In this article, you will learn easy tips to reduce your waste in areas like your office or your kids’ school!

Zero Waste School

Lowering the amount of waste we produce in school is a good way to work for the environment as well as teaching our kids how to live more sustainably. 

To help a school become zero waste, proceed by distinct phases in order to create a long-lasting process. First, create a green team which will be responsible for educating teachers and students in order to involve the school community around the project. Then, focus on waste reduction by putting in practice the following tips: reduce the amount of materials used at school, reuse materials instead of buying new ones, recycle by creating a trash sorting set up and compost organic materials and food scraps.

♥ Tree-Free Paper Notebook | EcoPaper  ♥

♥ Plantable Colouring Pencils | Sprout World ♥

Zero Waste Office

Tackling on the zero waste issue at work is not easy as many people do not have their say on how trash should be handled at their firm and some might work in wasteful but crucial fields like medicine or science. However, you can still keep your personal waste to a minimum and make changes from the inside to orientate your workspace towards a more sustainable position. 

First, focus on yourself and how to minimize your daily waste. Take your morning coffee in your own reusable cup, bring your lunch in zero waste containers and don’t forget your bamboo cutlery and cloth napkin to perfectly enjoy your low waste meal. Reducing your trash at work isn’t difficult but it means planning ahead!  Try also to reduce the amount of materials you use: ask for digital versions of paper handouts, do not print unless you really need it and refuse office goodies if they won’t be useful to you. Finally, commute in a more sustainable way by carpooling to work or taking public transportation. And if you’re close enough, you can still walk or bike to your workplace! 

♥ Recycled American Eagle Paper | American Eagle Paper Mills ♥

♥ Refillable Whiteboard Markers | Auspen ♥

Letting activism enter your workplace can be a bit tricky but if you feel comfortable with it, here are some ideas you can offer to your colleagues and superiors: set up a recycling and composting bin, provide your office with reusable items (coffee mugs, water bottles, etc.) or suggest environmentally friendly team building activities and events (beach clean-ups, zero waste lunches, etc.). Cutting down paper waste in particular is a major issue. Out of the 17 billion cubic feet of trees deforested each year, over 60% are used to make paper. Raising awareness among your colleagues can only but help reduce this overconsumption. 

You won’t change your workspace all at once but implementing even the smallest changes will be useful for our planet. 

Let's face it: Reducing your home's negative impact on the planet will likely require a huge amount of work.

But solar panels and temperature-regulating walls aren't the only ways to help your household adopt more eco-friendly practices. There are a ton of easy -- and fun -- ways to conserve energy.

Luckily for us, UK-based magazine Good To Be Home has some clever ideas on other ways to do it.

As customer demand increases, along with the awareness of what our favourite beauty products are made of, more and more brands are making the switch to vegan, cruelty-free products and opting to perfect the formulas of their mainstay must-haves now free from animal by-products. From Mecca Max to Kat Von D and Sukin Natural Skincare, these are the brands paving the way for the future of beauty by putting their best foot forward. So scroll down and indulge in new guilt-free beauty buys if you too are seeking to transition to using 100 per cent vegan products or are looking for a series of new animal-friendly beauty bag staples to invest in.

A new battery technology that could significantly reduce the price of electric cars and home battery systems has taken a major step towards commercialisation.

South Australian researchers from the University of Adelaide have secured an A$1 million research contract with a Chinese battery manufacturer to develop the new technology and bring it to market within 12 months.

The patented design uses non-toxic zinc and manganese, two metals that are abundant in Australia, and incombustible aqueous electrolyte to produce a battery with a high-energy-density.

The researchers estimate the cost of this new electrolytic Zn–Mn battery to be less than US$ 10 per kWh compared with US$ 300 per kWh for current Li-ion batteries, US$ 72 per kWh for Ni–Fe batteries and US$ 48 per kWh for Lead-acid batteries.

The battery is designed by Dr Dongliang Chao and Professor Shi-Zhang Qiao from the University of Adelaide’s School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials.

The high-energy, safe battery opens up markets where the battery weight, size and safety are essential factors, including automotive and aerospace, and domestic and commercial buildings, and grid-scale energy storage.

Dr Chao said although there were other Zn-Mn batteries on the market such as the dry cell, they were not rechargeable or recyclable and did not present high-energy-density due to a different chemical reaction mechanism.

“I can imagine this battery being used on all vehicle types from small scooters to even diesel-electric trains. Also in homes that need batteries to store solar power or even large solar/wind farms,” he said.

“With more sustainable energy being produced – such as through wind and solar farms – storing this energy in batteries in a safe, non-expensive and environmentally sound way is becoming more urgent but current battery materials – including lithium, lead and cadmium – are expensive, hazardous and toxic.”

“Our new electrolytic battery technology uses the non-toxic zinc and manganese and incombustible aqueous electrolyte to produce a battery with a high energy density.”

Dr Chao and Professor Qiao began working on the project in South Australia about 12 months ago and patented the technology at the beginning of this year.

