September good news

As we are consuming news more than ever, we thought we’d bring you our very own roundup of happy news.

SUSTAINABLE DOCUMENTARIES MAKING CHANGE

Sustainability is a bit of a buzzword right now, and for good reason. We can all play our role in making the world a better place to live in and it’s no surprise that the popularity of sustainability documentaries has increased dramatically. A few firm favourites include David Attenborough’s A Life On Our Planet, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before The Flood and Zac Efron’s Down To Earth all of which appeal to a large audience and highlight the small ways we can make a difference.

EDIBLE PLASTIC TO FIGHT AGAINST SINGLE USE

German startup, Traceless, is a female-led firm with a passion for creating a circular economy. Their edible alternative to plastic recently won the Green Alley Award as one of a number of viable alternatives to single-use packaging.

They have devised a way to turn agricultural waste into a rage of “plastic” films, coatings and materials and since they are 100& plant residue, they are fully compostable, taking 2-9 weeks to break down. While they are safe to eat, they are more designed to be safe to be eaten by animals if waste ends up in the oceans or in the environment.

THE RISE OF CARGO BIKES TO REDUCE CO2

A new report by the cargo bike delivery company Pedal Me revealed that the popularity of cargo bikes are on the rise as an environmentally friendly way to transport goods around busy cities. It is reported that cargo bikes are much quicker, deliver goods 60% faster than vans in Central London and produce 90% fewer emissions. “Recent estimates from Europe suggest that up to 51 per cent of all freight journeys in cities could be replaced by cargo bike,” said Ersilia Verlinghieri, lead author of the report.

TRAINHUGGER TRAVEL

Trainhugger is a brand new way to catch a train in the UK. The train ticketing startup offers an even more green incentive to ditch the car and travel by rail as for each journey booked through the business, they will plant a tree. “The investment in nature comes at zero cost to the passenger: tickets cost the same as via their competitors,” Trainhugger says. For the moment, tickets have to be booked via the Trainhugger website although the company revealed that an app is coming soon.

BIG CATS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK ANIMALS

In just two decades, an Indian national park reported that its tiger population has bounced back from zero to 48 tigers after being destroyed by poachers. The Assam’s Manas National Park revealed that their ongoing conservation efforts are making a world of difference and Amal Chandra Sarmah, field director at Manas Tiger Project, told the Hindustan Times. “We have already surpassed the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and Global Tiger Forum’s goal of doubling tiger numbers by 2022.” Fortunately, Assam isn’t alone as Nepal is also on track to double its tiger population with numbers also rising or remaining stable in China, Russia and Bhutan.

LAB-GROWN MEAT IS THIS THE FUTURE?

Future Meat Technologies (FMT) is a lab-grown meat company that has recently just set up the world’s first factory of its kind in Israel. The company claim to be able to produce up to 500kg of cultured chicken, pork and lamb at the factory per day – equivalent to around 5,000 burgers, while generating 80 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and using 96 per cent less water, than traditional meat producers.

REWILDING PROJECT IN THE UK

Initiated by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the Yorkshire Dales, three thousand acres of heavily grazed hills are to be transformed into a biodiverse ecosystem, where red squirrels, black grouse and cuckoos can thrive. The latest rewilding project called Wild Ingleborough, will see the restoration of depleted peatlands and the expansion of native woodland, both of which act as carbon sinks.