Wireless Heater Made From a Leaf Skeleton Is Fully Biodegradable

Good News Notes: “We’ve gotten very, very good at making things that are cheap and durable. Unfortunately, there are some deleterious side effects. Among them: Our society generates massive amounts of waste that is going to remain in landfills for a long time. What’s more, the process of making these goods is also bad for…

Tipa eyes compostable future

Good News Notes: “Compostable packaging manufacturer Tipa, which was established in Israel in 2010, believes compostable alternatives are set to dominate food packaging in the near future. Tipa’s vision for flexible packaging is to have the same end-of-life as organic matter, while maintaining the qualities of conventional plastics that consumers and brands have come to…

Halloween Gone Eco: Thank Ghouls

Good News Notes: “Let’s be honest, we’re all currently haunted. The human impact on this planet is catastrophic, and we live in the aftermath of our misguided decisions. But hope is not lost!  And while we slowly work to repair—to put the ghosts to rest, as it were—we must consider all the aspects of our…

Turning tree bark and compost into aircraft wings and plastic bags

Good News Notes: “Trees, crops and even organic waste can be transformed into a bewildering array of plastics to use in products ranging from single-use bags to heavy-duty airplane wings. These so-called biopolymers could play a vital role in weaning us off petroleum plastics—which will help cut greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure plastics come from…

14 Surprising Uses for Coffee Grounds

Good News Notes: “1. Exfoliating body scrub Turn your used coffee grounds into a luxurious body scrub that will leave your skin silky smooth and glowing. Just combine a half cup of used grounds with a quarter cup of olive or coconut oil and a pinch of citrus zest. It will slough off dead skin…

How America’s least sustainable city learned to love recycling

 Good News Notes: “From Arlo Guthrie, who wrote a seven-minute song about taking out the garbage, to Shel Silverstein’s Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout, who drowned in her own garbage, our society has long struggled with the excesses of its own existence. Today, Americans hold the title of biggest trash producers in the world, at 6.5…