The Shell House, a project by K&B Partners, is a perfect example of how biotech materials can create an eco-friendly and energy-efficient space. These materials can be engineered to possess unique properties such as thermal insulation and self-cleaning abilities.
Did you know that some of the most innovative building designs take inspiration from nature? Biotechnology architecture is a prime example of this, where bioengineered materials are used to create sustainable structures that are both functional and visually stunning. Imagine using live materials that can grow, produce energy, and self-heal to create buildings that are in harmony with nature!
Packaging plays a significant role in the environmental footprint of products, contributing to pollution, waste generation, and resource depletion. That's why we're committed to sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint. 🌿💚
In today's environmentally conscious world, the importance of eco-friendly packaging cannot be overstated. As consumers increasingly priorit
From biodegradable materials to minimalistic designs, our eco-friendly packaging not only protects your favorite products but also helps preserve the planet for future generations. 🌍✨ Join us in our mission to prioritize sustainability and make a positive impact on the world. 🛍️🌱
Reposted from @klimaaktiv.at Wie unterstützt Ihr Mitarbeiter*innen dabei, mit dem Rad zur Arbeit zu kommen? 🚴🏼♀️ Zusammen mit dem BMK will eine Gruppe von Studierenden im Rahmen der @sustainabilitychallenge dieser Frage nachgehen. 🧐 Die Umfrage richtet sich an Arbeitgeber*innen von Klein- und Kleinstunternehmen in Wien. Unter den Teilnehmenden wird ein Faltrad Alfine 11 vom Wiener Start-Up @vellobike im Wert von 2000€ verlost. Umfrage in der Bio! 😊 #klimaaktiv #mobil #umfrage #sustainabilitychallenge #radfahren #anradeln #ticker #wohnblogAT repost (hier: klima:aktiv) https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2bJz2F0A3/?igshid=32b38k3bf1at
Changing the world takes more than just caring... it takes action. Starting tomorrow, join us for #GoGreenWithGIVE Week to practice mindful choices that turn into a movement of global change. . Read through our daily challenges to minimize your waste & Go Green With GIVE: 🌱 April 7 - Start Today Sunday: Preparation = Success! Plan your week by putting your zero-waste items in your bag! Think ahead how you will minimize your footprint! 🌱 April 8 - Meatless Monday: Mean production takes a toll on your environment, try being meatless for a whole day! You don't have to be a vegetarian to be mindful of your consumption. 🌱 April 9 - Tupperware Tuesday: Ditch single-use plastic! Carry your reusable containers to the grocery story & when ordering take-out! Also carry reusable utensils, straws, and bags to limit your plastic-use! 🌱 April 10 - Water Wednesday: Be conscious of your water waste. Analyze ways to reduce your water-use in your daily life. Share water facts & tips to educate others! 🌱 April 11 - Thoughtful Thursday: Get talking about our environmental impact. Share your thoughts on social media and tag @givevolunteers! This is a great day to have conversations with friends, with informative documentaries, read books, and stay aware! 🌱 April 12 - Footprint Friday: Find ways to lesson your carbon footprint! Choose an alternative to driving your car, like walking, biking, using public transport, rollerblading, skating, or car-pooling! 🌱 April 13 - Salvage Saturday: Find ways to reuse, rather than buy new! Buy second-hand, repurpose sauce jars, clothing swap, or consider fixing something before replacing it! . GIVErs nationwide are rallying behind this week to amplify sustainability, you down to do the same? . #givevolunteers #sustainableliving #sustainabilitychallenge #gogreen #zerowastechallenge #responsibletraveler #bethechange #volunteerabroad https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv6-4ANAowu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nz3b2s7pyfqz
Lauren shares the success of our team’s latest sustainability challenge.
The Frontier Project just completed a team-wide sustainability challenge: foregoing disposable bags (both paper and plastic) any time we shopped and opting instead for reusable bags (or no bag at all). For the last six weeks, we kept track of our progress by adding a “leaf” to our Reusable Bag Challenge tree for each disposable bag saved.
The grand total? 343 bags that won’t end up in landfills or oceans! It’s a very promising start—if we keep this up all year, it will amount to nearly 3,000 bags saved, a total of about 45 pounds, and the fuel equivalent of about 250 miles of driving. That’s quite an impact for something that requires little effort, investment, or lifestyle change!
Switching over to reusables is a habit that most of us are still working to develop and maintain, but it’s definitely within reach. This small shift can make a huge positive impact, and it’s so rewarding and empowering to do the little things we can individually to help protect our environment.
Here are a few eye-opening facts that break down just how beneficial reusable bags are for the environment*
The average reusable bag has a lifespan equal to that of more than 700 disposable plastic bags.
The average American goes through six shopping bags per week. With a population of roughly 300 million, that means 1.8 billion bags are used and discarded in America every week. Yikes!
