Martin Luther King Jr. Day comes at a particularly fraught time, considering the state of racial relations across much of the U.S. and the fact that at the present time, the chances any federal laws designed to secure the right to vote for all citizens appear slim to none. The current state of affairs, in fact, have pushed King’s family last month to urge “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/15/politics/mlk-day-voting-rights-legislation/index.html" target="_blank">no celebration</a>” of this year’s MLK Day unless the U.S. Congress passes any meaningful voting rights legislation. 

To that end, King’s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King, who’s CEO of The King Center, has called for a “<a href="https://thekingcenter.org/ceo-corner-we-must-shift-2022-king-holiday-observance/" target="_blank">shift</a>” in how we commemorate MLK Day, as in:

<blockquote>
“We must shift our thinking and our perspectives in recognition of our interconnectedness and interdependence. We must shift power and resources to eradicate racism, inequity, and poverty. We must shift our energy and time to focus on the authentic so that we do not explore the artificial, including A.I., without heightened attention to our moral and ethical responsibility as well as our accountability to humanity.”
</blockquote>

On the topic of accountability, as in voting rights and protecting democratic norms, business leaders are getting the hint that something needs to happen on this front.

For example, a recent <a href="https://www.publicprivatestrategies.com/morning-consult-business-leader-democracy-survey-january-2022---press-release" target="_blank">Morning Consult poll</a> of 400 business executives found that the future of U.S. democracy is a leading concern. At a rate of approximately 75 percent, executives agreed on topics ranging from supporting the two major federal bills that are designed to ensure and protect voting rights; support amending Senate rule so such legislation could pass; and 85 percent agreed with the statement that “capitalism is dependent on a well-functioning democracy.”

And last week, a coalition of small business groups, led by the American Sustainable Business Network, expressed a similar sentiment, saying <a href="https://www.asbnetwork.org/media-release/leading-small-business-organizations-call-lawmakers-consider-rule-change-make-senate" target="_blank">they are united</a> “to express their opposition to the attack on voting rights and support the United States Senate passing voting rights legislation using filibuster reform to protect the fundamentals of American democracy.” 

Many founders and CEOs of marquee companies and brands, including Etsy, Patagonia, Reddit and Twilio, <a href="https://www.freedomtovotealliance.com/sign-on-letter" target="_blank">sent a letter</a> to the U.S. Senate’s leadership urging them to find a way to pass both voting rights bills. “The stability afforded by our democratic system of government and our open economy are the cornerstones of American innovation and our economic dominance around the world,” are among the points these executives made a week ago.

True, the impatience that many citizens and business executives currently feel is shared by some political leaders such as President Biden, who last week <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/11/politics/biden-atlanta-voting-rights-speech/index.html" target="_blank">voiced support</a> for bypassing the filibuster in order to allow voting rights legislation to pass with a simple majority in the Senate. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-voting-law-opposition-sports-players-unions/" target="_blank">Professional athletes</a> have lent their names and voices to this call as well.

Here’s the rub: MLK Day offers us the reminder that sentiment, letters and public statements are steps in the right direction, but they alone aren’t getting the work done. The hard part is actually convincing political leaders that such legislation benefits all U.S. society.

Furthermore, while the overriding issue this month is voting rights, the same can be said for racial equality and climate change. The bottom line is that MLK Day should be one in which we can celebrate progress instead of reminding politicians that yet again, they need to get their act together if we are to move forward.

After all, remember that King himself didn’t only write letters. He marched and went above and beyond as he put himself out there.

“Business’ public messaging has shifted dramatically in recent years, with much more emphasis on societal issues like climate change, racial equity, and voting rights,” <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/11/business-leaders-must-take-action-on-climate-and-voting-rights" target="_blank">Michael E. Porter and Daniella Ballou-Aares</a> wrote for the Harvard Business Review last fall. “Yet today, when we are presented with a once-in-a-decade opportunity to support federal legislation addressing these challenges, business leaders are not backing up their words with action.”

For more on Martin Luther King Jr.’s approach toward striving that all U.S. citizens would have the fundamental right to vote, this op-ed on The Hill from last summer <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/566010-tomorrow-is-today-mlks-words-ring-true-on-voting-rights?rl=1" target="_blank">is a fine start</a>. 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/PfIdexi_HbY" target="_blank">Dineda Nyepan</a> via Unsplash

Commemorate MLK Day With Voting Rights, Say Business Leaders 

The NFL would prefer that we would only tune into Wild Card Weekend, but it’s difficult to tune out the fact that as of press time, only one of the 32 head coaches across the NFL is Black. That head coach is Mike Tomlin, who has never had a losing season as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The dearth of Black head coaches continues even though about 70 percent of the NFL’s players are Black. Nevertheless, during the 100-year history of the NFL, less than three dozen head coaches in total have been Black.

