New Barbie honors Jane Goodall and champions sustainability

When the first Barbie doll emerged on the world stage in 1959, the most common careers for educated women were nurse, teacher or secretary. But Barbie never let anything – even an unrealistic hourglass figure – hold her back. She became an astronaut in 1965, four years before Americans landed on the moon. Now, the pinkish doll is going green. Her 2022 incarnation boasts four new career choices: chief sustainability officer, conservation scientist, renewable energy engineer and environmental advocate. And, coinciding with World Chimpanzee Day on July 14, the new doll honors conservation hero Dr. Jane Goodall.

Jane Goodall and Barbie

Jane Goodall is famous for her work with wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. In 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute formed to further understand and protect chimpanzees and other apes. Goodall also has a history of being responsive to kids. She founded the Roots and Shoots program in 1991, inspired by local kids in Tanzania who shared their ideas and concerns about the future of the planet with her. So her partnership with a leading toy company is a good fit.

Related: Mattel reveals new Barbie made from recycled ocean-bound plastic

“My entire career, I’ve wanted to help inspire kids to be curious and explore the world around them – just like I did when I first traveled to Tanzania 62 years ago. I’m thrilled to partner with Barbie and encourage young children to learn from their environment and feel a sense that they can make a difference,” said Goodall in a press release. “Through this partnership, I hope to inspire the next generation of eco-leaders to join me in protecting our planet and remind them they can be anything, anywhere – on the field, in the lab, and at the table.”

The Dr. Jane Goodall Barbie release is timed to coincide with both World Chimpanzee Day and the 62-year anniversary of Goodall’s first trip to the forest of Gombe National Park in Tanzania where she did so much of her work. As for the doll, it comes with a pair of binoculars and a little chimp figurine. This Barbie is the latest in Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series. The series pays tribute to influential women in various fields, including Ida B. Wells, Maya Angelou, Billie Jean King and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Barbie’s career history

The original Barbie, released in March of 1959, wasn’t terribly career-minded. She wore a black and white striped bathing suit and was the first mass-produced toy doll in the U.S. to look like a woman rather than a girl. Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, came up with the idea and realized little kids liked to imagine the future. The doll let them act out scenarios about what they’d like to do when they grew up.

Handler modeled the adult-looking doll after Bild Lilli, a sexy German doll popular with men as a gag gift. Mattel then bought the rights to the German doll, as the canny Handler recognized the appeal to little girls dreaming of being grown up and glamorous.

While the doll retained her buxom bust, tiny waist and long legs, she soon wanted more from life than a swimsuit, pouty red lips and blue eyeshadow. So she became a career woman. Her 200+ jobs over the years have included a paratrooper (2000), UNICEF ambassador (1989), paleontologist (1996), guest editor of an international fashion magazine (1965), rapper (1992), chicken farmer (2019) and a noodle bar worker (2020). Her jobs generally come with props, such as flashcards and a Spanish quiz for Spanish Teacher Barbie, or a lifeguard chair, life preserver and dolphin for Lifeguard Barbie. She’s been getting more and more into the STEM field since around 2010.

Barbie’s new environmental careers

The new careers that accompany the Goodall doll come with job descriptions. Kids will learn that, for example, “A Chief Sustainability Officer works with a company or organization to make sure their actions and products are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. They also help plan and implement sustainability strategies that include helping a company reduce its environmental impact and developing product that solve problems affecting the planet.”

Renewable Energy Engineer Barbie “supports the use of sustainable forms of energy such as solar power, wind, geothermal or hydroelectric energy. They research ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels and improve energy access by designing machines that generate and distribute renewable sources.”

Personally, I think Environmental Advocate Barbie, who “takes creative action to solve environmental problems in their community and around the world,” presents the best opportunities for dynamic storylines.

“Kids need more role models like Dr. Jane Goodall, because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning – seeing it makes all the difference,” said Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls, Mattel, in a press statement. “We hope that this collection and homage to a groundbreaking pioneer for women in science and conservation inspires kids to learn more about green careers, how they can protect the planet, and act out sustainable stories through doll play.”

