Sweden’s recycling is so revolutionary, the country has run out of rubbish

Sweden is so good at recycling that, for several years, it has imported rubbish from other countries to keep its recycling plants going. Less than 1 per cent of Swedish household waste was sent to landfill last year or any year since 2011. We can only dream of such an effective system in the UK, which is why we end up paying expensive transport costs to send rubbish to be recycled overseas rather than paying fines to send it to landfill under The Landfill Tax of 1996.  The UK has made strides in the proportion of waste recycled under an EU target of 50 per cent by 2020. This has underpinned hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into recycling facilities and energy recovery plants in the UK, creating many jobs. We’re not quite at that target yet. Recycling in the UK peaked at around 45 per cent of all waste in 2014.  Since then, provisional figures from the ONS have shown that figure has dropped to 44 per cent as austerity has resulted in budget cuts. The decision to leave the EU could be about to make this situation worse. While Europe is aiming for a 65 per cent recycling […]

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Abortion rights supporters’ voices thunder at #StopTheBans rallies across the nation

Thousands of #StopTheBans supporters – fueled by fury over a string of state laws aimed at restricting access to abortions – rallied Tuesday across the nation in a powerful statement for abortion rights. The ACLU and NARAL Pro-Choice America were among the sponsors of the national day of action, featuring more than 450 events in all 50 states. “Politicians, take notice: If you come for our reproductive freedom, you’ll have to get through ALL of us,” the ACLU said in a statement. Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Mississippi recently approved legislation that would restrict access to abortions in their states. Kentucky and Missouri are among states considering action. Abortion foes are hoping that the Supreme Court, with the addition of conservative justices appointed by President Donald Trump, will back the measures and reverse or weaken the court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Protesters march to the Alabama Capitol to protest a bill to ban abortion that passed last week , Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo: Butch Dill, AP) Hundreds of protesters packed the high court’s steps in the nation’s capital Tuesday, toting signs that vowed to “protect safe, legal abortion” and putting lawmakers on notice their voices would be heard.  “We are not going to allow them to move our country backward,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, told the […]

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Study Shows Potential for Earth-Friendly Plastic Replacement

The quest to keep plastic out of landfills and simultaneously satisfy the needs of the food industry is filled with obstacles. The quest to keep plastic out of landfills and simultaneously satisfy the needs of the food industry is filled with obstacles. A biodegradable replacement for petroleum-based products has to meet all sorts of standards and, so far, attempts at viable replacements from renewable sources have faced limited success due to processing and economic constraints. Among the obstacles, products to date have been too brittle for food packaging. But new research from The Ohio State University has shown that combining natural rubber with bioplastic in a novel way results in a much stronger replacement for plastic, one that is already capturing the interest of companies looking to shrink their environmental footprints. Almost all plastics – about 90 percent – are petroleum-based and are not biodegradable, a major environmental concern. Source: Ohio State University Women of Green is TURNING UP THE VOLUME of the feminine voice on the planet in order to create the world we know is possible

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These Five Animals Are on the Verge of Extinction — Here’s How to Help!

The world is at risk of losing many species on the verge of extension, with dwindling numbers and no end to the process in sight. A journal article by 13 scientists from eight different countries says the world is now in the sixth mass extinction of plants and animals. Other scientists, however, feel that calling the current age a mass extension is a bit dramatic. While scientists agree humans damage the earth and changes should occur to protect species on the edge of extinction and our natural environment, the situation may not be as dire as predicted. As with most things, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. One thing everyone agrees on is that some species are in danger of no longer existing. The list grows and changes from year to year, but here are five animals currently on the verge of extinction that might surprise you. 1. Giraffes In 2016, giraffes moved onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List of Threatened Species” report into the vulnerable category. In the 1980s, there were 155,000 giraffes in Africa. Today, the number is under 100,000 — a reduction of around 40 percent. Some ways to protect this […]

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These Apps Are Pushing the Cosmetics Industry to Be More Transparent

The beauty and cosmetics industry is one of the biggest in the county. By 2023, it is expected to reach more than $805 billion. Such a big industry is constantly in the eyes of consumers, and those consumers are starting to demand more transparency from their beauty products.

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A giant floating trash collector will try to scoop up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Floating trash collector will try to scoop up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Influencers Aren’t Born, Their Built.

In this exclusive interview, Angie Chang reflects on her journey to become one of Silicon Valley’s most persuasive and powerful voices. She shares the early decisions that built her influence brick-by-brick, techniques to use a strong personal brand to fuel a cause or a company, and her go-to tactics for rallying individuals around something bigger than themselves.

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Starbucks: Goodbye Plastic Straws

Starbucks announced on Monday it plans to eliminate plastic straws from its 28,000 stores worldwide by 2020.

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California’s Requirement for Residential Solar Panels Could Transform the U.S. Energy Industry

California will require that new homes include their own solar panels beginning in 2020, state officials announced Wednesday in the latest step to position the state as the leader in clean energy.

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Lead Like a Girl: How to Empower Women at Every Level

What does it mean to do something “like a girl”?

A popular ad from Always tried to answer that question by asking subjects to demonstrate running, fighting, and throwing “like a girl.” Older subjects put on a weak performance, but when young girls were given the same instructions, they ran, threw, and fought as hard as they could. The ad asked, “When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become an insult?”

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