It takes 12 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bags that the U.S. uses every year.
An estimated one million birds, 100,000 turtles, and countless other sea animals die each year from ingesting discarded plastic.
The U.S. cuts down 14 million trees a year to supply the raw material to make paper shopping bags.
It takes 13% more energy to make a single paper bag than to make two plastic bags.
Paper bags aren’t necessarily a better choice for the environment. They create more than twice as much atmospheric waste as plastic bags.
*Source: reusethisbag.com
Before beginning this challenge, if I forgot to bring my reusable bags to the store I assuaged my guilt by using paper bags rather than plastic. I felt like they were a relatively harmless choice since they’re recyclable—it never really dawned on me just how many resources go into producing them or the impact of the toxins used to make them. But the statistics are sobering. Now, after being diligent for 6 weeks, I’ve developed the new habit of always bringing my trusty reusable bags along for the ride on shopping trips.
Frontier even provided our team with small reusable produce bags—the kind you use to hold individual produce items while shopping—which saved a LOT of little plastic bags from carrying apples and lettuce for approximately 20 minutes before being discarded and heading for the landfill. These netted cotton bags are washable, sustainable, and a fun talking point with fellow shoppers. Plus, now my kitchen trash doesn’t nearly fill up after a shopping trip.
Here’s what a few fellow teammates had to say about their experiences with the challenge:
Kevin: “For me, it highlighted how easy it was to make a small change in my daily routine as long as I was being mindful about it. In fact, using the bags was the easy part. The harder part was making the behavioral shift to always grab reusable bags when going shopping. I can't even count how many reusable bags I have stashed away and didn't routinely use until I made a concerted effort to be mindful about it. That made all the difference in the world, and now it's become second nature to grab a few bags out of the closet before we head to the grocery store. Having the extra reminder of the tree helped too. It's funny how something so simple as getting to put green dots on a tree made me think of grabbing the bags before I left the house.”
Brigid: “During this past month's sustainability challenge, I was able to finally make a habit of using reusable bags. I got into the groove of putting them on a hook near the door when I was done and that made all the difference. It also dawned on me that I should be bringing these bags to more places than just the grocery store. Target, CVS, Home Depot? These were all fair game, and I wouldn't have realized that without the incentive of this challenge. I also loved the visual impact of the tree and how that made me feel connected and supported by my teammates. Overall, A++!”
Ryann: “I learned that I almost always remember my bags once I'm already inside the store, which is frustrating. And also that I can carry a lot in my purse if I need to. I loved this challenge because it made bags so much more top of mind than usual and it helped me hold myself accountable to going back out to the car to grab my reusables even when it was annoying and inefficient.”
Katie: “This simple challenge of putting green dots on a tree led me to learn so much more about my family’s reliance on plastic bags. Where we landed: I didn’t use plastic bags all month! We bought some compostable puppy pick up bags– and though they aren’t ideal– are smaller and we are hopeful they do decompose. My husband used the reusable bags as often as he could, but if we needed a plastic bag or two he did grab one. All in all we reduced, definitely reused, and we did as much as we could to refuse the offering of plastic bags– which is all around us.”
Katherine: “The challenge was a great motivator to cut down on bags at the farmer’s market, where the delightfully accommodating vendors are always offering to bag up produce in plastic bags. I was able to save quite a few bags -- and add a nice number of leaves to our tree -- by refusing each of their offers. It felt good to come home from the market with only fresh produce tucked snugly into my cloth bags. Without the challenge, I may have gotten a little lazy about that.”
It’s inspiring to see how our bag challenge’s final numbers show our progress. We’re dedicated to making sure this reusable bag habit is the new normal—and to extending our efforts even farther with a new sustainability challenge in the fall (stay tuned for that announcement!). We urge you to challenge yourself to develop new green habits with us! Mother Earth (and all her creatures) will thank you.
So this week’s challenge is super easy, although it might be more difficult in a social sense.
Every day this week I am taking my own mug when I go to get a coffee. This may not sound like much but it means that you’re not having to throw away a coffee cup/lid every time you go to get a coffee!
Now for me this is simple since I work in an office building with a cafe on the ground floor and the baristas know who I am.
It might be a challenge for some one who goes to a local coffee shop that is super busy or you don’t have a relationship with the barista at all. It just means you have to have a conversation about why you’re bringing your own cup and it may even encourage others around you to do the same! Really I doubt anyone will even mention it if you shove your mug into their hands. They will presume you’re trying to do a good thing!
My goal is to remember my mug every day, and turn this into a habit instead of a novelty (which is my aim for ALL of the challenges in the Sustainability Challenge!) which in turn will help the environment, if only the tiniest bit.
BACKUP: If you forget one day to take your own cup, have a look at the ideas in the link below!