Outside opinion

The new careers are a nice idea but sound a little high-level to me. As kids, my sisters and I enjoyed hurling Barbie headfirst into the bathtub, which we called High Dive Barbie. Not having reproduced, I asked some of my Facebook friends who are parents whether they thought kids will really focus on the sustainable career aspect of the new dolls.

“It sounds like a marketing concept strictly to capture a new market of parents,” said Kate Sanderson Holly. “It will not change how the dolls are played with at all. They will still have their hair chopped off, sharpie on their face and diving contests.” Another Facebook friend said that her grown daughter, now an engineer, appreciated Barbie and Bratz for cute clothes and pink cars. Of course, there may be outliers who use their dolls to construct windmills or install solar panels.

Eco plastic

By now you might be asking yourself: if Barbie is a chief sustainability officer, how can she be, well, plastic? Is she a hypocrite? No, she’s not. In keeping with Mattel’s goal of using 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in all products and packaging by 2030, the new Barbie is certified CarbonNeutral and made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. To achieve the certification, Mattel bought carbon offsets from the Ghana Community Reforestation, Mississippi Valley Reforestation and Australia Native Forest Restoration projects. According to the press release, “Doll plastic parts made from 90% plastic sourced within 50 km of waterways in areas lacking formal waste collection systems.” Doll head, hair, shoes, tablet and beach lantern accessory excluded. Way to go, Barbie!

Via History

Images via Jane Goodall Institute and Mattel

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Production ramps up for fruit waste leather alternatives

Creating new materials can be a tiresome process involving a ton of research and testing. Then, finding new options in a world full of animal and petroleum products require innovation and the right technology. Polybion has both. As a result, it produces consumer materials that respect nature at every stage.

Polybion is a materials development company with a focus on biotextiles. Recently, the company announced that its bacterial cellulose facility — the world’s first — is scaling up production. With financial backing from Blue Horizon, the facility is capable of producing 1.1 million square feet per year of the company’s proprietary biotextile Celium.

Related: Furniture made from recycled waste for a circular design

The facility is also powered by solar, carbon neutral and ready to scale production for leather and other uses. Made from commercial fruit waste, the material looks like leather but doesn’t contain any animal products. In addition, the material provides green alternatives for the clothing and automotive industries.

“Scaling the production of Celium, a sustainable alternative to animal-based textiles and petroleum-derived synthetics, is a huge step on Polybion’s mission to bring performance and possibility to 21st-century designers and materials engineers,” said Axel Gómez-Ortigoza, co-founder and chief executive officer of the company. “We are excited to partner with Blue Horizon, as we share a common vision on accelerating sustainability and the circular economy. In addition, having Blue Horizon as a partner allows us to scale new initiatives to build our brand and network.”

Polybion’s goal is to continue creating green materials that serve the needs of consumers. They intend to reduce pollution, waste and the use of synthetic materials, too. Bacteria biology and the use of cellulose, as well as other natural materials, help the company achieve its goal. The facility further aids Polybion by converting waste into products under one roof to eliminate extra production resources.

Overall, Blue Horizon principal Tanmay Annachhatre said, “We are happy to partner with Polybion and join Alexis, Axel, and the rest of this great team on their journey to create new and fully sustainable materials. Consumers, brands, and manufacturers are all seeking novel, sustainable materials. Few other companies have moved as quickly as Polybion™ to scale production of a completely circular material.”

+ Polybion 

Images via Polybion

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Are offshore oil rigs successful artificial reefs?

You’ve probably seen hulking offshore oil rigs in places like the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. But from the shore, it’s hard to see how truly ginormous some of these oil platforms are. As much of the world moves toward green energy, more oil rigs are decommissioned — which means a huge removal process with many of the behemoths winding up in landfills. But some marine experts suggest we should leave at least part of the rigs where they stand. Many fish and other sea creatures have taken a liking to oil rigs, adopting them as artificial reefs. There are both pros and cons to this idea.

How many rigs are there?

