IKEA Has Perfected Vegan Meatballs. Is Plant-Based Chicken Coming, Too?

Good News Notes: “Swedish furniture giant IKEA recently added plant-based chicken nuggets to its menu in the United States. The new option is part of a kids meal (recommended for children 12 and under) that includes broccoli and is priced at $3.49. While IKEA typically develops its own plant-based meats, these nuggets are made by…

IKEA Assembles a Future Without Plastic Packaging

Good News Notes: “Thanks to tiny pieces and convoluted instructions, putting together a bookshelf from IKEA can be a maddening experience. But there’s a payoff: What’s stressful is stylish—and also sustainable. The Swedish retailer has been a champion of the environment for years. In 2018, for instance, it announced plans to use only renewable and recycled materials…

Hydroponic farming startup Just Vertical cultivates growth at home

Good News Notes: “The indoor growing industry is starting to scale. Farms that utilize hydroponics (grow produce without soil, usually in large warehouses) and traditional greenhouses have started to become integral parts of our food supply chain, mainly for leafy greens like lettuce, spinach and arugula.    Vertical hydroponic farming is often seen as a sustainable…

Ikea Buys 11K Acres of Land in Georgia for Conservation

Good News Notes: “Ikea’s investment group recently acquired nearly 11,000 acres of land in southeast Georgia, taking it under its wing to protect it from development, and to keep its hundreds of plant and wildlife species safe. The Ingka Group, which owns and operates most of the popular Swedish retailer’s stores, recently acquired approximately 10,840 acres…

Barcelona installs Spain’s first solar energy pavement

Good News Notes: “Barcelona city council has installed Spain’s first photovoltaic pavement as part of the city’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2050. The 50 sq metres of non-slip solar panels, installed in a small park in the Glòries area of the city, will generate 7,560kW a year, enough to supply three households.  …

IKEA Goes All in on Veganuary

Good News Notes: “This week, IKEA’s United Kingdom branch announced its support for Veganuary, a campaign that challenges participants to go vegan for the month of January and beyond. Ellie Pniok, Commercial Food Leader for IKEA UK & Ireland, explained that IKEA’s alignment with Veganuary is timely as in the last two years, 15 percent…

The top 25 most sustainable fleets

Good News Notes: “However you look at it, 2020 is a turning point for fleets.  Thanks to converging forces — including supportive policies, dropping battery costs and aggressive climate goals — transportation leaders at large and small organizations are increasingly turning to new zero-emission and low-carbon options that decarbonize fleets and in some cases save money. Fleets…

Feather designs circular economy furniture for rental and reuse

Good News Notes: “Around 12 million tons of furniture ends up in landfills in the U.S. each year. A startup called Feather wants to begin to change that by shifting ownership: Instead of selling furniture, the company rents it. When someone moves or wants a different sofa, they can send it back, and the company will…

Can Mushrooms Actually Help Save the Planet?

Good News Notes: “In college, Eben Bayer grew mushrooms under his dorm room bed. The mechanical engineering student, who had grown up on a Vermont farm, was convinced the fungus was one of nature’s most effective “technologies” and could be used to overhaul the way we make a range of everyday products. Thirteen years later,…