonomous electrical vessels are part of a project funded by the Norwegian Government aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjord. The 220-foot vessels will be Full-Electric Transport Ferries, each powered by 1846 kWh capacity battery. After commissioning of autonomous equipment and field trials in Norway, it will operate as a fully autonomous ferry that can transport 16 fully loaded Standard EU trailers on each trip.

 

 

SOURCE:  THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

15 Ways to Live Zero Waste Lifestyle and Tips to Adopt Trash-Free Living

Posted on by dishanth
15 Ways to Live Zero Waste Lifestyle and Tips to Adopt Trash-Free Living

Currently, 7.6 billion people produce 2 billion tonnes of waste annually. A study published in the Science Advances found 91% of plastic in the world doesn’t get recycled, and around 79% is kept on landfills or other places of the environment.

If these rates don’t change, around 12,000 metric tons of plastic waste will crowd our planet by 2050. Based on this information, we might need 1.67 of Earths to continue our living if nothing has changed.

By the way, the Americans represent only 5% of the world’s population, but as a nation, we produce about 30% of the world’s trash.

Our society doesn’t see a problem in throwing things out when they break or stop working. The modern lifestyle concentrates our attention on consuming that’s why zero-waste living may seem something unusual.

The idea of consumerism makes us forget about something that is really important. We spend whole days working hard and don’t pay attention to people we love.

 

 

You will make an investment in ecology by reducing the amount of waste and your ecological footprint. And of course, saving money is one of pleasant benefits of living without trash 🙂

 

A Beginner’s Guide

Remember that serious changes don’t happen in a moment. Going reusable can be awkward (but worth it). If you try to make it immediately, chances are, it won’t stick. Zero waste is – it’s a slow process that requires a certain amount of time and planning.

Well if you are going to start a zero or less waste living, here are some key points to stick to.

Get and Write Down Your “Why”

What is the reason you’ve made a decision to go zero waste?

Most zero waste lifestyle followers have their own “why” behind their way of life. You must know your own “why” to keep it in mind and stay motivated.

  • Are you tired of endless trash on the streets?
  • Have you faced health issues after using cosmetics containing toxins?
  • Is spending $6 on a cup of coffee every single day too much for you?
  • Are you worried about your own ecological footprint and climate change?
  • Do you just want to avoid the toxins found in plastics?
  • Do you feel guilty each time you grab plastic knives forks, and paper containers at a cafeteria, only to throw them away an hour later

If you’re confident in your “why” zero waste living will be easy and natural for you. If you write it down it will solidify your resolve and give you something to reference when you need motivation.

Assess Your Trash & Prioritize

The easiest way to begin is understanding where you’re making a lot of trash and concentrating on it first. No one can start absolutely perfect zero waste living right away, but you can prioritize the steps you wanna take.

Observe yourself for a week and take a trash audit:

  • If you realize you produce a lot of waste by taking to-go coffee, prioritize making coffee at home and taking it in a reusable cup.
  • Maybe you realize you’re throwing away tons of lotion, shampoo, and shower gel bottles. In this case, pay attention to sustainably made products and bulk beauty items.
  • Start using what you have, instead of buying new items. Plan your life the way to use up the old items and make better purchases in the future.

Taking a look at the whole picture of all the trash you produce can make you feel overwhelming, but after you break it down and concentrate on one area at a time, the task is getting much easier.

Find Your Support Team

It’s easy to give up if you feel you’re the only one out there trying to change something.

It is very important to have an opportunity to talk about zero waste with somebody. This may be online communities or your family and friends. Involve them and share your experience. Learn from the experience of those who went zero living long ago.

Powerful support provides a source of motivation and inspiration for every day.

But motivation is only one benefit. You may make the step further with your local community. Host a lection at the library or an earth day event, negotiate with your local government, organize a documentary viewing about zero waste.

Think about actions to inspire and involve the others and grow the movement.

Remember: It Will Not Happen At A Moment

The amount of trash you produce every day can be overwhelming. So, when it comes to lifestyle changes, making incremental steps and starting small is key, rather than going knee-deep all at once. Fully zero waste lifestyle may take 1 or 2 years. Don’t forget about the Domino Theory.

Everyone’s way is different, but every step you take that makes you closer to the goal is important.

Don’t compare yourself to the others, get inspiration and support from them and be somebody’s inspiration and you’ll achieve your goals! It’s within anyone’s reach, and change starts at home.

 

 

15 Ways To Live Waste-Free

Before we start, here are 3 main principles zero waste lifestyle based on:

  1. Waste prevention – refuse things you don’t need and reuse items if it’s possible.
  2. Separate collection.
  3. Reduction of residual waste – recycle and rot leftovers.

Let’s find out how everyone can do it! It’s time to break up with your trash!

 

 

1. Forget About Plastic and Ditch Disposable Paper Products

This is the first rule when we talk about going zero trash lifestyle.

The Guardian reported that 1000000 plastic bottles are bought around the world in a minute and the number will increase by 20% more by 2021.

Refusing to buy items packaged in single-use plastic, you help address our environment plastics problem and eliminate toxins and microplastic from your life.

There is a great variety of containers made from stainless steel and glass. You may find any size and shape you need and reuse them over and over again. They don’t emit microplastic particles into your food and sturdy enough to be transported anywhere.

Glass jars are a great solution for bulk loose products such as granola, rice, grains, oatmeal, beans, and dried fruit.

