KFC Singapore Will No Longer Offer Diners Single-Use Plastic Straws and Lids
Fast-food giant KFC no longer provides plastic cup lids and straws with drinks at its 84 Singapore outlets, the chain announced earlier this week. According to Channel News Asia, the company explained how the "No Straws Initiative" is estimated to see a reduction of...
UK Ban on Plastic Microbeads in Beauty Products Now in Effect
The UK's ban on plastic microbeads in beauty products went into effect earlier this week. The ban was announced in January, giving manufacturers six months to remove the tiny bits of plastic used as abrasives in a number of skincare and beauty products including...
Leaked UN Report Urges Reduced Meat and Dairy Intake to Combat ‘Urgent’ Global Warming
On Thursday, new information about the state of the Earth's climate was leaked. According to a draft UN report that was obtained by news agency Reuters, global warming growth is set to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit). According to The Guardian, the...
Fishing and Climate Change Create ‘Urgent’ Need for Ocean Protections, Says New Study
Fish off the coast of Australia are facing rapidly declining populations, says a new study published in the journal Aquatic Conservation. Fish species including bream and snapper have declined by as much as one-third during the ten-year study period. Researchers...
McDonald’s Announces New Initiative to Swap Out Single-Use Plastic Straws
McDonald’s is stepping up its sustainability efforts. The fast-food behemoth just announced last Friday that it is switching to paper straws in all UK and Ireland locations in response to the mounting waste accumulated by single-use plastic straws. The swap to paper...
Cruelty-Free Fashion Brand Stella McCartney Participates in Worldwide Ocean Clean-Ups
In honor of World Oceans Day last Friday, sustainable fashion designer Stella McCartney promoted beach and river cleanups around the globe. Its London-based employees participated in a clean-up at the Thames River; all of the recyclable rubbish collected will be...
Algae Is the Vegan Protein Food of the Future, Says CNN
A recent article by CNN hailed algae as "the food of the future". The vegan dish is protein-rich, requires no fresh water to produce, and releases oxygen into the atmosphere, unlike most the world's protein today that is derived from animals. Around 70 percent of the...
American Express Launches Credit Cards Made With Marine Debris to Raise Awareness on Plastic Pollution
American Express will soon launch credit cards made from plastic found in the ocean. In collaboration with Parley for the Oceans, an organization working to fight plastic pollution in the ocean, American Express intends to raise awareness of the environmental concern...
IKEA Vows to Stop Selling Single-Use Plastic and Add More Vegan Options to Help Save the Planet
International homewares retailer, IKEA, has pledged to stop selling single-use plastic products by 2020 in a bid to improve sustainability. The environment-focused decision will include all items made with single-use plastic, including straws, cups, and freezer bags,...
Lush Milan Goes ‘Naked’ and Launches Cruelty-Free Jelly Bombs for a ‘Future Without Plastic’
Cruelty-free beauty brand, Lush, has opened its first ‘naked’ shop. At the store, which is located in Milan, Italy, products are totally free of packaging in an effort to reduce plastic pollution. The store will also host in-store events, workshops, and film...
India’s Prime Minister Narenda Modi Pledges to Ban All Single-Use Plastics in the Nation By 2022
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unprecedented announcement on World Environment Day to eliminate all single-use plastics in the nation by 2022, UN Environment reports. While plastic's impact on the environment and ecosystems are well-known, one recent...
10 Celebs Who Pledged to Ditch Disposable Single-Use Plastics In a Bid to Save the Earth
In light of World Environment Day, celebrities from a variety of professions are flocking to social media to promote a plastic-free planet. Plastic is an all too prominent pollutant nowadays. Recent data said a staggering 89 percent of all plastic in the ocean is...
Eating Vegan is the Most Effective Way to Combat Climate Change, Says Largest-Ever Food Production Analysis
Vegan food can literally save the Earth, according to new research. Talk about the power of plants. A new study published in the journal Science details the largest-ever analysis of the impact that food production has on the planet. The study concluded that ditching...
New Sustainability Index Shows That the World’s Top Animal Agriculture Companies Are Failing to Combat Global Warming
A new global sustainability index released earlier this week has revealed that the majority of the world's meat, dairy, and fish suppliers are failing to address or effectively manage contributions to climate change, putting Paris Agreement emission targets at risk....
World Meat Free Week Returns to Push For Sustainable Vegan Future
An initiative dubbed "World Meat Free Week" is set to take place from June 11-17, this year. The initiative, whose slogan reads "one meal for a healthier planet," aims to create a sustainable global future. "Meat production is already responsible for 14.5% of global...