Chinese battery manufacturer Zhuoyue Power New Energy Ltd, whose current batteries are lead-based, has committed $1 million to develop the new technology.

The ongoing research work and initial product development will be conducted in Adelaide with manufacturing expected to take place in Australia and China.

Dr Chao said the project would combine the new electrolytic battery technology and the company’s battery assembling technology.

“In addition, the battery uses basic materials and simple manufacturing processes so will be much cheaper to produce and easier to recycle than existing batteries of comparable energy density,” Dr Chao said.

Dr Chao obtained his PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and worked as a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, before joining the University of Adelaide in South Australia last year.

South Australia is home to the world’s largest lithium-ion battery at Neoen’s Hornsdale Wind Farm in the state’s Mid North. It is also looming as a hub for electric vehicles and hosts the World Solar Challenge, the world’s most famous solar car race.

Why Composting is Essential – Even if You Don’t Have a Garden!
Most Americans are familiar with the idea of recycling; “Reduce, reuse, recycle!” was a common lesson for many of us in elementary school. However, as we produce more waste, there has been a growing interest in what we can do to avoid landfills. So here we are with our Compost 101 to get you started.

What is Compost?
You may have noticed, but not all materials are recyclable! It is becoming harder and harder to find end uses for some of our low-grade waste, such as plastics. Composting is a great solution to reduce some of the impact we have on our planet. Instead of rotting slowly in a landfill, these materials can be broken down and turned into valuable nutrients for gardens and farms.

I work every day to find ways to minimize the impacts of a college campus where I serve as Sustainability Officer. In this role, I manage a variety of projects that help the environment such as saving energy, reducing water usage, or educating the students, staff and faculty on actions we can all take to make our campus more sustainable. One of my favorite projects has been ramping up our compost efforts. This will help reduce the impact of food waste and increase our diversion rate. The diversion rate is an important metric many organizations can use to measure the percentage of total waste that is recycled, composted or otherwise diverted from the landfill.

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Calculating Your Diversion Rate: Avoid the Landfill with Compost and Recycling
One concept everyone must understand in any good Compost 101 article is what a Diversion Rate is and why it’s important. It’s something that can be applied to both your personal life or professional if you choose to measure it. Eventually, it’s a measurement of what you prevent from ending up in the landfill!

If you have 100 lbs of waste and sort it into recyclable and compostable items, you have your diversion rate. For example, 100 lbs (total waste) – 20 lbs (compost) and 5 lbs (recycling) = 75 lbs. So, from your original 100 lbs of waste, only 75 lbs actually end up in a landfill. The diversion rate = (lbs diverted/total waste)*100, meaning you diverted 25 lbs or 25% of your waste!

With my college occupying over 4.5 million square feet of classroom and office space, so we generate a lot of waste. In fact, we generate an average of 2.6 million pounds annually! With a diversion rate of about 20%, we have plenty of room to improve. The nation-wide average, as of 2017, was 35.2%[2] and here in Colorado, the state-wide average was only 17.2%[1] in 2018.

Compost 101: What’s really the difference between Compost and the Landfill?
To illustrate our point, let’s talk about the humble banana. It’s a common belief that a banana in the trash will decompose like it does in nature. In short, this is simply not true! In reality, a discarded banana peel in a Colorado landfill[3] could last up to 25 years[4] due to the lack of oxygen in this environment. Why is that?

Landfill
In Colorado and other places with enough land, landfills are usually a large hole dug into the ground. Then, it’s lined with plastic to prevent materials from getting into the water supply. Eventually the hole is filled with trash and they compact it down. Finally, we bury the trash or cover it with dirt. In contrast, places with less land available will end up burning it or shipping it.

All of these factors lead to a lack of oxygen getting to the waste, preventing it from breaking down! Most importantly, the lack of oxygen creates an anaerobic environment and releases methane into the atmosphere. Methane is between 28 and 34 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide[5], effectively raising the temperature of the planet at a faster rate.

Compost
On the other hand, if you throw that same banana peel into a compost bin, it will be broken down naturally in a number of days or weeks. It typically heads to an outdoor compost pile or windrow where some water is added and it is turned periodically to ensure proper oxygen levels and temperature. As waste breaks down, it emits carbon dioxide instead of methane (much better in this case). Finally, the compost product can be sold and used to help grow food. Healthy compost contributes vital nutrients to the soil where it is applied[6].

If you are able to process this compost at your home, you can eventually take advantage of these added nutrients yourself by adding it to your garden!

Compost 101: Communication is Key

When most people think of protein, they think of meat. But several high-protein plant foods give animal-based protein a run for its money—and some might even convince you to finally ditch the chicken breast or steak for good.

While a 3 ounces of chicken contains 24 grams of protein and 3 ounces of steak contains 22 grams of protein, plant-based staples really don’t fall too far behind. Whether you’ve been thinking of making a lentil soup, roasting some chickpeas, or steaming some edamame to snack on, you’ll take in more than enough protein to meet your daily requirements. And these are some of the best high-protein plant foods to add to your diet.