“In 2003, NFL franchise owners had to be prodded to seriously consider Black candidates to coach their teams,” said columnist <a href="https://www.ajc.com/sports/mike-check-blog/here-we-go-again-nfl-still-has-double-standard-with-black-coaches/2L7DTCGPCFBIHBUVRGHDGPX2UA/" target="_blank">Michael Cunningham</a> of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They were willing to sign Black players make them money while risking their health. They were reluctant to let them lead their teams after they were done playing. Once those Black coaches got more opportunities, they proved they should have had them all along."

Cunningham is referring to the “Rooney Rule,” which beginning in 2003, required NFL franchises to interview people of color for head coach openings. Since then, the league has gone backwards on the diversity front. In 2018 alone, five Black NFL head coaches <a href="https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/black-nfl-coaches-have-never-been-more-poorly-represented-than-they-are-now/" target="_blank">were fired</a>; each of them was replaced with a White coach.

Could it be the attitude that NFL’s White owners have toward their Black employees?

“It is clear those NFL franchise owners are in favor of Black men doing one thing: battering their brains and bodies as players, for their own entertainment and their own bank accounts,” Yahoo Sports’ <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/for-black-nfl-head-coaches-there-is-no-getting-ahead-010813873.html" target="_blank">Shalise Manza Young</a> concluded in her column last week. “Until, that is, players retire and want what's due to them.”

Going back to Tomlin: He has appeared to set the bar high for NFL head coaches. While talented Black assistant coaches are making their mark across the NFL, they have been consistently been overlooked as the NFL has turned to young, relatively inexperienced and White coaches, especially after the Los Angeles Rams found success after hiring Sean McVay. In addition, there has been no shortage of White coaches who have scored second chances: fans will point to examples such as Pat Shurmur (Browns and Giants), Adam Gase (Dolphins and Jets) and Doug Marrone (Bills and Jaguars). 

“Teams are ultimately going to hire the coach they want to hire, but the striking imbalance between white and minority coaches suggests that it’s not the Rooney Rule that’s the problem, but team leadership,” the Guardian’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/08/rooney-rule-wobbles-as-nfls-fetish-for-young-white-coaches-continues" target="_blank">Gabriel Baumgaertner</a> wrote at the end of the 2020 NFL season. “With so much turnover – remember that over 60 percent of teams have made at least one coaching change in the past three years – it’s confusing that veteran black coaches like [Jim] Caldwell and [Leslie] Frazier aren’t given another opportunity.”

As for the real world, or shall we say the private sector, it’s not much better for people of color. Black executives make up only 8 percent of the leadership ranks within the 50 most valuable U.S. companies, according to a recent <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/black-executives-american-companies/?itid=sf_business" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> survey. And despite the large body of research that suggests <a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation" target="_blank">diversity within corporate leadership</a> is linked to improved performance, it’s an even <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90707371/this-is-the-surprising-force-that-could-help-crack-the-black-ceiling" target="_blank">larger struggle</a> for women of color. 

To their credit, more investors are pressuring companies to change their ways; State Street Global Advisors, for example, <a href="https://www.ssga.com/us/en/institutional/ic/insights/ceo-letter-2022-proxy-voting-agenda" target="_blank">announced last week</a> it’s telling companies to include at least one woman and a person of color on their board if they expect the investment management giant to support them during the upcoming proxy season. 

In a widely quoted <a href="https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/birth-new-age-address-delivered-11-august-1956-fiftieth-anniversary-alpha-phi" target="_blank">1956 address</a>, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “we must rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns, with a broader concern for all humanity.” More than 65 years later, that bit of advice certain applies to how we approach hiring our colleagues. It’s easy to simply hire the person with whom we feel more comfortable.

The problem is that too many of us often hire people who often look and think like us. To sum up a 2019 <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/11/why-so-many-organizations-stay-white" target="_blank">Harvard Business Review</a> article, “exclusion is visible in many organizational processes.” The hard part is hiring someone who’s certainly qualified and brings a lot to the table but comes from a different background and has life story than the hiring manager. But with the way <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/01/white-people-do-good-things-for-one-another-and-thats-bad-for-hiring" target="_blank">many of our professional networks are structured</a>, far too many people will be excluded from opportunities – in both the NFL and across the private sector.

