The Earth & I •

Microplastics Now Found in Human Blood

Risks for Inflammation in Human Organs Still Unknown In a scientific first, researchers have found microplastics in human blood. A recent study reveals that tiny plastic particles can travel within the body via the circulatory system. The study by researchers from the Department of Environment and Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam University Medical Center detected tiny pieces of plastic in 77% of participants tested. This is "the first real-world evidence that plastic part
The Earth & I •

ECHO: Fighting Hunger with Faith and Sustainable Agriculture

For forty years, ECHO has fought global hunger and malnutrition by teaching small-scale, sustainable farming to those in need. Its strength lies in building partnerships in low-income communities to provide people with agricultural skills and resources. ECHO’s core values for its Hope Against Hunger mission are rooted in its Christian faith. By aligning its behaviors, motivations, and attitudes with its religious foundation, ECHO has been able to help people around the world by sharing the orga
The Earth & I •

Can Healthy Soil Mitigate Natural Disasters?

The solution to some of the world’s most prevalent and catastrophic problems, such as natural disasters, may be closer than we think. In fact, it may be right beneath our feet. Healthy soil benefits every aspect of life, either directly or indirectly. One of the most instrumental—and perhaps surprising—ways soil impacts life for both people and the planet is by helping to mitigate natural disasters. Often, well-intentioned government policies react to natural disasters with initiatives to impr
The Earth & I •

Cal-Earth Makes Disaster-Resistant Superadobe Construction a Reality

Building safe and sustainable housing is a challenge, especially in disaster-prone regions, and ensuring that it is affordable and accessible can seem impossible. At last, as The Earth & I learned from its interview with Dastan Khalili, carefully designed and patented Superadobe home construction is available, providing a simple and easy way for people everywhere to create attractive, resilient dwellings. Adobe homes have been around for at least 8,000 years, but natural disasters have shown ho

Subscription boxes find green ways to offer choice

18 Jan 2022 --- The beauty-to-your-door concept has grown in awareness and usage in recent years. Consumers are opting for hand-selected beauty and personal care (BPC) products, building on the personalized, do-it-yourself beauty and at-home spa trends we have seen gathering pace. Equally, for BPC brands, it provides a recurring income and opportunity to build a loyal community of beauty followers in the ever-competitive beauty landscape. In 2022, the focus for subscription boxes will turn to h

Beauty educator funds the planting of 100k trees

20 Jan 2022 --- Last year , the award-winning online natural cosmetic formulation school, met its record annual donation to charity with a gift of £30,000 shared between non-profit organizations Plantlife and TreeSisters. Plantlife is a British wild plant conservation charity working nationally and internationally to save threatened wild flowers, plants and fungi. TreeSisters, a UK registered social change and reforestation charity, works to place tropical forest restoration into everyone’s hand

Pulpac goes big on in-line recycling system

20 Jan 2022 --- Swedish packaging innovator Pulpac - which invented and patented its Dry Molded Fiber (DMF) technique in a bid to maximize the use of paper or cellulose as a viable, scalable and globally available material - has combined the in-line recycling of un-molded materials and sustainable barrier additives to improve efficiency in personal care products. DMF is a manufacturing technology designed for the circular economy, which uses renewable pulp and cellulose resources to produce low

Skin care packaging aiming to be beautifully sustainable

6 Jan 2022 --- Near the end of last year, the leading South Korean beauty and cosmetics brand Amorepacific paired with the global specialty materials provider Eastman to implement sustainable packaging solutions into its beauty business via the use of molecular recycling technologies. Under the deal, Amorepacific’s cosmetics brand Laneige will use packaging made from Eastman’s Cristal Renew copolyester. The certified recycled content in the packaging is achieved by allocating waste plastic to c

Battling over-consumption, waste and greenwashing

6 Jan 2022 --- Working with a group of industry experts, the Sustainable Beauty Coalition (SBC) has designed a guide to help consumers dispel sustainability myths around their sought-after beauty buys and opt for authentic, environmentally-friendly products. “We created the Planet Positive Beauty Guide to help consumers make greener, better-informed purchasing decisions when it comes to selecting more ‘planet positive’ beauty products,” says Jayn Sterland, Chair of the SBC. Following the releas
The Earth & I •