Try to avoid using plastic including Ziplock and Tupperware bags. Do shopping with big, mesh canvas, cloth bags. There are also recyclable/recycled plastic options or bags that clip onto your key ring and fold up.

You can find them at supermarkets for about $1. Anyway, package-free shopping is a whole art! Items from crackers to rotisserie chickens and gum are packaged in plastic.

If you are lucky to have a Zero Waste shop not far from youк home, you have an opportunity to choose from a wide variety of unpackaged products fermented foods, dry goods to hygiene products and soap.

In the other case, the easiest place to find products without a package is the produce aisle. One more trick is buying in bulk. The items are still packaged, but it’s often less than if they were wrapped individually.

Pay attention to eco-friendly stores:

Reusable cloth is a good alternative to paper napkins and towels. It saves your money and time.

 

2. Eliminate Styrofoam

Styrofoam is often used to make food containers for single servings, but it’s not a good idea, in fact. The thing is, it is a potentially toxic product. You may buy the largest portion available and divide it into smaller eco-smart reusable containers.

And if you need a disposable option, it’s much better to use certified compostable paper bowls, plates, napkins and cups.

 

3. Take Your Food Waste Under Control

40% of all food goes to a trash bin in the U.S. Meal planning is the key to stop it. Review leftovers and think about what products you really need and what is thrown away half eaten. Cook or buy only portion that is necessary.

 

4. A Composting Pile

Composting biodegrades organic waste and turns it into organic fertilizer. It not only reduces trash in landfills, but also improves your backyard at home. It is awesome for the environment.

 

 

You just need 3 sq. ft. of outdoor space and a closed bin if you think about the way your pile will smell or look.

Items You May Compost:

  • vegetable and fruit parts
  • coffee grounds
  • eggshells
  • unbleached paper
  • disease-free houseplants
  • tea bags
  • yard trimmings

A countertop compost bin eases the process. When the small bin is full, move compost to an outdoor compost pile.

You may also try vermicomposting. It is a clean and efficient system where red wiggler worms speed up organic matter transformation into usable compost.

 

5. Municipal Composting

It is an alternative for those who don’t have an outdoor space for a compost pile. See if your community offers a drop-off or curbside composting program. Find a compost system that works for your home and what it digests.

If this opportunity exists, put your compostable waste into compostable trash bags and turn in to municipal compost centers.

If you live in an apartment, you may keep expired food and scraps in a reusable bag for organic garbage or place them into a jar and put them in your freezer. The bigger the compost receptacle, the more likely you’ll be to use it.

Drop it off at a compost collections site at a local farmer’s market. By the way, pay attention to Share Waste, maybe this is what you need.

 

6. Biodiesel

Unfortunately, getting rid of extra cooking oil may be a difficult task. You can’t pour it in the drain as it causes clogs and it is not good for composting. Anyway, you can donate used oil for recycling into biodiesel fuel.

 

7. Use Multipurpose Cleaner

It is extremely easy to make:

  1. Mix a cup of water and 0.5 cup white distilled vinegar.
  2. Add 10-20 drops of tea tree, lemon, lavender or eucalyptus essential oil.
  3. Shake before using it.

8. Bring Your Water Bottles and Lunch

Traditional disposable to-go packaging and plastic bottles generate 100 pounds of waste per person every year. Take your food in a reusable lunch box and bring your own compostable cutlery!
Use glass or metal water bottles for your drinks.

 

 

9. Separate Your Trash

Keep kitchen and food scraps, recyclables, and garden trash separate. Separate collection is a strategy for categorizing waste to achieve high resource life cycle and recycle rate.

 

 

10. Recycle Everything

Recyclable Items:

  • unbroken glass
  • some plastics
  • cardboard and paper
  • aluminum and tin cans

Some items can not be recycled indefinitely and will end up in the landfill in the end. Try to avoid them.

 

11. Replace Your Non-Zero Waste Items as They Run Out

I don’t need to buy all zero waste alternatives immediately. Of course, if you have money and feel the necessity to do a full overhaul at once, go for it! But I would advise buying reusable items as your non-zero waste items run out.

The logic is quite simple – purchasing something and throwing it out unused is also wasteful.

If you’ve just refilled your razor refills, use the blades up. There is no sense to throw out unused items. But after they are out, switch to a safety razor that is a great zero waste alternative.

 

12. Find Out How to Recycle, Sell, Donate or Up-Cycle Your Old Staff

You may take a little step on your zero waste way – just don’t throw out your old items if there is such opportunity. Recycle, compost, reuse, donate items. The point is to keep the staff out of landfills.

Find out your city’s recycling locations and policies.

By the way, pay attention to a TerraCycle program. These guys know how to recycle anything.

 

13. Buy SecondHand

If you need to buy something, look for what you want in the local thrift stores first. Items in these shops have already been made, so no new resources need to be spent on creating. As a rule, prices are also much lower there.

If there is nothing you need, check zero waste shops where all the items used to make zero waste lifestyle a little bit easier.

 

 

Every purchase you make is a vote for the type of world you want to live in. Your purchases should support your values and change the world for the best.

 

14. Create Things By Yourself

Most cosmetics, toiletries, and processed food are packaged in plastic. You can avoid it if learn how to create items. The less you bring home, the less you will have to waste.

Make a homemade meal for dinner, zero waste toothpaste or mouthwash or your own nut butter and almond milk.