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/H9t29UuthwM" target="_blank">Stephane Coudassot-Berducou</a> via Unsplash

As with the Rest of the Private Sector, the NFL Overlooks Black Talent in Management

Since February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed many aspects of daily life. As cities implemented pandemic-resilient strategies, the result has been a shift in how many residents interact and conduct their daily routines within the built environment. As the pandemic continued, cities have changed the way residents use the streets, transport themselves, dine in restaurants and attend festivals. So far, the evidence suggests that many of these changes will likely stay permanent.

<h2>The great move outdoors</h2>

Many towns shied away from having large indoor events, with many of those events moved outdoors if they weren’t canceled outright. Music festivals, graduation ceremonies, and even private parties were often moved to parks and other open spaces, as organizers favored venues with opens spaces that could help mitigate any spread of COVID-19. 

With permission from local governments, numerous restaurants augmented their outdoor dining options. Sometimes, this shift entailed closing down streets or removing parking spots to free up space. In addition, some restaurants invested in heat lamps, outdoor furniture and tents to extend the outdoor dining season.

<h2>Cities redefined the dining experience during COVID-19</h2>

New York is one example of how cities and towns transformed public spaces. The city has given up <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/23/nyc-gave-up-8550-parking-spots-for-outdoor-dining-amid-covid/" target="_blank">8,550 publicly-owned curbside parking spots</a> since the pandemic started, according to local data. And, former New York Mayor de Blasio declared the program<a href="https://nypost.com/2020/09/25/de-blasio-nyc-outdoor-dining-plan-permanent-year-round/" target="_blank"> will be permanent</a>. This move shows agility in the face of a challenge and helped numerous restaurants stay in business during the pandemic.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, Andrew Rigie, head of the Hospitality Alliance, which represents many city restaurants and bars, said, “Outdoor dining has transformed New York City’s streetscape for the better and has been a critical lifeline for thousands of small businesses and jobs throughout the five boroughs during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Rigie added, “[This] announcement to make outdoor dining permanent, to allow the use of heat lamps to keep customers warm outside during the cooler months, and to allow restaurants to utilize adjacent space where feasible so they can accommodate more guests and generate much-needed revenue is a major step to rebuilding a stronger, more resilient and livable city.”

Boosting restaurant revenues also means more income for the city via taxes, not to mention more dining options for locals. But not everyone welcomed these trends. Converting parking spots to outdoor dining <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2021/5/25/22452773/new-yorkers-debate-outdoor-dining-parking-spaces" target="_blank">has been opposed by some New York residents</a>. On the other hand, making it more difficult to park in congested cities is a welcome change for people who feel more encouraged to walk or bike within their neighborhoods.

Access on city streets for automobiles has been further limited in cities from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/06/26/covid-street-closures/" target="_blank">Washington, D.C.</a> to <a href="https://seattle.eater.com/2020/8/31/21408826/list-of-seattle-street-closures-outdoor-plazas-restaurants-patios" target="_blank">Seattle</a>. On that point, New York City has maintained its <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90702375/the-pandemic-kicked-cars-off-some-streets-2022-could-be-the-year-theyre-banned-permanently" target="_blank">Open Street program</a>, which gives priority to pedestrians and bikers on certain roads. In other areas, curb extensions limit parking and car access, freeing up more open space. 

<h2>Other long-term affects COVID-19 had on communities</h2>

The expansion of life outdoors is more than about restaurants and cafes.

In addition, many schools, camps, and daycare facilities moved their programs partially or fully outdoors. Some schools in Maine obtained grants to build durable gazebo-style <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2021-06-17/the-pandemic-brought-many-maine-classrooms-outside-now-educators-want-to-keep-it-that-way" target="_blank">outdoor classrooms</a> that could last for decades. Many students and parents have been supportive of the move towards the outdoors for reasons aside from COVID-19. 

<a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/new-study-shows-children-learn-better-while-studying-outside-162725" target="_blank">Numerous studies</a> show that students learn better outdoors, so this approach could be beneficial for student achievement. It is especially important for <a href="https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/spend-time-outside-to-improve-adhd-symptoms/" target="_blank">children with ADHD</a> to spend time in nature to boost their ability to concentrate and reduce stress. 

The benefits on adults are undeniable as well. For example, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/" target="_blank">Vitamin D</a> is critical for a healthy immune system and we can get a daily dose from exposing our skin to sunlight.

The pandemic has also caused <a href="https://www.agweek.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/6813622-The-pandemic-propelled-gardening-to-new-heights.-Will-the-trend-last" target="_blank">gardening to rapidly gain popularity</a>, as many stores sold out of such supplies. The demand for seeds skyrocketed, with Johny’s Selected Seeds noticing a 270 percent increase in their typical spring sales in 2020. 

