Here’s the Waste Robotics Market News including the 10 key news of this week in waste and recycling industries.
‘Free’ supermarket opens in Melbourne to cut food waste
July 8th 2018 – Food wastage in Australia may be a multi-billion dollar a year problem, but one not-for-profit grocery store in Melbourne’s inner north is doing its bit to prevent produce from going to landfill. The Inconvenience Store, located in Thornbury, is the latest incarnation from the team behind the not-for-profit restaurant Lentil As Anything. Just like the restaurant, the Inconvenience Store is stocked with donated produce that would otherwise be thrown away. “The idea was to make a difference in the food waste crisis,” project coordinator Astrid Ryan said.
Researchers race to make bioplastics from straw and food waste
July 5th 2018 – New bioplastics are being made in laboratories from straw, wood chips and food waste, with researchers aiming to replace oil as the source of the world’s plastic. The new approaches include genetically modifying bacteria to eat wood and produce useful chemicals. But the bioplastics are currently significantly more expensive to make than fossil fuel-based plastics. Land and seas around the world, from high mountains to deep oceans, have become polluted with plastic, prompting major public concern. The world has produced 8bn tonnes of plastic since the 1950s and demand is still rising.
This Shirt is Made from Food Waste
July 8th, 2018 – Circular Systems’ innovative technology promises to transform food waste fibers into wearable fabric. The fashion industry is said to be the second most polluting industry on Earth after oil and gas. It requires enormous quantities of resources, including water, land, and fossil fuels, to make fabric. The production process is often harmful to the environment, relying on harsh chemical dyes and finishes. Fortunately, more people are becoming aware of these problems, thanks to eye-opening documentaries like “The True Cost,” sustainable fashion advocates like actress Emma Watson and activist Livia Firth, and high-profile reports like the one recently published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Headlines warning of plastic microfibre pollution have helped to push the issue into the spotlight, and there is growing backlash against ‘disposable’ fast fashion.
Bill Would Send Food Waste To Food Pantries/Soup Kitchens
July 7th, 2018 – A bill sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk could help help feed hungry residents and reduce waste in Illinois. SB2606, which was introduced by state Sen. John Curran, R-Woodridge, would require state agencies to devise a plan by Dec. 31 on how to handle food donations by identifying food pantries, soup kitchens and other organizations in their area that accept food donations. “With a lot of (state) facilities – hospitals, correction facilities – it can be difficult to estimate how many people are going to be in that facility in one day because it is a very fluctuating population,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “So, that’s where providing these options to make sure the food doesn’t go uneaten is really important.” The Illinois Environmental Council is a nonprofit group that promotes environmental laws and policies.
Tackling food waste through bin tech
July 3rd, 2018 – Restaurants throw away up to a fifth of the ingredients they buy. But clever tech is helping chefs become more aware of what they discard, which is good news for both the environment and the bottom line.
‘Lots of people need to eat’: New food security program turns food waste into meals at All Nations Hope
July 9th, 2018 – Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Paige Klarer drives around and picks up day-old food from café s in Regina. The bags full of scones, bread, buns, cinnamon buns and muffins are packed into green containers before she takes them to All Nations Hope on Fifth Avenue. When she walks in with the food buckets, she’s greeted with many smiles. In the kitchen upstairs she unpacks the treats while bannock fries on the stove beside her.
Klarer runs All Nations Hope’s new food security program. A volunteer summer student from the University of Regina, she had the idea to take food waste and turn it into meals — and now she’s putting the idea into action.
One in three fish caught never makes it to the plate – UN report
July 9th, 2018 – One in three fish caught around the world never makes it to the plate, either being thrown back overboard or rotting before it can be eaten, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Its biannual report on the state of the world’s fisheries, released on Monday, also shows that total fish production has reached a record high thanks to more fish farming, particularly in China, with over half the fish eaten in the world now coming from aquaculture.
Seattle bans plastic straws and utensils in restaurants
July 3rd, 2018 – Looking for a plastic straw to sip your soda? It’s no longer allowed in Seattle bars and restaurants. Neither are plastic utensils in the latest push to reduce waste and prevent marine plastic pollution. Businesses that sell food or drinks won’t be allowed to offer the plastic items under a rule that went into effect Sunday. Seattle is believed to be the first major U.S. city to ban single-use plastic straws and utensils in food service, according to Seattle Public Utilities. The eco-conscious city has been an environmental leader in the U.S., working to aggressively curb the amount of trash that goes into landfills by requiring more options that can be recycled or composted.
Are reusable straws better than plastic? We have the answer
July 6th, 2018 – The straw debate is quite the hot topic right now. Several major restaurant chains have vowed to pull plastic straws from their stores, and politicians and activists alike are asking for change in regards to plastic waste. You may be wondering: “What’s so bad about plastic straws? They’re so small, they must be so insignificant in the grand scheme of things.” Canadians throw away an estimated 50 million plastic straws per day. According to The Last Plastic Straw, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging people to reduce their plastoc straw consumption, Americans throw away enough straws to wrap around the Earth’s circumfrence two and a half times per day. By 2050, it’s estimated that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.
Read more on The Weather Channel
Starbucks ditching plastic drinking straws, citing ocean threat
July 9th, 2018 – SHARE EMAIL FOOD & DRINK Starbucks ditching plastic drinking straws, citing ocean threat Starbucks’ designed, developed, and manufactured strawless lid. (Credit: Starbucks) Updated 4 mins ago NEW YORK — Starbucks will eliminate plastic straws from all of its locations within two years, citing the environmental threat to oceans. The company becomes the largest food and beverage company to do so as calls to cut waste globally grow louder. Plastic straws have become a flashpoint. A week after its hometown banned plastic drinking straws and utensils, the Seattle company said Monday that by 2020, it will be using straws made from biodegradable materials like paper and specially designed lids. The company already offers alternative straws in Seattle.