The possibilities depend only on your imagination.

 

15. Eat Real Clean Food

Start eating real foods like vegetables, fruits, and anything that isn’t packaged. This strategy is good both for the environment and your health. Fresh clean food contains much less chemicals than processed foods do.

 

 

 

7 Lifehacks For Going Zero Trash Without Spending Money

Some misconceptions about zero waste living discourage people from taking the first step. One of them is that is it costs more than an average man’s lifestyle.

You may get closer to zero waste without extra spend as many things leading to this lifestyle can be done for free! It’s better to reuse something that already exists than create something new. You don’t need to buy new stuff to be zero trash – just be creative!

  1. Glass Jars. They are the best friends of zero waste followers, and what is important – they may be free! Rescue them out of your friend’s, restaurant or even your own recycling bin. Look for them on zero waste Facebook groups or your local Buy Nothing group. Place an ad on Craigslist or Gumtree asking for free glass jars.
    Use them for:

    • purchasing ingredients with no packaging
    • food storage
    • taking lunch to work
    • organizing your pantry
    • keeping cookies
    • storing leftovers in the fridge or even freezer
    • preserving chutneys and jams
    • takeaway coffee or smoothies
    • composting on the go
    • storing pens or toothbrushes
    • gifts packaging
  1. Use Zero Waste Solutions For Lining Your Bin. There is no necessity to buy special bin liners. You may replace them with plenty of absolutely free zero waste alternatives or do away with any liner at all. The opportunities depend only on the size of your bin and what you put in it. Separate your garbage into dry for paper or cloth liners and wet for plastic liners.
    Here are some ideas:

    • free community or just old newspapers
    • an old jute coffee sack
    • repurposed plastic food bucket
    • old pillow case
    • a cardboard box
    • plastic bread bags or potato chip packets from your friends
  2. Eat Food Scraps. We don’t realize how much food we can eat is thrown away every day. And I’m not talking about products with past use-by date. There is a great variety of opportunities we just don’t know how to use them.
    • Wash potato peelings, drizzle them with oil a little and then bake for 10 mins or so until crispy. Here are free potato chips!
    • Cut the outer edges of the broccoli stalk off, and slice the soft core. Add it to pasta, curries or stir-fries.
    • Cover outer cauliflower with olive oil, add garlic and roast until the stems are soft and outers are crispy. Or just chop them and add to curries.
    • Make a veggie broth from saved onion skins, carrot shavings, the top green parts of leeks, zucchini tips and other vegetable scraps. You may do the same with animal bones to make fish or meat broth
    • Apple peels and cores may be used to make apple cider vinegar in cooking. You can also cook a digestive tonic from them, use them for hair washing and even cleaning.
  3. Free Waste Composting. The second-hand buckets for composting are often given for free, on sites like Craigslist or Gumtree. It is also possible to make a worm farm from repurposed polystyrene boxes (ask for them a local supermarket). Most people with worm farms or community gardens will not have problems with giving you composting worms for free to support your beginning. Community compost hubs and community gardens are everywhere, and so are willing backyard composters.
  4. Cleaning Cloth. Repurpose old fabric like towels you don’t need anymore, bedding, work shirts or T-shirts. Use them instead of buying cleaning cloths, rags, wipes or paper towels. As a rule, natural fibres work even better than polyester fabric. Chop it with sharp scissors into squares for handkerchiefs and reusable towels and into strips for rags. You can also sew their edges up, to make them last and look better.
  5. Borrow, Not Buy. Usually, we don’t see that we need not an item but the result it gives. If you cook a puree once in a year, you don’t need a blender, you need a puree. If you wanna hang a picture, you don’t need a drill, you need a hole in the wall. Don’t be shy to ask your family, friends, neighbours or colleagues if they can borrow you something you need for some time. One more opportunity is communities where toys, books, music, games, movies, and tools may be borrowed.
  6. Look for Free. You don’t need to buy new or even second-hand staff when you can find it for free. Ask family, friends, colleagues or neighbours, put requests in Buy Nothing groups or find ads on online classifieds. Second-hand purchasing means absence of packaging and keeping existing staff in circulation that reduces demand for new products and saves resources.

Don’t believe the idea that zero trash living means spending a lot of money. It’s more about spending nothing at all and improving your financial situation. At least, it saves about 40 percent on overall budget.

 

 

64 Super Easy Zero Waste Lifehacks

Here are some short tips you can implement very quickly. These are small steps to begin your living without trash. You don’t have to do all points listed below, just choose what you like and try something new 🙂