<h2>Beyond dining: Will these changes in our towns and cities last?</h2>

Not everyone could afford to eat outdoors at restaurants or have such food delivered. Local food shortages and other factors driving food insecurity encouraged citizens to become more self-reliant. Disruptions in the food supply chain left some empty grocery store shelves and long lines at food pantries. For families without access to ample garden space, <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/role-community-gardens-during-covid-19-pandemic" target="_blank">community garden plots</a> has enabled many to nurture their green thumbs.

Some pandemic trends will leave a positive environmental impact. For example, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pandemic-sunk-mass-transit-use-data-shows-its-slow-recovery-n1274784" target="_blank">ridership on public transportation</a> plummeted in early 2020 in many cities and has since only rebounded in some metropolitan areas. Reduced demand and the decrease in revenues that such systems generate could result in long-term reductions in service, further hindering ridership. Increased <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-autos-sales/increased-new-car-demand-during-pandemic-has-u-s-industry-optimistic-about-2021-idUSKBN29A1RY">demand for new and used cars</a> also raises concerns about the long-term viability of public transport networks across the U.S.

The unprecedented changes resulting from the pandemic created opportunities for urban planners to change how things to build more resilient cities for the long term. While an increase in outdoor dining and education, bike lanes and gardening show promise for more sustainable cities, such open street programs <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-03/the-unequal-geography-of-covid-s-open-streets" target="_blank">were not necessarily equitable</a>. But as many citizens seek a return to the pre-pandemic days, local leaders from <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/04/san-joses-post-street-is-reopening-to-cars-and-people-want-to-know-why/" target="_blank">San Jose</a> to <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article256913187.html" target="_blank">Miami</a> now feel pressure to re-open certain streets to cars once again.

 

Co-written with <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/editor/141/leon-kaye" target="_blank">Leon Kaye</a>

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/zWFL0boCnv4" target="_blank">Albert Hu</a> via Unsplash

Two Years Later, COVID-19 Has Reshaped the Built Environment

Pledges to use more recycled materials are increasingly falling short as the public grows more concerned about the global waste problem and people seek out solutions to lighten their footprints. While many of those solutions still need to scale, a growing number of brands are looking to pave the way toward a circular economy in which nothing becomes waste. From reusable and dissolvable packaging to giving secondhand goods a new life, read on for some of the top circular economy solutions that caught our eyes in 2021.  
<figure role="group"><img alt="Tim Hortons reusable packaging - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="38c64d67-1bb2-4776-8da3-d4ce1081f9ce" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Tim%20Hortons%20reusable%20packaging%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions.jpeg" width="1000" height="667" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="http://news.timhortons.ca/tim-hortons-announces-trial-of-new-hot-beverage-cup-thats-compostable-and-recyclable-test-of-recycling-technology-in-restaurants-and-kickoff-of-pilot-project-with-zero-waste-platform-lo/">Tim Hortons</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>Tim Hortons tests reusable packaging with help from Loop and Tupperware</h2>

Tim Hortons gave reusable a try in 2021 with help from the container masters at Tupperware and the reusable packaging platform <a href="https://exploreloop.com" target="_blank">Loop</a>. In November, the Canadian fast-food giant began testing a reusable packaging option designed by Tupperware at <a href="https://exploreloop.com/Tim%20Hortons" target="_blank">select locations around Toronto</a>.

Guests pay a $3 deposit for the packaging, which is refunded when they return it. “Through this test we’ll start learning how guests respond to a reusables and returnable packaging system — what they like or don’t like — with the aim of refining a system that is seamless and enjoyable for more guests in more cities in the future,”  Paul Yang, senior director of sustainability and packaging for Tim Hortons, <a href="http://news.timhortons.ca/tim-hortons-announces-trial-of-new-hot-beverage-cup-thats-compostable-and-recyclable-test-of-recycling-technology-in-restaurants-and-kickoff-of-pilot-project-with-zero-waste-platform-lo/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>.

