The Reusies

UPSTREAM and Closed Loop Partners are launching the first ever virtual awards show for the Reuse Movement in the U.S. in 2021.

This inaugural event celebrates the pioneers, the trailblazers, the innovators and game-changing heroes who are developing a better way than throw-away, advancing systemic change and co-creating a world where we can get what we need and want without all the waste.

The Call for Nominations is open until July 11.

America has eight parking spaces for every car. Here’s how cities are rethinking that land

Read the full story in Fast Company.

Cities like Buffalo are getting rid of parking minimums and changing zoning, which opens up valuable space.

Petrifying climate change

Read the full story at Hakai Magazine.

Researchers want to combat climate change by chemically converting carbon dioxide into rock on a grand scale.

Beer brand Corona achieves global net zero plastic footprint

Read the full story at ESG Today.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s beer brand Corona announced today that it has achieved a global net zero plastic footprint, becoming the first global beverage brand to remove more plastic from the environment than it releases.

Wisconsin researchers proving the Dairy State has some green-energy tricks up its sleeve

Read the full story from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

From faster car chargers to smaller wind turbines, “the way we look at this utility is going to totally change, and it’s going to happen” at UW-Milwaukee and elsewhere.

Busting Four Myths about Plastic Pollution

Download the document.

Over the past four years, Simon Bernard, president of Plastic Odyssey, has been reviewing scientific studies on ocean plastic pollution. The results? Some of the most widely held beliefs about plastics
in the ocean are totally false.

These misconceptions are often being propagated by groups that offer solutions to the plastics problem which, while generally are not harmful for the planet, will do little to stem the tide of plastic entering the ocean – 20 tons every minute.

Lithium-ion battery soaks up the sun for recharge

Read the full story in Chemical & Engineering News.

Hooking up solar panels to batteries is the norm for storing extra energy produced when the sun is shining. To streamline this process, researchers now report a lithium-ion battery that can be directly charged in sunlight, with no solar cells needed (Nano Lett. 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c00298).

Smaller plates help reduce food waste in campus dining halls

Read the full story from the University of Illinois.

Food waste is a major problem in the U.S., and young adults are among the worst culprits. Many of them attend college or university and live on campus, making dining halls a prime target for waste reduction efforts. And a simple intervention can make a big difference, a University of Illinois study shows.

Shifting from round to oval plates with a smaller surface area can significantly reduce food waste in dining halls, says Brenna Ellison, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) and co-author on the study.

Unearthed: Why We Chose This Theme

Read the full story from Indiana Humanities.

Unearthed is a new three-year theme developed by Indiana Humanities that encourages Hoosiers to discover and discuss their relationships with the natural world. Through engaging speakers, a statewide read, a tour of the Smithsonian’s Water/Ways exhibit, Campfires treks, a film series, a podcast and more, Hoosiers will explore how we shape the environment and how the environment shapes us. 

JPMorgan launches growth equity investing platform, with sustainable investments as a key thematic area

Read the full story at ESG Weekly.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management announced today the launch of a new growth equity platform, forming part of the newly established J.P. Morgan Private Capital, along with the firm’s existing private debt business. According to JPMorgan, the new unit aims to tap into the continued growth of private markets and significant pre-IPO value creation opportunities across a range of asset classes and sectors, including consumer, technology and sustainable growth equity investing.