  1. Don’t use a plastic straw. If you like straws, use reusable options from stainless steel, bamboo, glass, or silicone.
  2. Get a reusable water bottle made of glass or metal.
  3. Eliminate tissue paper, use handkerchiefs instead.
  4. Refuse free promotional stuff, as a rule, they break fastly.
  5. Get a library card to support your local sharing activities.
  6. Donate things you don’t need to a second-hand store.
  7. Change your plastic toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush.
  8. Cut your old towels and sheets into napkins and rags.
  9. Wash clothes only if they are really dirty, not only after one wear.
  10. Don’t use a conditioner, just open the window.
  11. Avoid packaged food.
  12. Do a workout instead of buying something.
  13. Cook something tasty from stale bread.
  14. Go to the store with your own reusable bags.
  15. Start canning to save food.
  16. Use bar soap, it requires less packaging than liquid soap.
  17. Change tampons and pads to a menstrual cup or cloth pads (for girls).
  18. Swap light bulbs for LEDs.
  19. Before turning up the heat put on a woolen sweater and socks.
  20. Stop the water flow while teeth brushing.
  21. Visit your local farmer’s market.
  22. Try cloth diapering if you have a baby.
  23. Get houseplants for air cleaning in your house.
  24. Plan your meal to avoid waste of food.
  25. Unplug electronic devices if not use.
  26. Make your own tooth powder not to buy toothpaste tubes.
  27. Buy more local products.
  28. Repair items if they break.
  29. If you need a special item for one-time use, like furniture for a party or camping gear, ask your friends if they can give you it for some time.
  30. Plant vegetables you like in the backyard.
  31. Freeze your food with no plastic.
  32. Start composting.
  33. Buy items and tools meant to last a lifetime.
  34. Store food properly for it doesn’t spoil for a long time.
  35. Find out the origin of food and things you buy – the way they’re produced is important.
  36. Ask for reused packaging materials or no package at all for online orders.
  37. Bring lunch from home instead of taking it to-go in a cafeteria.
  38. If you’re not a vegetarian, just try to eat less meat sometimes. Make one day in a week Meatless, Monday, for example.
  39. Start regrowing your food scarps.
  40. Avoid using a dryer.
  41. Use a bamboo bath brush instead of plastic shower loofahs.
  42. Don’t run a dishwasher or a washer if it is not full.
  43. If your final point is in a half of an hour or less walk, go there on foot instead of driving.
  44. Support the charity foundations for a better future.
  45. Bring your own reusable to-go cup for taking coffee (and get a discount maybe).
  46. Find out how to fix hem or buttons to extend your clothes life.
  47. Swap disposable batteries for rechargeable ones.
  48. Eat more local fruits and vegetables.
  49. Refuse wrapping presents.
  50. Concentrate your attention on getting experience rather than consumerism.
  51. Change a disposable razor made from plastic to a metal safety razor.
  52. If there’s such opportunity, wash your clothes in cold water.
  53. Eliminate getting spam mails by placing a sticker on your mail box or with the help of dmachoice.org
  54. Learn how to get rid of items like batteries, old cell phones, and unusable cords properly.
  55. Go paperless for your bills.
  56. Use a reusable filter or a french press for your morning coffee.
  57. Pick up garbage and utilize it properly.
  58. Use public transit instead of a personal car.
  59. Use both sides of the paper!
  60. Get involved with your community – plan a clothing swap or join a community garden.
  61. Change tea bags to leaf tea in a reusable metal strainer.
  62. Refuse little things like business cards, straws or disposable pens.
  63. Use less laundry detergent, soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, etc. Advertisement encourages us to use more than we actually need, but it’s only up to you, to decide how much you need.
  64. Say “NO” to promotional items. As a rule, they are poorly constructed and made from cheap materials. Their lifetime is not long.

Of course, this is not the full list. Evolve and grow! Learn something new look for better solutions. Always strive for better.

Don’t forget! Small actions done by thousands s of people lead to massive impact!

 

 

Tips For Your Zero Waste Home And Office

Kitchen

 

 

Here are the ways to streamline your kitchen:

  1. Use alternative solutions to disposable paper towels, plastic plates, trash bin liners, etc. Change them to reusable cloth, glass or metal containers and other alternatives.
  2. Wash the dishes with earth-friendly sponges.
  3. Get a pressure cooker for faster and easier cooking.
  4. Buy in bulk and go shopping with your own reusable bottles and bags.
  5. Learn some recipes for leftovers and food scraps.
  6. Find a filter-free coffee-making alternative.
  7. Cook food by yourself, don’t buy it.
  8. A trash bin is only for dry garbage, use a compost keeper for the rest.
  9. Do shopping on local farmer’s markets. As a rule,  fruits and vegetables are free from plastic and stickers there.
  10. Reduce meat consumption. It is very hard to find package-free meat or cheese. Reducing cheese and meat intake reduces the waste going with them.
  11. Buy dishwasher detergent in bulk or do it by yourself. Castille soap is a good alternative to a bunch of bottles of usual cleaners. It can also be used as body wash, shampoo.
  12. For tough cleaning, try a kitchen stone made from recycled glass recovered from landfills.
  13. Use tap water instead of bottled water.
  14. Oil the surface instead of using parchment paper.
  15. Freezing food in glass requires wide-mouthed glass jars or flat glass containers. Never fill them to the top especially if freezing liquids.

Wardrobe and Bedroom

  • Stick to minimal accessories like purses or shoes.
  • Simplify your clothing. Minimalists and zero waste followers advocate optimizing your wardrobe for sheer. Most people wear only about 20-30% of their clothing. Free up some space in the closet by taking a look at its content. Ask it if it makes you happier and if the answer is ‘no’, send it to the thrift shop.
  • A capsule wardrobe is a small amount of well-made clothes that perfectly coordinate with one another. This way, you get numerous looks from a few pieces. Select pieces in neutral colors and 1-2 theme colors going together. Add 1-2 patterned and a few accessories. As, a rule, capsule wardrobes include less than 30 pieces (including accessories, shoes, and clothing).
  • Use reusable bags not only for food but also while buying clothes.
  • Eliminate compulsive purchasing, do shopping once in 6 months. You will also extend the usefulness of the items you already have.
  • Donate things you don’t wear.
  • Buy second-hand clothes. CO2 emissions associated with clothes shipping, drying, washing, and production is about 3% of global emissions. Second hand shopping prevents clothing from a trash bin and reduces the demand for production.
  • If you purchase something new, pay attention to its warranty, it must be unconditional.
  • You will wear clothes that fit you well, don’t buy unconvenient clothes. Make sure you are making a purchase that you’re absolutely satisfied with.
  • Cut your worn-out clothes for rags and recycle the rest.
  • Extend the life of your clothes. Apply sewing tricks to darn or shorten clothes or bring them to the tailor if you don’t learn them yet.
  • When it’s time to replace pillows and bed linens choose compostable natural materials like cotton, wool, and bamboo.