It’s hard to get a handle on how many offshore rigs there are, as figures vary widely. They range up to about 12,000 offshore oil and gas platforms worldwide, according to the BBC. Not all of those are active. Some are fixed, others floating.

Related: Artificial coral reefs help marine life and biodiversity

The biggest is the Berkut oil rig near the island of Sakhalin, north of Japan and east of the Russian mainland. Berkut weighs about 220,000 tons and was a beast to get into place. Perdido, in the Gulf of Mexico, is the world’s second-biggest oil and gas platform. It took 12,500 experts to create this thing, which has a hull as tall as the Eiffel tower.

Rigs as reefs

All over the world, fish, barnacles and other denizens of the deep have embraced these unsightly oil structures. “We also see many more porpoises around oil rigs than in the surrounding sea,” said senior researcher Jonas Teilmann from Aarhus University, as reported by JStor Daily. “It’s easy to understand why the porpoises enjoy the area. One can’t throw a fish hook without catching one of the many cod around the legs of the oil rig.”

Ever since the 1940s, oil companies have been planting equipment in oceans and fish have been making it their own. These platform ecosystems can become almost as complex as those around real reefs. Stuff that kills off naturally occurring coral reefs — poor water quality, climate change, pollution, overfishing, coastal development — doesn’t faze oil infrastructure. Plus, rigs serve as safe nurseries for juveniles. Off the southern California coast, rigs are responsible for extremely productive fisheries.

The Gulf of Mexico has more than 500 decommissioned oil rigs that serve as faux reefs. But California is still up in the air about it. The state passed a rigs-to-reef bill in 2010. Under this policy, companies could technically leave at least some of the oil structures in place to provide fish habitats, a practice called “reefing.” The state currently has 27 platforms offshore, ranging from thirty to over sixty years old. But reefing is still so controversial that the state hasn’t yet implemented the rigs-to-reefs idea.

Decommissioning oil rigs

Decommissioning platforms usually involve removing the structure and capping wells in the seafloor. Explosives and divers with very strong saws are necessary to detach the structure from its base. Some of the materials can be recycled but most end up in landfills, as do the attached sea life.

“The smell was beyond anything,” recalled a witness when one of these structures was removed from off the California coast in the 1990s, as reported in Hakai Magazine. “You gotta bury it quick.” As for completely removing the 27 California oil platforms, it could cost a billion dollars or more.

Partial removal is another option. This would mean removing about 85 feet of a platform. This then leaves most of the faux reef intact. But some experts want the entire platform to remain, so that sea lions can rest and nest, and mussels and other clingy types can remain attached. Leaving them intact also makes them easier for passing ships to spot, helping to avoid a Titanic-type mishap.

Pros of leaving oil rigs in the ocean

Humans have already messed up the oceans and stressed marine animals with pollution, overfishing and habitat encroachment. If the fish have made themselves at home in the rigs, maybe we should leave the rigs and the sea critters alone.  The other major benefit of leaving the rigs where they are is avoiding the carbon-intensive process of dismantling these giant things. And we might need new landfills to be able to fit this amount of waste.

Or are rigs just trash?

Critics of the rigs-to-reef idea also have valid points. Will oil corporations use it as an excuse to legally dump their industrial trash in the sea? Will creating reefs where there weren’t any before attract invasive species that will change the ecosystem?

There’s also the issue of who will be responsible for maintenance. Five states that border the Gulf of Mexico — Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — participate in the National Artificial Reef Plan. Since 1984, more than 500 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have been reefed. In Texas, platform operators contribute half of their estimated dollars saved to the reef program. The platform’s title and liability are then transferred to the state. But will there be unforeseen complications, with the state being left on the hook for mega dollars? Also, not all rigs make good reefs. Between 1984 and 2016, companies reefed only about 11% of their decommissioned Gulf platforms. The rest were dismantled and towed back to land.

Public perception is a big stumbling block. Lots of people feel that, on principle, giant corporations should be responsible for restoring the sea floor as much as possible to its pre-rig conditions.