Vegan Musician Moby Urges Barack Obama, Snoop Dogg, Ellen DeGeneres, and More to Ditch Plastic Water Bottles
Vegan musician, activist, and restaurateur, Moby, has taken to Instagram to share his support for a plastic-free world. In a video, the celebrity discussed his commitment to ditching plastic water bottles for good. In the caption, Moby challenged fellow celebrities --...
EU Moves to Ban Straws, Cotton Buds, Drink Stirrers, and More to Protect Europe’s Oceans
The European Commission has moved to ban easily replaceable single-use plastics, the new rules will apply EU-wide. The commission will target the 10 most popular single-use plastic items, as well as abandoned fishing gear, which make up 70 percent of marine litter and...
Vancouver Bans Plastic Straws, Plans to Go Zero Waste By 2040
Vancouver is set to become the first major Canadian city to ban single-use plastic straws, polystyrene cups, and take-out containers. Representatives voted unanimously on the ban last week. According to a press release, the plastic straw ban is part of the city's new...
60% of All Mammals on Earth Are Livestock, Says New Study
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America highlights the impact humanity has upon biodiversity and wildlife on Earth, although humans make up only a minute portion of all life on the planet. As of the...
UK’s Biggest Vegan Zero Waste Festival Let’s You Party While You Save the Planet
The largest zero-waste festival in the UK, No Planet B, is set to be held in August. The festival will feature an extensive line-up of vegan food, Stroud News and Journal reported. The event brings together innovative food experiences and ideas surrounding...
Princeton Brings Hydroponic Vertical ‘Farm-to-Cafeteria’ Program to Elementary School
Princeton University's Vertical Farming Project has announced a partnership with Hopewell Elementary School in New Jersey in order to help the school develop its sustainable, vertical farm-to-cafeteria lunch program. The collaboration with Princeton is an extension of...
20.6 Million Animals Saved By Eating Vegetarian Once a Week For a Decade, Finds New Report
A new impact analysis report highlights the substantially positive impact that eating vegetarian just one day a week has on the planet and farmed animals. The report was released by the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) Harvard fellow, Dr. Helen Harwatton....
UK to Create the World’s First Plastic-Free Parliament
The British Parliament has announced plans to eliminate single-use plastic from its premises starting this summer. The first action will be to ban plastic water bottles and to implement a "latte levy" on disposable coffee cups, virtually eliminating plastics from the...
Park City Mayor Wants the Sundance City to Go Vegan With Him
Andy Beerman, the Mayor of Park City, Utah, best known as home to the Sundance Film Festival, is set to take a ten-day vegan challenge and is encouraging the mountain community to join him. Beerman and his wife have reportedly been considering switching to a vegan...
Single-Use Items Make up 89% of Plastic Waste in the Ocean
A new press release by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) highlighted the threat of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. According to the organization, 89 percent of the plastic in the ocean is single-use plastic items such as plastic bags, straws, and...
Pret A Manger Eliminates All Single-Use Plastic From Stores
International grab-and-go vegan-friendly food chain, Pret A Manger, is taking measures to do its part in protecting the world's oceans by pledging to reduce its use of plastic. In a tweet earlier this week, the company wrote: "We're pledging to reduce, reuse and...
World’s Largest Dead Zone Discovered in Arabian Sea
A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters has revealed the presence of a massive ocean dead zone, an area of the ocean made uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen, located in the Gulf of Oman part of the Arabian Sea. While the Gulf of Oman area...
Tesco Combats Food Waste Epidemic With ‘Ugly Veggie’ Juice Range
UK food giant, Tesco, is set to launch a line of cold-pressed juices to combat food waste, FoodBev Media reported. The veggie range, titled Waste NOT, will be made solely from fruit and vegetables that do not fit produce specifications and would otherwise...
Oakland, CA, Moves to Limit Single-Use Plastic
The use of plastic straws in restaurants, bars, and cafes throughout Oakland, Calif., is set to see changes. The Oakland City Council recently voted unanimously to pass a law restricting access to single-use plastic straws, KTVU reported. The new ordinance means that...
Pork Industry Panics After $50 Million Fine Over Pig Farming Pollution
Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the world, now a subsidiary of China’s WH Group, was fined more than $50 million last week by a North Carolina court over the nuisance caused by the odor created on one of its pig farms. Neighboring communities were so...