 

Bathroom

Personal care products are likely to come in a wide array of plastics and many of them can be recycled only once.

 

 

  1. Use unbleached ad recycled toilet paper wrapped in paper or just use water instead.
  2. Install an electrical washlet if you have solar.
  3. As a deodorant, use straight baking soda or alum stone. The active ingredient in it is potassium alum that prevents bacteria causing odor.
  4. A safety razor and shaving soap are great for shaving.
  5. Eliminate plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles, using your own pop-top glass bottles. Refill old ones or use solid soap and conditioning bars or refuse conditioner at all.
  6. Cornstarch is a zero waste alternative to dry shampoo.
  7. Use unpackaged solid soap for face and body, baking soda – for exfoliating, bulk clays – for masks.
  8. A mix of jojoba oil or coconut oil and aloe vera gel works better than a shaving cream.
  9. Clean your teeth with a wooden or bamboo compostable toothbrush and baking soda. Add a little stevia powder or xylitol, if you don’t like the taste.
  10. Сonsider substitutes like cocoa powder as a bronzer and make a balm that for lips, nails, and hair.
  11. Most pads include 90% plastic and liners made from plastic and rayon. Swap disposable feminine products for reusable liners or a menstrual cup.
  12. Hair and nail clippings may be composted.
  13. Most cosmetics come in packaging that is non-compostible. Make your own cosmetics without spending extra money and avoiding harsh chemicals and plastic packagings. Learn how to create natural lip stains, shampoo, perfume, make-up remover, and more with less waste. For example, a simple moisturizer recipe: 1 part jojoba oil and 2 parts aloe vera gel.
  14. Water plants with water collected while the shower is heating.
  15. Remove mold with vinegar, clean the drain with a mix of vinegar and baking soda. These are natural solutions instead of dangerous chemical cleaners. They are effective, versatile, and help to avoid plastic bottle waste.

 

 

Laundry

  1. Reducing the amount of laundry you wash is the basic action to produce less waste in the laundry. Review and optimize your laundry routine. Wash clothes one time a week, it will save dryer energy and your time. Use full loading, and cold water cycle if possible.
  2. Of course, natural cleaning solutions are prior – castile soap for sinks and floors, white vinegar mix as a cleaner for everything, vinegar to remove mildew, baking soda to scrub jobs.
  3. You may sweep the floor a boar bristle broom and wash with a wet rag and a drop of castile soap
  4. Zero waste cleaning tools are also welcome – a wooden brush for light scrubbing, a metal scourer for metal, an old toothbrush for narrow places and rags for counters, fridge, floors, mirrors, etc.
  5. Buy dishwasher detergent in bulk.
  6. The lowly soap nut is a great eco alternative to laundry detergent, it made for laundering everything from diapers to clothes.
  7. Lemon, chalk or vinegar eliminate stains easily. A mix of water, 1-2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, and castile soap is one more zero waste stain remover.
  8. Houseplants clean the air and remove toxins. For faster room refreshing just open a window instead of using an air purifier.
  9. Add 0.5 cup of white vinegar instead of fabric softener or just skip the fabric-softening step.
  10. Dry clothes on a line and iron fewer. Wool dryer balls also can save your electricity and money by absorbing water from your clothes in the dryer.
  11. If you don’t have enough time for this, look for a sustainable dry cleaner offering reusable garment bags and non-toxic cleaners.

 

Eating and Entertaining

  1. Take glass jars to the grocery and remember, when you buy for a company, you may need more jars than usual.
  2. Choose cafes restaurants offering real dishes to eliminate fast food waste.
  3. Decorate your table with seasonal fruit or napkins folded.
  4. If your children go to school, pack their lunches in beeswax wrap or reusable kits.
  5. Serve tap water with lemon for parties instead of cola and fizzy lemonades.
  6. Stream videos and musiс online.
  7. Take your own snack container and water bottle to the movie.
  8. Always use glass or ceramic dishes and cloth napkins.
  9. Share your experience with your friends about your zero trash lifestyle so they don’t take waste to your home.
  10. Don’t use serving platters not to waste water for cleaning.
  11. Use rechargeable batteries and try to reduce TV watching.

