News from the Earth

The textile industry is responsible for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, consuming more energy than air and maritime transportation combined. What matters most is that consumers change their consumption habits.

Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources. These resources are finite and rapidly running out. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources.

More than 550 million tons for households. Almost 250 million for the catering industry. Food waste around the world reaches almost a billion tonnes each year. On average, in each household of the planet, 74 kilograms of food of all kinds are thrown away every year.

The International Day of Action for Rivers is a day dedicated to solidarity – when diverse communities around the world come together with one voice to say that rivers matter.

Every year, EU citizens generate 26 million tonnes of plastic waste: 39% ends up in the incinerator, 31% in landfills and only 30% is collected for recycling. It is unlikely that the EU will be able to recycle 50% of plastic packaging by 2025 and 55% by 2030, as envisaged in the Commission’s 2018 strategy.

A young Kenyan engineer and entrepreneur has founded a company in Nairobi to turn plastic destined for the landfill into sustainable, strong building material, using the plastic waste of commercial facilities to create bricks that can withstand twice the weight threshold of concrete. The factory is only in its beginning stages, but it has already recycled 20 tons of plastic since 2017 and created 120 jobs in Nairobi. In addition, the bricks are also one of the more affordable options on the market.

The aim is to raise public awareness of the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, promote healthy diet and lifestyle, reduce food waste and food losses, improving food production by making it more sustainable through innovation and technology in line with UN development objectives.

A problem that not only concerns the health of the fauna, but also ours. Plastic, which ends up in the food chain, puts commercial fishing and aquaculture at risk. A significant risk for 1.4 billion people for which fish is one of the main sources of protein. 80% of the waste consists of plastic.

Urban development has compromised that primordial link that united the environment and people. How is it possible to restore it? 

By a conscious and responsible lifestyle. Every daily gesture directly affects our well-being and our surroundings. 

Sadly, it’s almost impossible to avoid plastic when shopping for groceries. Almost everything comes wrapped in it, and most of this packaging is unnecessary.

We can change that. Take the reusable container challenge and join the movement that is already transforming the way we shop for groceries! This could be the new normal!

It is urgent to reduce the use of disposable options and rely on circular and safe materials. Given the ability of many of these chemicals (many of which are hazardous) to migrate from packaging and other materials to food, their continued use should be understood as a risk to human health.

There are many things to do against single-use plastic pollution, but the most important measure is reduction. The first step is to get rid of the delusion that any plastic consumed will simply disappear. Even when you throw it away, it doesn’t degrade. Not in our lifetime.