Minimizing harm

The biggest reason to leave the rigs alone is to not kill their residents. Hundreds of millions of tiny little sea creatures depend on the faux reefs, including lots of them that are living on the steel legs of rigs. As Milton Love, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara told Hakai Magazine, “If you remove the platform, you’re killing them all. I just don’t think that’s moral. Why are you killing them because they had the misfortune of landing on a piece of steel rather than a rock?”

Via Marine Insight, Hakai Magazine, JStor Daily and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Images via Pexels and Pixabay

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Reusable Notabag Tote is made from recycled bottles

Notabag Tote joins the ranks of Notabag products, made from lightweight recycled plastic and compact enough to store in your car, backpack or purse. 

Never be without a bag for toting groceries, clothing, craft supplies or anything else you find a need for. Notabag Totes fold down into themselves, measuring a small 14 by 11 centimeters. When unpacked, the tote measures 39 centimeters in width and 32.5 centimeters in height without the handles. Furthermore, endless reusability means little waste compared to the alternative of single-use plastic and paper shopping bags. 

Related: How to help plastic pollution with Junes sustainable totes

Specifically, the Notabag Tote is made from post-consumer plastic bottles. Each bag diverts 10 plastic bottles from the landfill. The resulting material is strong and water-resistant, yet lightweight and flexible enough to stuff anywhere. 

The Notabag Tote is the younger sibling to the previously released Notabag Original, which is a combination bag and backpack created with the needs of bike commuters in mind. It also folds down into its own pocket for storage, and unfolds to provide a shopping bag you can throw over your shoulders for the ride home. The company also offers a Notabag Duffle for use as a weekender, gym or overnight bag. 

A close relationship with the production facility means the same hands have been making Notabag products since 2016. And they have gotten to know the product so they can employ maximum efficiency and cut-off waste reduction. All bags are produced in small, family-owned factories in China. Additionally, Notabag Founder Adnan visits the factories to ensure workers are treated fairly.

“The production team there ensures ethical working conditions with a living wage, fair working hours, holidays and nutritious meals,” reported Notabag. “They also look at the female-male ratio, applying corrective discrimination and intentionally making management opportunities available to women.”

Lastly, Notabag is a proud participant in 1% for the Planet, an organization working to protect the environment. 

+ Notabag

Images via Notabag 

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New sustainable manufacturing plant sets building standard

SOPREMA’s new waterproofing and sealant plant in Woodstock, Ontario, sets a new standard for sustainable manufacturing with its architecture, interior design, landscaping and engineering. By setting this standard, the plant provides an eco-conscious way of producing goods. Lemay, an architecture and design firm, created the facilities as well as a new benchmark for green building leadership in carbon and cost savings.

The project for SOPREMA was carried out using Lemay’s award-winning Net Positive framework. The framework acted as a guide on how to create a LEED-certified facility that focuses on employee health and wellness. Making sustainability a core element of its conception, the SOPREMA plant then partook in a lifecycle assessment. Such measures gaged the plant’s capabilities over the next 60 operating years.

Related: A redesign helps an Enel power plant transition away from coal

The Net Positive analysis considered every detail such as positive community impact and the wellness of the surrounding environment.

Lemay preferred local and recycled materials for building. Also, 80% of the site’s construction waste went to recycling. The plant uses 40% less water than typical facilities and avoids 505 tons of CO2 emissions.

As a result, the plant’s carbon footprint is 12% lower and has 11% less impact on the environment than other plants. This may not sound like a lot, but that carbon emissions reduction alone is equal to taking 153 cars off the roads. In addition, the plant achieved a LEED v4 certification from the Canada Green Building Council.

Rest areas and places for workers and visitors are located throughout the site, which is over 100,000 square feet (10,000 square meters). Natural light and outdoor views reach far inside through the use of floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed office space. Lemay then retained green space outdoors with plenty of trees, a pond to control stormwater and a quad with green hybrid roof gardens.

“This plant is not only one of the few industrial projects to have obtained the prestigious LEED v4 certification in Canada, but it also demonstrates that it is possible to create comfortable, sustainable, and inspiring industrial work environments,” says Loïc Angot, Associate and Sustainability Practice Leader at Lemay.