 

Office

  1. Turn down freebies from conferences like free pen and pencil giveaways if you actually don’t need them.
  2. Bring your lunch. Plastic disposable to-go packagings generate 100 pounds of garbage per person every year. This is a great opportunity to save your money and the environment.
  3. Use only refillable or piston fountain pens, refillable board markers, mechanical pencils and donate extra pencils and paper for schools.
  4. If purchasing new paper, choose packaged in paper and recycled.
  5. Exclude paper junk mail, sign up for electronic statements and bills.
  6. Print one more time or make notes on single-side printed paper and hold documents by a metal clip.
  7. Swap simple trash can for compost and recycling bins.
  8. Use a return address stamp instead of stickers.
  9. Buy paper clips in bulk instead of stables and reuse them.
  10. Sell or donate books you’ve already read.
  11. Go digital! Use the cloud instead of external drivers or memory sticks.
  12. Recycle the material you receive. Place a recycling bin to your office, you can involve your colleagues making the process more interesting with the help of Recyclebank.

 

Garden

  1. Use native drought tolerant plants.
  2. Make a composting pile.
  3. Give away landscaping items and plants you don’t need anymore. Just make a post on Freecycle.
  4. Choose bulk seeds.
  5. Ask a bulk garden center for rocks, dirt, compost if you need it.
  6. Think about getting an irrigation controller with a rainwater sensor. It helps to save a lot of water.
  7. Collect rainwater with water catchments but check your city ordinances for the latter before.

Medicines

  1. Don’t buy and keep extra medicines, they expire before you finish them
  2. If it’s legal in your state, ask your pharmacy to reuse your prescription jar.
  3. Avoid tablets individually packed in plastic or aluminum. Look for options in a glass or reusable material.
  4. A Neti pot is a great option to clean out your sinuses with sea salt and water only.
  5. Pay attention to natural cure alternatives: a senna leaf tea for constipation relief, a corn silk tea for prostate health or an oatmeal bath from skin irritation.
  6. Clean scrapes or small cuts with water and soap and just let them dry.
  7. Do not overuse antibacterial medicines, they may only make harmful bacteria stronger.
  8. Stick to a healthy varied diet and think about your true need for vitamins. Does your body really ask for them or it is just the influence of pharmaceutical companies’ promotion.
  9. Use quality tools made of wood and metal.

 

A zero trash living is not only about purging your plastic belongings and eating clean — it is about a more minimalistic and thoughtful approach to your life. Now I’d like to hear from you! Are there any zero waste tips I left out? Waiting for your experience in the comments.

 

 

Article courtesy of Joshua Howard; a healthy living blogger who loves to help people who care about having an eco-friendly home environment and a healthy lifestyle.

5 reasons why CEOs must care about safeguarding nature

Posted on by dishanth
5 reasons why CEOs must care about safeguarding nature
  • A new series – the New Nature Economy reports – is being launched to make the business case for safeguarding nature.
  • The first, Nature Risk Rising, explains why nature-related risks have direct relevance for business through their impact and dependency on nature.
  • Here are five key lessons from that first report.

At the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos in January this year, there was unprecedented interest in and commitment to fighting the climate and nature emergencies facing humanity. Although the world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things by weight, humanity has already caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of all plants. Supporting the concept of stakeholder capitalism, leading CEOs, government leaders and heads of civil society organizations came together in the Swiss Alps to galvanize support for an integrated nature action agenda across the issues of climate, biodiversity, forests, oceans and sustainable development.

Despite increasing attention on the topic of nature loss, there is still limited understanding on how nature loss can be material to businesses and what the private sector can do to address this challenge. The World Economic Forum is launching a series of New Nature Economy (NNE) reports in 2020, making a business and economic case for safeguarding nature. Nature Risk Rising, the first of the NNE series, aims to show how nature-related risks are material to business and why they must be urgently mainstreamed in risk-management strategies.

 

Here are the five key lessons from the Nature Risk Rising report:

1. Economic growth has come at a heavy cost to natural systems

The economic growth model of the 19th and 20th centuries has brought remarkable development and prosperity. Globally, we produce more food and energy than ever before. The human population has doubled, the global economy has expanded four-fold and more than a billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty.

However, we have caused great harm to the planet. Three-quarters of ice-free land and 66% of the marine environment have been altered and 1 million species are at the risk of extinction in the coming decades, mostly due to human activities.

2. Five direct drivers are responsible for 90% of nature loss

Five direct drivers of change in nature have accounted for over 90% of nature loss in the past 50 years. Namely, land-and-sea-use change, natural resource exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species. These five drivers ultimately stem from a combination of production and consumption patterns, population dynamics and other human activities.

There is often a dissonance between economics and earth system science. While present economic frameworks see nature as an externality, nothing could be further from the truth. The global economy is embedded in Earth’s broader ecosystems and is dependent upon them.

When focused on measuring progress against the single indicator of gross domestic product (GDP), we risk failing to recognize and prevent the loss of our ecological foundations.

3. Nature loss is often hidden

Nature is often hidden or incorrectly priced in supply chains, blurring the link between nature loss and the bottom line. There are three ways in which the loss of nature creates risks for businesses:

i. Dependence of business on nature: Businesses depend directly on nature for their operations, supply chain performance, real estate asset values, physical security and business continuity. Our research shows that $44 trillion of economic value generation – over half the world’s total GDP – is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services, and is therefore exposed to risks from nature loss. Together, the three largest sectors (construction, agriculture, and food and beverages) that are highly dependent on nature generate close to $8 trillion of gross value-added (GVA). This is roughly twice the size of the German economy.

ii. Fallout of business impacts on nature: The direct and indirect impacts of business activities on nature loss could trigger negative consequences, such as losing customers or entire markets, costly legal action and adverse regulatory changes. Consumers and investors are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental damage caused by industries and are demanding action. Companies that stay at the forefront of this shift in consumer consciousness and preferences stand to benefit.

iii. Impacts of nature loss on society: When nature loss aggravates the disruption of the society in which businesses operate, this can in turn create physical and market risks. For instance, the degradation and loss of natural systems can affect health outcomes. The onset of infectious diseases has been connected to ecosystem disturbances, including the strong links between deforestation and outbreaks of animal-transmitted diseases such as Ebola and the Zika virus.