UN Human Rights Council Declares Right to Healthy Environment

The United Nations Human Rights Council confirms the human right to a healthy environment in a landmark declaration. How did this newly observed right come into recognition? And what does it mean for member states and global citizens? In October 2021, the Human Rights Council (HRC) of the United Nations adopted two resolutions related to human rights and climate change. The first recognizes the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment while the second is a resolution that ad
The Earth & I •

Vertical Farming Grows Up in Europe

While vertical farming (VF) enjoys opportunities and rapid growth—bringing the sector significant investment, hype, and hope as a potential provider of global food security—widespread concerns remain about energy costs, taste, nutrition, and VF’s adaptability to a broad range of crops. Will the VF sector expand to fill a niche or burgeon to successfully feed the world? Vertical farming—a rapidly growing sector of indoor agriculture—primarily produces hydroponically grown greens and herbs near a

LiquiGlide offers zero-waste packaging innovation

21 Sep 2021 --- US packaging technology company, LiquiGlide, has launched its waste-reduction offering as it moves into the beauty and personal care (BPC) space. The company, which has created a proprietary liquid coating technology applied to the inside of packaging, announced in June that it was teaming up with US multinational consumer goods giant Colgate-Palmolive. “Our mission is to revolutionize products and packaging by eliminating the friction between liquids and solids,” Damien Dossin,

Legislation and innovation shaping sustainability

14 Sep 2021 --- In the battle to reduce the environmental damage of high levels of consumption, there is increased focus on the big differences companies, producers and governments can make. Although individual actions and responsibilities remain important, the focus is less on the individual and more on how entire industries and societies can better manage resources. Detailing the history of the US beauty industry’s environmental progress, a spokesperson for the Personal Care Products Council
foodmanufacture.co.uk •

PureCircle and Synergy collaborate to update Skinny Drinks with Starleaf Reb M extract

The newly-formulated range will be released as part of The Skinny Drinks Group’s tonic collection. The collaboration has seen the replacement the traditionally-used Reb A stevia extract, which can create flavour limitations, with the Starleaf Reb M stevia extract. By formulating with the new ingredient, the three companies aim to offer the most sugar-like taste available on the market. All the tonic, without the sugar ​ “Consumer demand for reduced and zero-sugar beverages has been on the rise
foodmanufacture.co.uk •

Reformulate: Fooditive's upcycled plant-based sweetener

We speak to the brand’s founder and chief executive officer Moayad Abushokhedim about its plant-based sugar substitute solution and its wider plans to tackle global sugar intake. Sugar substitutes are not often synonymous with being healthy and natural, but that's the focus of Dutch plant-based ingredient and sweetener innovator Fooditive. Launching in 2018 with its plant-based and chemical-free sweetener, Fooditive centres its efforts on improving the health status of products that use sugar r
foodmanufacture.co.uk •

Emerging Science: fresh produce and light manipulation

Food Manufacture speaks to Jen Bromley, PhD and head of plant research and development at London-based vertical farming innovator Vertical Future, to find out more. Food liking is a key driver that repeatedly brings consumers back to the same food choices. When it comes to product development, taste is paramount. In 2020, 88% of consumers confirmed that taste is the primary reason for buying a food item, the International Food Information Council Foundation’s survey found.​ Taste ranked above

SEEN Again recycling scheme for brands and influencers

19 Aug 2021 --- The beauty agency SEEN group has released its new recycling scheme, SEEN Again, for other businesses including media professionals and influencers. SEEN’s initiative is designed to give these businesses the ability to easily and responsibly recycle their beauty packaging, which includes skin care, cosmetics and fragrance products. Click to EnlargeSource: SEEN Group.Through the scheme, every time SEEN Group sends samples or gifted products to media professionals and influencers t
The Earth & I •

Tree Communities Harness the Power of Interdependence

Trees are known to compete for sunlight and soil resources, but forest researchers have discovered a deeper reality beneath the ground. Trees actually relate to one another in communities and even share essential nutrients through their roots. Dr. Camille Defrenne, an ecologist specializing in plant-fungal symbioses at the Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, is one such researcher who has studied the inner workings
The Earth & I •

Coming Soon: Fresh Seafood in Any Neighborhood, Anywhere in the World

Imagine a world where every neighborhood had tanks filled with recirculating seawater big enough to grow plenty of fresh, sustainable seafood for every meal of the day. Sound too good to be true? Read on. From its humble beginnings as a two-person research team in a tiny Florida lab, an independent nonprofit known as Mote has become a leading marine research facility with more than twenty research projects under its umbrella. As the Sarasota-based Mote Aquaculture Research Park celebrates its