To learn more about Lemay’s Net Positive approach to green building, you can visit their website below.

+ Lemay

Images by David Boyer

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Sip, sip on these yummy and sustainable brews and booze

Beer and spirits are just a part of life for many people. A glass of wine after dinner, a beer after work, a drink to take the edge off every now and then. But most people don’t know how much environmental damage traditional brewing processes can wreak. Try some eco-friendly brews and booze and find out how easy it is to quench your thirst while doing just a little bit more to improve the health of the planet.

Greenbar Distillery

Based in Los Angeles, Greenbar Distillery is a carbon-negative alcohol brand. For every bottle sold, a tree is planted. The distillery sells organic spirit blends, such as Grand Poppy Amaro, Tru Garden Vodka and Slow Hand Six Woods Whiskey.

Related: New winery in France is serving sustainable alcohol

Dog Point Vineyards

Dog Point Vineyards in New Zealand does double duty as a preserve for native plants. All the grapes are organically grown, harvested by hand and then transformed into delicious wine. The vineyard is known for its Sauvignon blanc, if you’re looking to try a taste of this vineyard.

Reyka Vodka

Reyka Vodka harnesses the power of the Earth itself. Their vodka is distilled through geothermal heating methods using hot springs. It’s made from spring water and then filtered through volcanic rocks. That is some pretty Earth-friendly drinking.

New Belgium Brewing

On the other hand, New Belgium Brewing has been making Earth-friendly spirits since it was established in 1991. The distillery diverts 99.9% of waste from landfills and the brewery itself is powered by solar and wind. The minds behind the brewery have also established a fund to donate millions of dollars to environmental causes. That means every purchase goes to help the future of the planet.

Flor de Cana

Flor de Cana hits all the talking points. Not only is their rum Fair Trade Certified, it’s also made with 100% renewable energy and it’s even got a carbon neutral certification. The distillery has been in the spirits game for over 130 years and for over 100 years, providing free education to all employees. Since 1958, medical care for all employees has been covered by the company.

Hopworks Urban Brewery

Hopworks Urban Brewery uses less than 3.5 gallons of water for every gallon of beer they make, which is about half the industry standard. The company also launched a plastic bag recycling program. Try the Beestly Organic Honey Porter made with all-organic malts, hops and clover honey.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has 10,000 solar panels on the property, enough to cover three football fields. They also have a heat and steam recovery system. The production facility is LEED Platinum Certified, which is as good as it gets for green construction. Both breweries operated by this company are designed to capture carbon dioxide created during fermentation and use it for production and packaging purposes. Even rainwater is collected on-site and reused to flush the toilets. Electric vehicle charging stations are standard in the parking lots and all food waste is composted and used for fields of barley and hops.

Worthy Brewing

Worthy Brewing uses solar panels to provide some of its electricity and re-purposes used grain as cattle feed. Every purchase made also supports Operation Appleseed. This campaign’s purpose is to plant one million trees in Oregon. So the more beer you drink, the more you’re helping out.

Ninkasi Brewing

Ninkasi Brewing is covering several eco-friendly angles through its brewing practices. The company saves and reuses as much water as possible. All paper products are recycled and spent grain is given to farmers to use as cattle feed.

Odell Brewing

Odell Brewing is also committed to reducing its carbon footprint. The brewery is reducing CO2 emissions and is completely wind-powered.

Honorable mentions

These breweries will soon be joined by many more that are focusing on more Earth-friendly business practices. Anheuser-Busch, the company behind Budweiser, plans to be using 100% renewable energy by 2025. Its example could inspire many other national breweries to do the same.

Additionally, several companies are focused on another aspect of the beer and spirits industry: packaging. E6PR makes biodegradable six-pack rings, a real game-changer in the beverage market and waste pollution. PakTech, an Oregon company, creates packaging using 100% recycled hard plastic. Meanwhile, Guinness will release all products brewed at their Baltimore facility in compostable, biodegradable carriers.

More and more companies are taking steps to become eco-friendly and better for the health of the planet overall. So the next time you’re going to pick out a beer or something to sip on after a tough day, consider an eco-friendly brewery that’s doing its part to better the planet.