 

Five direct drivers of nature loss have accelerated since 1970
Image: Nature Risk Rising report

 

4. A risks framework for nature

As the global community works towards transitioning to a nature-positive economy, an urgent reframing of the financial materiality of nature risks is required. The climate change agenda leveraged the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework to tackle this issue. Over 870 organizations – including companies with a combined market cap of over $9.2 trillion and financial institutions responsible for assets of nearly $118 trillion – have signed up to support the TCFD. A similar initiative – that draws lessons from the TCFD and which is backed by public and private stakeholders – is now needed for nature.

5. Business as champions for nature

As we are facing an unprecedented planetary emergency, businesses have an important role to innovate and advance solutions for a nature-positive economy and society. Some economies have shown how nature and business can work hand in hand. Costa Rica, for one, has in the last three decades stopped tropical deforestation, doubled its forest cover and reached near 100% renewable electric energy while GDP per capita has tripled. By realizing how nature-loss is material to their operations and growth models, businesses can and must be a key part of the solution. As the trend for greater transparency and accountability continues, costs are likely to rise for businesses which have not begun to include nature at the core of their enterprise operations. The World Economic Forum along with key partners and constituents will be furthering a business for nature mobilization to halt biodiversity loss and invest in nature over the coming years. The next steps are to identify the areas where strategic transformation of current business models can contribute most to halting and reversing nature loss, and the ways to finance this transition.

Please reach out to [email protected] if you want to learn more about the New Nature Economy report series and engage in the process.

 

 

Written by

Akanksha Khatri, Head, Nature and Biodiversity Initiative, World Economic Forum

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

We can build a carbon-neutral world by 2050. Here’s how.

Posted on by dishanth
We can build a carbon-neutral world by 2050. Here’s how.

Is a carbon-neutral world possible by 2050? Yes. Will it happen? Again, yes. No politician will be able to ignore the social and economic pressures as climate impacts become more severe – but the longer it takes, the more expensive it will become. Governments, states, cities, businesses and investors know this.

The Paris Agreement provides an international framework for countries to set clear goals and increase their ambition, over time, to reach a net-zero carbon world. The Carbon Neutral Coalition – comprising 26 countries, 15 cities, 17 regions and states, and 192 companies – is spearheading ambitious efforts to implement policies and incentives that will support the process. The 20 cities of the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance are taking action to drive aggressive emissions reductions. The Under2Coalition of 205 jurisdictions – representing 43 countries and six continents – is developing deep decarbonisation plans for 2050. And 412 companies have committed to set ‘science based targets’ to achieve the same aim.

Setting a clear goal that aligns with climate science takes bold leadership – mainly because it may not be possible to clearly articulate exactly how it will be achieved. But the intent sends a powerful signal to customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders about the direction of travel, which in turn helps to drive policy, behavioural changes and investment in solutions that will ultimately support the ability of companies to achieve the goal.

 

More and more companies are switching to renewable energy, or are committing to do so
Image: International Renewable Energy Agency

 

Mahindra is one of the companies not only setting this goal, but encouraging others to do the same. Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, issued a challenge to the business community in Davos this year: he wants to see 500 businesses commit to setting science-based targets in time for the Global Climate Action Summit in California in September. It will take just 88 more companies to realise this call to action.

Setting a target is one thing; delivering it is another. Most companies begin this journey with the win-win solutions that can typically be realised through increasing energy productivity and switching to low carbon sources of power. These actions alone can make a big difference in reducing a company’s carbon footprint, as well as reducing operating costs.

An increasing number of companies are setting – and achieving – targets to consume 100% renewable power and the market is responding to support this. It is not necessarily true that the more power you use, the more difficult it is to switch. It has more to do with the options for accessing renewable power and these are increasing due to increased affordability and demand.

Reducing emissions from transport can be trickier – but solutions in this sector are also accelerating. The long-term trend towards the electrification of ground transport means that power utilities have a huge market opportunity as demand moves from gasoline to electricity. However, for this to be a carbon-smart choice, it does require an alignment of low-carbon power transition to be part of the solution. New partnerships across cities, power providers and electric vehicle companies are sprouting up to help ensure that the shift to electric vehicles also means a shift to clean mobility. And 18 companies have joined the EV100 initiative, setting a goal to switch to 100% electric vehicles.

Implementing the financially viable actions that can reduce emissions today makes business sense. But it won’t be long before tougher investment decisions need to be made. For some sectors that rely on fossil fuel for energy or industrial processes, government intervention to create mechanisms necessary for low-carbon transition is essential.

Rules that will come into play in 2021 for the aviation sector will drive the need for net-zero growth, which is achievable in the near-term through using the carbon market to offset emissions. The implementation and development of innovative low-carbon fuels and technologies, meanwhile, will play an important role in the longer term.

