Today’s Solutions: January 05, 2025

The 'everlasting bubble' that endured more than a year without popping.

This 'everlasting bubble' could inspire future medicines

Bubbles spark human fascination, with children and adults everywhere becoming enamored when they see one of these fleeting structures. This interest also spreads into environmental studies, with bubbles being recruited to help clear the world’s rivers and canals, and also in the physics realm. Read More...

Shelf with raw food products displayed in refillable food dispensers. Food shop interior in package free grocery store.

The rise in popularity of zero-waste stores

What are zero-waste stores? Zero-waste or refill stores, specialize in products with no packaging waste and are non-harmful for the environment. A wide variety of foods and household cleaning products can be found at many of these stores, with the hope in the future that mainstream supermarkets Read More...

Fresh produce wrapped in plastic inside a plastic bag

French ban on plastic packaging for most fruit and veg comes into force

A few months ago, we wrote about France’s ambitious plan to phase out single-use plastic packaging. On January 1st, that ban went into effect, paving the way for more sustainable and ethical consumption habits among its citizens. As part of the ban, about 30 varieties of fruit and vegetables, Read More...

Woman holding French flag

France thanks over 12,000 frontline workers with fast-tracked citizenship

While we are still struggling with the uncertainty of the pandemic, frontline workers continue to put their health at risk to work diligently to treat patients, provide essential supplies, and support our communities. As a recognition of the sacrifices and efforts of essential workers, France Read More...

Storefront of small local bookshop in central France

New French law helps independent bookstores compete with online retailers

A French law passed in 2014 that prohibits retailers from discounting new books has helped small bookstores survive amidst heavy competition from powerful online retailers. However, the owners of independent shops are still at a disadvantage because online marketplace giants such as Amazon have Read More...

Éléonore Laloux changes live

Éléonore Laloux changes lives as first French public official with Down syndrome

In Arras, France, a city council member is making history as the city’s public official in charge of inclusion and happiness. Éléonore Laloux is the first and only person with Down syndrome to be elected to public office in the country. Laloux was recently awarded membership in the National Read More...

France bids “adieu” to pla

France bids “adieu” to plastic packaging for fresh produce

Plastic pollution is strangling our planet. To combat the use of unnecessary plastics, France has announced that it will be banning plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables. Currently, an estimated 37 percent of fruit and vegetables are sold with plastic packaging in France, so the ban will Read More...

French roundabouts are underst

French roundabouts are understated hubs for public art

If you’ve ever driven through France, you’ve probably noticed the high number of roundabouts directing the flow of traffic. The Place Charles de Gaulle is the most famous French roundabout, but all across the country, communities are taking advantage of this unused space to create art Read More...

French railway company is recy

French railway company is recycling abandoned trains into new ones

After 40 years of neglect, hundreds of abandoned trains in France are getting a new lease of life. That’s thanks to an initiative from railway company SNCF, which aims to recycle and reuse old trains to manufacture new ones. The company has already kicked off the project in Rouen, in northern Read More...

France makes birth control fre

France makes birth control free for everyone under 25

Lack of affordability is one of the biggest barriers for women when it comes to accessing contraceptives. To address this, the French government has announced it will make birth control free and available to all women under 25. The country already makes birth control free to everyone under 18, Read More...