Images via Pexels

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Innovative washing kit for reusable period pads reduce water

The Looop Can is a portable, compact and inexpensive washing kit for reusable menstruation pads. It’s a solution for areas with limited-water, lack of period product availability or for those looking to lower their menstruation waste. Designed by design student Cheuk Laam Wong, Looop earned the Gold Prize Design Educates Award 2022 in the product design category.

Innovations in menstruation products are slow to hit the market, creating few options for the large population that menstruates at some point in their lives. This limitation puts particular stress on refugee women, who are forced to choose between necessities like food and baby supplies or period products. Digging into the daily life of refugees and the challenges they face in camps inspired Wong to invent the Looop Can system. 

Related: 5 eco-friendly menstrual products that also protect women’s health

Think of it as a mini manual washing machine. Simply place used fabric pads inside the interior compartment. Manually drive the agitator so the small amount of added water and baking soda can clean the pad. Then hang the pad to dry. 

The canisters are made from recycled steel cans and other components are made from recycled polypropylene. Wong estimates the entire setup costs around £3, or around $3.50 USD. It’s an affordable, long-lasting option with an expected five-year lifespan. 

Although Looop can be used by any woman, the primary focus is to get them into the hands of marginalized women in crisis situations. Because camps offer little to no privacy and options for sanitation, it can lead to infections. The pad is made to be discreet while in use and when hanging next to other communal laundry. Pads are made of a natural material for reduced risk of skin allergies. The quick-drying bamboo layers dry in hours and are ready for reuse. They can easily be made by volunteers and distributed within the camp or could be a source of income for refugees able to make them. 

+ Waveee Design 

Images via Cheuk Laam Wong, Rubymaky, Rose Wei and Larry Turner

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Sporty Polestar 2 EV comes with a whopping 476 horsepower

Polestar 2 is a new EV from automaker Polestar that offers 270 miles of range for just over $40,000 after federal tax credit. What’s incredible about these otherwise daily driver looking electric cars is that this comes with 476 horsepower. That’s almost in Corvette territory.

The Polestar 2 is packed with cool features you’ll love. The LED headlights have a cornering function to follow your directional path on the road. Additionally, the Polestar 2 comes with a panoramic roof and 20-inch forged alloy wheels. They give it an upscale appearance quite different from many of the first-gen electric cars with tiny or low-rolling resistance tires that appear plastic by comparison. Moreover, frameless mirrors complete the sleek exterior look.

Related: Solar electric catamaran has AI tech for zero emissions

So what’s different from the original Polestar? First off, it has four doors and a different profile. Brighter lighting complements crisper lines in the exterior body. The new car has smart door handles, a foot-operated tailgate, Harman Kardon premium sound system and sustainable WeaveTech vegan upholstery. You can even get upmarket Brembo brakes with the long-range version.

To start, the Polestar 1 is a performance hybrid two-door sports coupe, with only 1,500 made worldwide. The Polestar 1 has napa leather upholstery, an Orrefors crystal gear shift, a digital access key and unique orange wiring in the trunk that provided access to the rear-wheel motors. It’s a GT driver’s car that’s totally unique to the marketplace.

In contrast, the Polestar 2 is a daily driver that’s all-electric, with a square rear that sets it apart from other similar vehicles but a more standard shape and design. A large digital screen similar to a Tesla’s control panel sits on the center console, providing access to maps, phone and other functions. The wood in the interior of the Polestar 2 is reconstructed and recycled to go with the vegan upholstery. The car even has collision avoidance, air quality and weather reports and up to 270 miles on a single charge.

Get this: the Polestar 2 can also tow up to 2,000 pounds. That’s not a stat we see automakers bragging about much with EVs given their marginal range so far. The Polestar 2 can still accelerate from zero to 60 miles-per-hour in 4.2 seconds, which is sportscar territory. The performance pack actually improves the performance of the powertrain with a software download to alter configurations of the motor output. The long-range motor and higher performance will set you back $51,900, but the range is about the same as the shorter-range version. It’s the performance that changes.

