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Buffalo Exchange collects furs to give back to animals

Donny Morrison

February 03, 2019 |

Daily Emerald |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

Second-hand clothing store Buffalo Exchange receives donations of difficult to sell fur coats and sends them to Coats for Cubs, which repurposes the coats into bedding for recovering wild animals. The real fur bedding soothes and comforts the animals as they recover.

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You Flushed the Toilet. They Made Some Bricks.

JoAnna Klein

January 31, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Australia, Melbourne, Australian Capital Territory

A civil engineer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in Australia is converting biosolids, or disinfected leftovers from the water treatment process, into bricks for building. He claims they look, smell, and work the same as conventional fired clay bricks, but with an added benefit of saving land and energy and reducing carbon emissions.

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The shopping mall where everything is recycled

Dougal Shaw

January 29, 2019 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV Programs |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: Sweden, Eskilstuna

In Eskilstuna, Sweden, there is a different kind of shopping mall – one that sells used and upcycled goods. In an effort to combat consumerism and bolster sustainability, the mall, called ReTuna, is nicely curated and organized, making second-hand shopping mainstream. The mall sees 700 people each day, on average, and has sold nearly $3.5 million worth of items.

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The natural products that could replace plastic

Adrienne Bernhard

January 28, 2019 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

As many governments and societies are waking up to the negative effects on the environment that comes with an overreliance on plastics, scientists, engineers, and designers are developing myriad new materials. From stone wool, in which igneous rocks are spun into fibers, to mycotecture, in which mushrooms and other fungi are turned into packaging and insulation, these new materials are helping turn the tide of climate change.

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This microplastic biodegrades instead of sitting around for hundreds of years

Adele Peters

January 28, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

Microfiber company PrimaLoft has developed a new insulation material for clothing like fleece jackets that is made from recycled fiber. Other materials can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, but the new material breaks down quickly in landfills and oceans.

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How Teenage Sisters Pushed Bali To Say 'Bye-Bye' To Plastic Bags

Michael Sullivan

January 26, 2019 |

NPR |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia

The island nation of Indonesia is the world's second biggest polluter of marine plastics, which can be disastrous for its tourism industry, setting aside the obvious environmental hazards. But two sisters in Bali took on the problem head on in 2013 with Bye Bye Plastic Bags. After an online petition, the sisters launched massive beach cleanups, awareness campaigns, and community workshops. After enough momentum, the governor of Bali banned single-use plastic.

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These designers transform plastic waste into public furniture

Adele Peters

January 24, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Greece, Thessaloniki

Diverting trash from the landfill and into productive use is one way to help close the loop on consumer waste. In the Greek city of Thessaloniki, the Zero Waste Lab is turning plastic waste into new furniture for public spaces. The plastic is melted down and, using a 3D printer, reformed. The lab is supported by the Print Your City initiative, started by The New Raw a design studio based in the Netherlands, as well as by Coca-Cola.

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The inspiring thing that happened when a Japanese village went almost waste-free

Alex Gray

January 21, 2019 |

World Economic Forum |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Japan, Kamikatsu, Shikoku

Kamikatsu, a small Japanese village on an island, is on track to become a zero-waste village. The community is made up of only 1,700 residents and—through a combination of community conversations and sorting the waste to be profitable—they managed to keep more than 80% of their waste out of landfills and incinerators. On top of the environmental impact, the Zero Waste Academy brings together a largely-elderly population as a group focused on a mission and has led to an increased sense of community and well-being.

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Guardian to be first national newspaper with biodegradable wrapping

Jim Waterson

January 11, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

National newspapers and mailers could do a lot to reduce plastic waste. Take a look at the UK's Guardian. In response to reader comments, the newspaper has stopped wrapping its deliveries in plastic, switching instead to a biodegradable material made from potato starch.

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Precycle Is a New Bushwick Grocery Store With a Mission

Emma Orlow

January 07, 2019 |

New York Magazine |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In Bushwick, the grocery store Precycle is on the front lines of the battle against plastic pollution. Selling food in bulk, while inviting customers to bring their own containers, reduces not only plastic waste but food prices. But will the inconvenience of bringing containers stand in the way of waste-free stores' success?

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