Tim Hortons is <a href="https://exploreloop.com/partners" target="_blank">among a number of brands</a> testing the water with reusables in partnership with the Loop platform. This circular economy pilot is also a first for Tupperware, which linked up with Loop back in 2020 to provide insight and expertise on reusables. Additional reusable package options created by Tupperware will be available to more of Loop's brand partners in 2022, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tupperware-creates-one-of-a-kind-reusable-packaging-for-restaurant-brand-internationals-tim-hortons-as-part-of-its-partnership-with-loop-301413043.html" target="_blank">the company says</a>. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Starbucks Borrow a Cup - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9fc2d7a5-22cd-413c-a7c0-c0cce9a566c1" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Starbucks%20Borrow%20a%20Cup%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions.jpeg" width="1000" height="661" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/seattle-starbucks-stores-go-even-greener-this-earth-month-with-new-borrow-a-cup-program/">Starbucks</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>McDonald's and Starbucks trial reusable cup programs </h2>

McDonald's <a href="https://packagingeurope.com/mcdonalds-and-loop-join-forces-on-reusable-coffee-cup-pilot/" target="_blank">trialed a reusable cup program</a> in the U.K. last summer, also in partnership with Loop. Customers at six restaurants could order their morning cuppa in a reusable mug for a deposit of one British pound, which they got back when they returned the cup, along with a discount on their next order. 

Meanwhile, after two single-store tests in 2020, Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/seattle-starbucks-stores-go-even-greener-this-earth-month-with-new-borrow-a-cup-program/" target="_blank">expanded its Borrow A Cup program</a> to five stores in Seattle from March through May of 2021, in partnership with a Seattle-area service called <a href="https://www.ridwell.com/starbucks" target="_blank">Ridwell</a>. Like the McDonald's program, Starbucks customers simply pay a $1 deposit to order with a reusable cup, and they'll receive points for refunds through the chain's rewards program when they bring it back. 

Both companies say they're looking to learn from the pilots as they seek to expand reuse programs to more locations in pursuit of a more circular economy for their products and packaging. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Ikea furniture buyback - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bada9442-93ef-479e-ac34-ba79dfcf3e47" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ikea%20furniture%20buyback%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions.jpeg" width="1000" height="750" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/newsroom/corporate-news/ikea-us-launches-national-buy-back-and-resell-service-as-part-of-global-green-friday-campaign-pub26d45227">Ikea</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>Ikea scales furniture buyback and resale program across the U.S. </h2>

Ikea's large-scale furniture buyback program was a smash hit when it <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/ikea-circularity-buyback/707311" target="_blank">launched in 27 countries in 2020</a>, including Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan. In 2021, U.S. consumers got their chance to take part. 

After <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/30/ikea-pilots-us-furniture-buyback-program-as-it-eyes-national-launch.html" target="_blank">piloting the program</a> in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, where the company says 100 percent of the items brought in were resold, Ikea rolled it out to all of its U.S. retail stores in November of last year. Mirroring the global program, U.S. customers can get store credit for their gently used, unmodified Ikea furniture that is <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ikea-buy-back-resell-36998572" target="_blank">resold in the stores' as-is section</a>. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Loop by Ulta reusable beauty packaging - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cd970726-26fd-47be-8187-cae39cc63314" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Loop%20by%20Ulta%20reusable%20beauty%20packaging%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions%20.jpeg" width="1000" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://exploreloop.com/Ulta">Loop</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>Ulta brings reusable beauty packaging to the masses</h2>

With more than 1,200 U.S. stores and <a href="https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2021/01/18/ulta-loyalty-members-drive-95-of-sales/" target="_blank">over 30 million loyalty members</a>, Ulta Beauty is one of the top mainstream retailers for cosmetics, skincare and haircare products. And in 2021, Ulta shoppers got a chance to try some of their favorites in reusable packaging, thanks to the retailer's partnership with (you guessed it) Loop. 

Starting in March, the <a href="https://loopbyulta.com" target="_blank">Loop x Ulta Beauty</a> online store was regularly updated with new products, with participating brands including Burt's Bees, Mad Hippie, Melanin Essentials and Oneka. Customers from all 48 contiguous U.S. states could have their choices delivered in reusable packaging and send them back to be refilled.

The pilot wrapped at the end of November with no official word on the next step, but Ulta remains listed as a partner on Loop's website, so we'll likely see more from these two in the year ahead.  
<figure role="group"><img alt="Gousto dissolvable packaging circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="df685a53-fa46-4d1e-916e-2ca84a5bb438" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/gousto%20dissolvable%20packaging.png" width="712" height="712" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.gousto.co.uk/blog/the-worlds-first-pea-based-edible-stock-sachets">Gousto Recipe Box</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>Leading U.K. meal kit company unveils dissolvable film made from pea protein</h2>

Perhaps even better than giving waste a second life, a big part of the circular economy of the future will be innovating to eliminate unnecessary waste altogether. <a href="https://www.packworld.com/issues/sustainability/article/21796972/worlds-first-edible-dissolvable-packaging-made-from-pea-protein" target="_blank">This clever innovation</a> from B Corp meal kit company Gousto is a case in point.

