These biodegradable tote bags are made of food and textile waste
Replacing single-use plastic bags with a tote that you can use multiple times is a good way to help cut waste from your shopping routine. It is, however, important to note that producing cotton bags is actually quite resource-intensive, meaning that you may have to reuse them tens of times before Read More...
Starbucks moves to make reusable cups the new normal
The vast majority of take-away coffee cups from Starbucks are single-use, non-biodegradable, and non-recyclable. That may soon change though, thanks to the company’s recent initiative to integrate reusable cups across more of its stores. Seattle is one of the first places to test such a reuse Read More...
This supermarket chain wants you to stop buying single-use water bottles
According to Statista, more than half a trillion plastic bottles will be produced this year, the vast majority of which will escape the recycling loop and end up in landfills, polluting the environment. In an effort to do its part, supermarket chain New Seasons Market has decided to remove Read More...
This new delivery platform uses reusable containers to cut plastic waste
Food and packaging containers together account for almost 45 percent of landfill materials in the US. A large part of that waste comes from takeout orders, where single-use plastic packaging has been normalized. A new delivery service in New York City, called DeliverZero, wants to change that by Read More...
Nivea is testing a refill station in Germany that aims to reduce plastic waste
One of the most effective ways to close the tap on plastic pollution is to reduce the material’s production in the first place. Reusable packaging plays a key role here since it allows for a product to be consumed over and over again without the need for unnecessary single-use plastic. To Read More...
This reusable package aims to slash the environmental costs of e-commerce
Among the key environmental issues that come with e-commerce is the overwhelming amount of single-use packaging it uses for deliveries. A Finnish-based startup is now proving that the industry can do better. Using an innovative reusable system, RePack provides packaging-as-a-service to online Read More...
Burger King is testing reusable containers for sandwiches and drinks
Amid growing awareness about the world’s plastic binge, fast-food chains have come under increasing pressure from the public to shrink their environmental footprint. Last month, for example, we saw McDonald’s partner with reusable packaging brand Loop to experiment with reusable cups. Now, Read More...
These refillable cleaning products help you reduce plastic waste
Reducing plastic consumption is one of the most effective ways to tackle plastic pollution. That’s why, here at The Optimist Daily, we love hearing about solutions tackling the plastic problem at the source. The latest we’ve come across was developed by UK startup Spruce. Its solution to Read More...
Refill station in NYC laundromat offers waste-free cleaning products
As we’ve seen with Nivea’s recent initiative to test a refill station in Germany, the reuse movement is steadily getting more attention as a solution that can reduce our overwhelming amount of plastic waste. A similar initiative that’s taking roots in New York City is yet another positive Read More...
Could these reusable containers remove single-use plastics from delivery?
Food delivery has spiked in the wake of the pandemic, thus increasing the use of disposable plastic associated with takeaway packaging. Needless to say, this has only amplified the global plastic crisis. It's also highlighted the urgent need to redesign the food delivery sector, which is worth Read More...