Furthermore, the lower-end Polestar 2 has a completely adequate 231 horsepower and zero to 60 time of a somewhat slow seven seconds. Polestar even tracks its cars’ carbon footprints from cradle to grave.

Polestar just announced they will start delivering EVs to Hertz as rental vehicles, which will replace 65,000 gasoline cars with EVs over the next five years. Hertz is also expected to use Polestar’s electric SUV called the Polestar 3. The cars are available to rent in Europe this spring and in the U.S. and Australia by late 2022.

+ Polestar

Images via Polestar

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Prefabricated building in Amsterdam is made entirely of wood

This building in Amsterdam might be easy to drive past. It’s a simple and elegant design with lots of windows but doesn’t look all that spectacular. Take another look because actually this is a marvel of sustainable design and ambition.

The Nautical Coordination Centre designed by WRK Architects in Amsterdam is made entirely out of wood. The walls, the roofs, the floors… Everything was created with a product from Metsa Wood, an engineered Kerto LVL wood.

Related: Take a look at Toronto’s first net-zero community center

When you walk inside, you’re greeted with an open working environment with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide natural lighting and overlooks a river. Belgian timber manufacturer Dupac prefabricated all the building elements and delivered them ready to assemble. It’s all Kerto LVL wood, a highly sustainable material that is incredibly strong and lightweight. The walls do not need to be thick to be supportive. Glued joints hold it all together. The wood is built on top of a concrete foundation and reinforced with steel.

Moreover, sustainable construction is just the beginning. The building was also designed for minimal energy consumption. There are solar panels on the roof that provide for all the building’s energy needs. Meanwhile, a closed ground heat pump provides more energy.

Additionally, greywater circuits were integrated into the design. Rainwater is collected in a tank underground, water that is reused for flushing toilets and watering the plants on the roof terrace.

Down to every detail, this building was made for sustainability and it was made to exist without taking away from nature. It provides all its own energy with a circular design where water is recycled and reused. This is a beautiful example of how humans can lie without harming the planet, something that is becoming more important by the day. So take another look at this building in Amsterdam. Hopefully, designers and manufacturers all over the world will be taking a pretty close look at it, too.

+ WRK Architects

Images via Metsä Wood

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Rustic Elements soaps clean you with natural ingredients

Rustic Elements is a start-up story that involves carefully-selected, limited and natural ingredients, a commitment to handmade attention and products that are nourishing for you as well as the environment. 

Since deciding to delve into soap making as a hobby and gifting option in 2021, the brand has blossomed, now offering body soaps and a newly-released soap and sugar scrub gift set. Now available on Amazon and the company website, the Rustic Elements soap and sugar scrub gift set includes three wash bars, a sugar scrub, a loofah and a soap dish, each meticulously developed with natural materials in mind. The set is priced at less than $40 with free delivery for Prime members. 

Related: All-natural soap is a perfect solution for your dirty pets

All Rustic Elements products are vegan and avoid animal testing. The loofah is grown on a Texas farm. Meanwhile, the soap dish is made from recycled wood out of Oregon. Lastly, the body scrub relies on Fair Trade sugar. 

Additionally, the original soaps are also cruelty-free, chemical-free products made in the USA. Each recipe includes a handful of carefully-selected ingredients in order to offer optimal moisturizing cleansing without harmful parabens, phthalates, sulfates, chemicals and preservatives. They also avoid all chemicals, preservatives and artificial scents. 

“We saw a need in the market for minimalist products that contain only the fewest natural ingredients we could make them with,” said Cofounder Tom Price. “We are proud to offer our customers a line of products that are simply made and healthy instead of products packed with chemicals.”

Price explained the process began when he and his fiancé were looking for a winter hobby. Without any prior understanding of soap-making, they created a batch of Original Lavender with a few basic supplies and even fewer ingredients. After discovering the toxins most companies were adding to their products, the duo dedicated themselves to a minimalist body care line, and Rustic Elements was born. 