Billed as the "<a href="https://www.gousto.co.uk/blog/the-worlds-first-pea-based-edible-stock-sachets" target="_blank">world’s first edible stock sachet</a>," this innovative design co-created with the sustainable packaging experts at Xampla offers an alternative to those plastic packets around vegetable bouillon cubes. Rather than deal with wasteful and hard-to-open sachets (hello, wrap rage), simply drop these dissolvable, flavorless pea protein capsules in the pot and go on with the recipe. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Madewell denim recycling - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="af678c57-4ee5-44a6-99a0-32b0ab261e7f" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Madewell%20denim%20recycling%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions.jpeg" width="667" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madewell-launches-madewell-forever-an-innovative-digital-resale-platform-powered-by-thredups-resale-as-a-service-301336958.html">Madewell</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>Madewell partners with ThredUP to expand denim trade-in and recycling program</h2>

Casual brand Madewell has long offered $20 vouchers to customers who recycle their gently-used jeans in store. In 2021, it took the next step toward building a circular economy for denim by partnering with the digital resale shop ThredUP to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/madewell-thredup/725846" target="_blank">sell more secondhand Madewell apparel online</a>. 

The <a href="https://madewellforever.thredup.com" target="_blank">Madewell Forever</a> secondhand shop launched in July with Madewell apparel donated online through ThredUP as well as denim that is collected at Madewell retail stores. The company says giving denim a second life reduces its environmental footprint by <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madewell-launches-madewell-forever-an-innovative-digital-resale-platform-powered-by-thredups-resale-as-a-service-301336958.html" target="_blank">up to 82 percent</a>, and it's out to collect 1 million pairs of denim by 2023. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="The North Face Renewed - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bf459cc1-f232-4a03-85da-5694af1b0915" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/The%20North%20Face%20Renewed%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions.png" width="912" height="518" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.thenorthfacerenewed.com">The North Face</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>The North Face eyes the circular economy for "top materials" by 2025</h2>

To mark Earth Day in 2021, beloved outdoor brand the North Face upped the ante on the circular economy with a pledge to use recycled, regenerative or renewable sources for 100 percent of its top materials by 2025. The company says it will use three core initiatives — its <a href="https://www.thenorthface.com/help/returns-warranty.html" target="_blank">free repair program</a>, its clothing recycling program <a href="https://www.thenorthface.com/about-us/responsibility/product/clothes-the-loop.html" target="_blank">Clothes the Loop</a> and its re-commerce platform the <a href="https://www.thenorthfacerenewed.com" target="_blank">North Face Renewed</a> — to keep its products in use longer and source better materials in pursuit of circularity. The brand plans to release its <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2021/4/the-north-face-earth-day-2021-sustainability-pledge-info" target="_blank">first fully circular apparel line</a> later this year. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Dove refillable deodorant - circular economy solutions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="68b701bb-3e9b-44cc-9747-de219ceb0b46" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Dove%20refillable%20deodorant%20-%20circular%20economy%20solutions%20copy.png" width="1000" height="680" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.unilever.com/news/news-search/2021/dove-refillable-deodorant/">Unilever</a>) </figcaption></figure><h2>Dove is the latest Unilever brand to explore refillable packaging</h2>

In pursuit of a more circular economy for packaging, Unilever brand Dove has pledged to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic where possible and use recycled feedstock for plastic material it can't avoid. Various Unilever brands have also dappled in refillable packaging in recent years, including a <a href="https://www.unilever.com/news/news-search/2019/we-are-introducing-reusable-refillable-packaging-to-help-cut-waste/">partnership with the Loop platform</a> and <a href="https://www.unilever.com/news/news-search/2021/reuse-refill-rethink-our-progress-on-refill-and-reuse-continues/" target="_blank">in-store refill trials in Europe</a>. 