The shipping sector has also created a framework that will push for more aggressive carbon reduction through the implementation of improved technology. Other sectors that come under the remit of the Paris Agreement are seeing government intervention to support the transition through inclusion in carbon pricing schemes – whether through increased taxation or inclusion in carbon pricing regimes that enable market forces to determine the optimal economic choices.

But it is not just the fossil fuel-intensive sectors that are facing challenges in reducing their emissions. The land use sector is also increasingly under the spotlight. The nature of the food, agriculture and land use system means it is trickier to navigate political, ideological, social and environmental issues to put pressure on these sectors to reduce their emissions. However, the growing need to not only curb emissions from the sector, but to also ramp up the ‘carbon absorption’ capabilities of forests, soil, oceans and other natural sinks means it is time to address this challenge. It is a simple scientific fact that if the global goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 is to be met, the role of natural carbon sinks (forests, oceans and soils, as well as other natural systems that ‘suck up’ carbon) will play an increasingly important role.

This, in turn, is sparking greater interest in the value proposition of nature-based solutions. For companies that rely on land, ocean or water-based resources within their value-chain, multi-stakeholder collaboration has helped drive efforts to address a broader range of sustainability issues. As a result, the carbon and climate benefits are not always a major focus. As intervention from governments and businesses that will rely on nature-based solutions to meet carbon-neutral goals becomes increasingly necessary, this area is gaining fresh attention and innovation. Whilst there are still challenges surrounding methodologies to effectively measure, verify and account for carbon emissions, smart technology is helping to increase transparency and build credibility. Robust accounting mechanisms along with appropriate governance are also needed to enable new financing flows.

All of these things together may not achieve the net-zero goal entirely. But as the price of carbon increases, as new innovations and technologies become more affordable, and as consumer behaviours shift, what may now seem unrealistic could soon play a role in dealing with the most stubborn carbon reduction challenges. These solutions range from affordable carbon capture and storage technologies, new forms of clean energy, carbon absorbing materials such as plastics and cement, to diets based on lower protein intake from meat.

The longer it takes to reduce greenhouse emissions and restore natural carbon sinks, the more extreme the climate impacts will become. The sooner we act on the low-hanging fruit at the same time as discussing workable solutions to the more challenging areas for mitigation and adaptation, the better chance we have to build a carbon-neutral world by 2050. Businesses have a huge role to play in this process. In the run up to 2020, as governments are developing their plans to deliver the Paris Agreement, now is exactly the right time to be part of building a carbon-neutral world with rules that make business sense.

 

 

Written by

Emily Farnworth, Head of Climate Change, World Economic Forum

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: from cardboard beds to recycled medals, how the Games are going green.

Posted on by dishanth
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: from cardboard beds to recycled medals, how the Games are going green.
  • Tokyo 2020 is aiming to be the greenest-ever Olympic Games.
  • Athletes will sleep on recyclable cardboard beds.
  • The event’s medals will be made from recycled precious metals.
  • Organizers hope the event will emit no more than 2.93 million tonnes of CO2.

Tokyo 2020’s dream of being the lowest-emission Olympic Games ever even extends to where the athletes will sleep – on cardboard beds.

The beds, which will be recycled after the event, are designed to withstand weights of up to 200 kilogrammes, although the organizers warn that they may break if jumped on.

Mattresses on the 18,000 cardboard beds provided for the event are also made to be fully recyclable after use.

 

No jumping now! Recyclable beds for Tokyo 2020.
Image: AP

 

It’s all part of an effort by the Tokyo Olympic committee to reduce the event’s carbon footprint. The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games were estimated to have emitted 4.5 million tonnes of CO2. The 2012 London Games, which claimed to be the greenest ever, generated 3.3 million tonnes.

Tokyo wants to beat London’s record and forecasts that the event will emit no more than 2.93 million tonnes of CO2.

A major source of emissions at any international event comes from flying in competitors and spectators. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) says a return flight from New York to Tokyo will generate 946 kg of CO2 per passenger.

The organizers have devised an independently audited carbon offset programme designed to ensure the Games – which open on 24 July, followed by the Paralympics on 25 August – emit as little carbon as possible.

Gold, silver, bronze – all recycled

Electricity used at the Games will come from renewable sources such as solar, biomass and hydro. Energy efficiency measures include fitting only LED lights to all the event venues.

Tokyo 2020 is even using precious metals recovered from 6.2 million discarded mobile phones to cast its medals. The recycling effort yielded the 32 kg of gold, 3,500 kg of silver and 2,200 kg of bronze needed to produce 5,000 medals.

Podiums for the medal ceremonies are being made from recycled plastic donated by the public and recovered from the oceans. After the Games, these will be used for educational purposes or recycled to make bottles by sponsor Procter & Gamble.

 

Autonomous electric shuttles will ferry athletes between venues.
Image: Toyota

 

Zero-emission transport will also be used, including fuel-cell buses, autonomous battery shuttles and hydrogen-powered forklift trucks, which will be used to move heavy items around the Olympic sites.

Earthquake legacy of hope

The Olympic torch has been produced using aluminium waste from temporary housing that was built in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. And the uniforms worn by officials are being made from polyester derived from recycled bottles.

 

Even the Olympic torch is recycled.
Image: IOC

 

The Olympic village plaza will be built with sustainably-sourced timber donated by local authorities across Japan. After the Games, the timber will be reused as public benches or to build public buildings.

 

 

Written by

Douglas Broom, Senior Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.