In addition to the soap and sugar scrub gift box, the company offers soap scents that currently include Invigorating Orange and Hibiscus, Radiant Rose, Cleansing Charcoal and Original Lavender.  

+ Rustic Elements

Images via Rustic Elements

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Removing one plastic a day will make for a greener future

Humans consume one million plastic bottles every minute, 91% of which are not recycled. Approximately 32% of these end up in the ocean. The primary cause of pollution is single-use plastic waste. Every single piece of plastic that has ever existed is still in existence. This is because though plastics do break down over time, they decompose into finer microplastic particles. These microplastics infiltrate all sorts of ecosystems and negatively impact the health and reproduction of the living organisms in them.

By minimizing our use of single-use plastics, we can prevent litter from cluttering ecosystems that would otherwise be flourishing. Though several ongoing projects are trying to tackle this, one such initiative is One Piece a Day (OPAD) based in Toronto, Canada.

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OPAD seeks to raise awareness about the harmful effects of litter, and specifically plastic pollution, in nature. The initiative is based on the concept that if everyone on the planet picks up (at least) one piece of litter every day, the planet could be a cleaner, greener place. This in turn would have positive impacts on the fight against climate change and would prevent further environmental degradation worldwide. The project is centered around an app that is used to track every piece of litter picked up by app users.

How OPAD began

The initiative came to life when Founder Dmytriy Pereklita vacationed at the Maya Riviera in Mexico. He was shocked by the substantial amount of litter that covered the coastline. In vain, he tried to fill a few large trash bags with waste, but realized he had barely made an impact on the extremely polluted beach. In this state of frustration, Pereklita came up with the idea for OPAD. After a few years of unsuccessfully trying to put together the app and balance his work as an architect, he finally began to work on the initiative full-time. He hired a team and together they set up OPAD and launched the app in June 2017.

Alongside the app launch five years ago, OPAD began to work with schools and universities. By engaging with students and raising awareness about environmental degradation caused by pollution, the organization encourages the younger generation to take small action steps to a greener planet. The students also brainstorm creative solutions with the OPAD team and inspire one another to adopt daily habits for an eco-friendly lifestyle.

In addition to working with students, OPAD sets up cleanup events in urban and suburban ecosystems with local communities. One of their most notable events took place in 2019, when the team organized an 800-person cleanup of the Don River ravine in Ontario. During the event, participants picked up over 160,000 pieces of litter.

OPAD’s growth in recent years

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has also had an impact on environmental degradation and pollution. As of 2020, disposable face masks have become a new threat to environmental well-being. Because of their polypropylene liners, they can take up to 450 years to decompose. Despite the pandemic’s exacerbation of pollution, in December 2020, the OPAD team hit a huge milestone. A total of one million pieces of pollution had been picked up by the OPAD app users.

Over the past five years, the team has been able to build the user base to several thousand individuals. OPAD has also been endorsed by various climate activists and organizations. These include the David Suzuki Foundation in 2017 and Sir David Attenborough in 2019. Alongside their worldwide recognition, the team has partnered with several environmental conservation organizations over the years.

One of the newest features that the OPAD team added to the app is an e-commerce section that encourages swaps from single-use products to eco-friendly alternatives. These include items such as bamboo toothbrushes, reusable tumblers and water bottles. The app also includes swaps for items that traditionally use plastic packaging, such as beauty products. Instead, users are encouraged to opt for low-waste or recyclable packaging options such as shampoo bars and toothpaste jars.

Looking to the future

As of June 2022, the app tracked over two million pieces of waste picked up worldwide. The newest version of the app also allows for more flexibility with how individuals log the litter they collect. Users can now log by piece, weight, blue (recycling) bag or black (waste) bag.

In the coming years, OPAD has more milestones they would like to hit. In fact, by 2025, the OPAD team would like to have a worldwide userbase of one million users on their app that collect litter each day. This would have an incredible impact on urban and suburban ecosystems across the globe. Through their varied initiatives, OPAD has expanded their realm beyond a litter-tracking app and grown to become an international community that encourages sustainable practices through education and corporate partnerships.

+ One Piece a Day

Images via One Piece a Day

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