At the start of 2021, Dove became the most recent brand to jump on board with a <a href="https://www.packworld.com/issues/sustainability/article/21221100/doves-sleek-new-refillable-deodorant-pack#previous-slide" target="_blank">refillable stainless-steel deodorant pack</a> that's both attractive and functional. Dove says the refillable option is only one of 100 projects it's working on to eliminate non-recycled, single-use plastic across all products. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Adidas Allbirds collaboration shoe - circular economy design" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b6ba76af-a4f6-4e01-8219-a1c983d55e89" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Adidas%20Allbirds%20collaboration%20shoe%20-%20circular%20economy%20design.jpeg" width="1000" height="727" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of <a href="https://news.adidas.com/made-to-be-remade/scaling-up-collaboration-to-leave-a-lasting-footprint-on-the-sportswear-industry-with-allbirds/s/50cc3430-a152-415d-8f5a-12c218c93834">Adidas</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2>Adidas and Allbirds collaborate on a low-carbon sneaker featuring recycled materials, with other footwear brands bringing their own ideas to the playing field </h2>

Veteran footwear brand Adidas and sustainable upstart Allbirds made waves across the apparel industry in 2021 when they decided to team up to create a low-carbon performance shoe. Less than eight months later, the Futurecraft.Footprint shoe was <a href="https://www.inputmag.com/style/adidas-allbirds-futurecraft-footprint-first-sneakers-shoes-release-date-price" target="_blank">ready for market</a>. 

Each pair creates less than 6.5 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, compared to <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2013/footwear-carbon-footprint-0522" target="_blank">about 30 pounds</a> for the average running shoe, and circular economy concepts <a href="https://news.adidas.com/made-to-be-remade/scaling-up-collaboration-to-leave-a-lasting-footprint-on-the-sportswear-industry-with-allbirds/s/50cc3430-a152-415d-8f5a-12c218c93834" target="_blank">have a lot to do with that</a>. Designers considered pattern and manufacturing efficiency to reduce waste during assembly and sourced biodegradable and recycled materials associated with a lower carbon footprint.

Among the other footwear and circular economy developments in 2021: Nike revamped popular styles like the <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2021/4/nike-blazer-mid-77-with-floral-pomegranate-detailing" target="_blank">Blazer Mid</a>, <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2021/6/nike-air-vapormax-flyknit-2021-release-date-info" target="_blank">Air VaporMax</a> and <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2021/6/nike-free-run-5-0-2021-release-date-info" target="_blank">Free Run 5.0</a> with recycled materials, while luxury label Roscomar looked to plant-based and renewable materials in its <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2021/9/roscomar-sustainable-sneakers-plant-based-recycled-court-collection" target="_blank">most sustainable shoe to date</a>.

Featured image courtesy of <a href="https://www.gousto.co.uk/blog/the-worlds-first-pea-based-edible-stock-sachets">Gousto Recipe Box</a>

10+ Brands That Embraced the Circular Economy in 2021

For the sustainability-minded consumer, grabbing a coffee on the run can turn into a pain in the conscience. For years, the message has been that paper coffee cups <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43739043" target="_blank">are not recyclable</a> because of the polyethylene coating that makes them more durable and heat-resistant. The process for that is starting to change — and improve — as the right technology becomes more widely available and more MRFs (materials recovery facilities) begin accepting these cups. The next hurdle is not only scalability, but also educating consumers on recyclability in their area so that their next trip to the coffee shop can come without a side of eco guilt. 

<h2>The problem: Too many paper coffee cups and other containers are heading to landfills</h2>

U.S. consumers alone use an estimated <a href="https://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Public_Works/Level_3_-_Solid_Waste/CA_ReTh_Infographic_Cups_06.22.16b-1FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">54 billion single-use</a> paper coffee cups each year, and the vast majority ends up in landfills — representing both a massive environmental problem and a missed opportunity. “For decades, anything that had polyethylene on it, like a coffee cup, was deemed not recyclable,” Jim Schneider, vice president of operations at Sustana Fiber, a manufacturer of sustainable recycled fiber, told TriplePundit. “But it’s really not that difficult to remove the fiber from the poly layers.” And according to Schneider, that fiber is high-quality and could have a long life beyond a single-use cup.

The longer-term problem goes beyond paper coffee cups, though. Other poly-coated containers, like juice boxes, baby formula containers, and wraps for biscuits and chips, are also mostly landfilled. And an increasing number of products like gravies, pulped tomatoes, and even wine are being packaged in foil- or plastic-lined paper as a means of reducing weight and plastic use. Sustana Fiber, however, continually <a href="https://www.sustanafiber.com/newsroom/sustana-fiber-installs-new-high-capacity-shredder-at-breakeyville-mill-in-quebec-canada/" target="_blank">invests in its facilities</a> to keep waste out of landfills, diverting up to 18,000 tons of aseptic, gable top, and cup waste annually across both its facilities.