The healthiest high-protein plant foods
1. Lentils
Protein: 18 grams per one-cup serving

“Not only do these yellow, red, green, and brown legumes last on shelves for months—whether you buy them canned or dried—every bite of them gives you a high dose of nutrients, so there’s good reason for storing them in bulk.”

Recipe to try: Vegan Lentil Meatballs

2. Black beans
Protein: 15 grams per one-cup serving

“As plant-based eating continues to dominate, you can expect these humble little beans to take center stage in your food even more frequently.”

Recipe to try: Vegan Black Bean Ceviche Tostada

3. Chickpeas
Protein: 15 grams per one-cup serving

“[Chickpeas] are being transformed into healthier, high-protein versions of classic comfort foods, from pasta and rice to chips and ice cream. And consumers are eating it up.”

Recipe to try: Chickpea Blondie Muffins

4. Tempeh

Wow this video was so overdue haha I have been talking about filming this video on my IG for months now but I wanted to give all of these brands a good 'test drive' to see how much I liked them over time.

So here the finally are: my absolute favourite sustainable and ethical yoga brands. In this video I will not only cover my favourite yoga clothing brands but also companies that make great yoga mats, props and blankets / towels.

When it comes to your beauty consumption, what’s important to you, and what are your beauty ethos? Do you want to go vegan or commit to using only cruelty-free products? Is the environment your focus—in which case, does eco-friendly and sustainable beauty appeal? Even the smallest steps toward conscious beauty consumption can help make a difference, but identifying what’s meaningful to you isn’t always easy.

With that in mind, I reached out to Imelda Burke, founder of Content—an organic and natural apothecary where you can shop online through the filter of your ethos. I also contacted Millie Kendall and Anna-Marie Solowij, the co-founders of BeautyMart, who are always on the cusp of what’s new and noteworthy in beauty. Each has noticed that its consumers are becoming more conscious of their consumption of beauty.

“When we first discovered that brands we were buying were vegan, we hadn’t chosen them because of this—it wasn’t a trend or a marketing concept for us—we just happened to notice that the brands we liked were vegan. Winky Lux, Jillian Dempsey, and Bybi Beauty just looked like good spring/summer brands for us in 2017, and the reality is they have been our three best selling brands since,” Kendall tells me.

“We want to know the entire lifecycle of our beauty products—literally from seed to skin and even beyond our use (What’s it doing to the water supply? What happens to the packaging once I’ve thrown it away?), and brands are under pressure to be completely transparent about all aspects of their processes,” says Solowij. “There’s a certain feel-good factor in having a strong ethical viewpoint—you’re no longer allowed to be an inactive or uninvested consumer because when you buy into a brand, you are aligning yourself, and no one wants to be associated with a questionable brand. I think that this behavior has grown in recent years because of the millennial and centennial generations who feel disenfranchised by big everything—big data, big pharma, big government, big money, etc., so they feel that the only way they can be heard and make a difference is to embrace activism and harness their spending power as a means of veto,” says Solowij.

Traveling is one of life's biggest privileges. Adventures and experiences of a lifetime are ripe for the picking on all seven continents. Having just completed my own 2.5 year adventure across five of those continents, people often ask me how they can give back while they travel -- how can they can give a bit to the communities they visit along the way? Here are some suggestions.

1. Microloans

There are countless organizations where you can contribute a relatively small amount of money by Western standards and change someone else's life immeasurably. Microloans help entrepreneurs in developing countries start or expand small businesses. Organizations like Kiva allow you to lend to people they profile around the world. Another organization called Investours, presently in Mexico and Tanzania, allows you to take tours of impoverished areas and meet local entrepreneurs who have transformed their lives thanks to microloans. The minimum fee for a tour is their minimum loan offered to an entrepreneur. One hundred percent of every tour's earnings goes toward microloans for the communities you visit on the tour.

2. Travel Differently

Some organizations allow you to travel differently so that the very act of you traveling makes a difference. An organization called Epic Road offers luxury safaris to Africa and Antarctica that leave a positive impact on where you visit. For example, while on your safari in the Serengeti you can go with a team and implant a microchip in an endangered black rhinoceros. You actively take part in wildlife conservation while enabling anti-poaching efforts, allowing the animal and its horn to be tracked in case poachers attack. Epic Road also facilitates the adoption of baby elephants whose mothers have fallen victim to poaching. You can bottle feed a baby elephant while your financial contribution ensures it grows into a strong adult. With Epic Road I paid a visit to The School of St Jude, a school providing a fantastic education to the poorest of the poor in Tanzania. There, I donated soccer balls to the students and had a wonderful discussion about culture and life. Similarly, India's Reality Tours offers tours in places like the infamous Dharavi Slum of Bombay. Eighty percent of their profits are reinvested in the communities they work in, promoting community growth and sustainable tourism.

3. Volunteer

The opportunities here are too numerous to mention. Many organizations offer long-term and short-term opportunities. Some organizations let you volunteer for free, getting their funding from outside sources. Others fund their operations by charging volunteers a fee (yet often providing food and lodging as well). Some organizations are more impactful than others. Do your homework.