The issue is not only the improved technology needed to separate plastic materials from paper in these containers, but also the availability of manufacturing facilities that are able to reclaim the fiber. Sustana Fiber, for example, uses a <a href="https://www.packworld.com/issues/sustainability/news/13377045/starbucks-proves-out-closedloop-system-for-coffee-cups" target="_blank">high-consistency rotor</a> that effectively strips the fibers, whereas most traditional paper manufacturers use low rotors that are not as effective. Schneider sees the possibilities expanding. “Once you crack the nut [of extracting fibers from poly-coated containers], it opens the door to other poly products. There are very few items that we can’t get the fiber back out of,” he said. 

In tandem with packaging shifts, as well as lifestyle changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sustana Fiber is seeing an increase in poly-coated containers coming into its facilities, Schneider said. When the company started operations nearly 30 years ago, sorted office paper made up about 90 percent of the materials it received. During the pandemic, as schools and offices shut down, that figure dropped to 45 percent, and the company is seeing more poly-coated food containers as people order more takeout and prepare more of their meals at home. The encouraging thing is that the company is also seeing more waste management companies investing in the capital to sort these items out and get them to facilities like Sustana Fiber’s that can recycle them. 

<h2>The solution: Make paper cup recycling mainstream</h2>

Still, a lot more education is needed in order to increase the number of communities sending their paper coffee cups and other sorted cups and containers to municipality facilities for recycling, Schneider said. “As we look at the overall problem, one of my big initiatives is educating consumers as well as papermakers and product developers with different packaging structures,” Schneider told 3p. Further, communication throughout the supply chain is necessary to ensure solutions don’t create new problems, such as engineering an alternative that makes a product less recyclable. 

“Plastic is easy to remove,” Schneider explained. “The type of fiber in those cups is southern soft wood, long fiber. It’s a valuable fiber, and it’s a shame any of it makes its way into a landfill for its end of life.” He says it’s possible to use the recovered fiber for new cups, bringing fiber products full circle and contributing to the circular economy. “The biggest win is not just getting the wide variety of things coming in that used to go into the landfill, but now we’re also getting materials that can go back into the products they came from, which is important because <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/recycled-paper-branding/730301" target="_blank">food-grade products are more challenging</a>.”

The Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) works with stakeholders to increase uptake and secure the cup’s place in the circular economy. A trade association representing 90 percent of the foodservice packaging industry, the FPI addresses the entire recovery value chain. “We start with the local end markets to ensure our products can and will be recovered,” Ashley Elzinga, director of sustainability and outreach at the FPI, told TriplePundit. “Then, we work with municipalities, waste haulers and MRFs to ensure our products are accepted and sorted properly. Once we have all those pieces in place, we work with the municipality to help educate its residents.” 

Denver is one city that is ahead of the game on recycling single-use cups. In 2018, Colorado’s largest MRF, Alpine Waste and Recycling, announced it would <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2018/09/19/colorado-recycle-starbucks-coffee-cups/" target="_blank">start collecting the cups</a> as well as <a href="https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/trash-and-recycling/recycling/what-can-be-recycled.html" target="_blank">other poly-coated paper products</a>, making Denver one of the first U.S. cities to offer the service. Last month, <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/madison-recycling-program-now-accepting-disposable-paper-cups/article_8b4fcc16-fa83-5789-8370-79a958787c55.html" target="_blank">Madison, Wisconsin</a>, added itself to a handful of other cities accepting poly-coated containers for recycling. 

<h2>Scaling up to meet demand</h2>

During the pandemic, as more people relied on curbside and takeaway coffee and food, there was a surge in single-use food and beverage containers. At the same time, some municipalities also curbed their recycling programs and consumers demanded more recycling options, creating a mismatch in demand and supply. 

Both Schneider and Elzinga see the solution in education — of both consumers and MRFs. “Most people are shocked at what we’re able to do with the material,” Schneider said of Sustana Fiber’s paper cup recycling process. Still, since single-use coffee cups make up such a small portion of the overall waste stream, making the case for MRFs to invest in sorting technology is a challenge. “Each success plays a key role in increasing paper cup recycling access,” Elzinga said. 

<h2>The bottom line</h2>

Aiming for more circularity with single-use paper coffee cups and other containers is a vastly more sustainable option than sending them to the landfill.

While Sustana Fiber brings in 700 tons of cups per month at its plant in De Pere, Wisconsin, Schneider said he would like to see that number increase. To do that, collection has to rise. Sustana Fiber sees circularity as the solution, but it is not a straightforward road. “There are a lot of challenges that present themselves when you try to get a circular economy up and running,” he said. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” To that end, the FPI works with cities to help provide funding to include paper coffee cups in recycling programs. 

Consumer education is another major component as customers can provide the push for their local governments. “Assume there’s value in everything you throw away,” Schneider added. “Repurposing materials into other products is better than sending them to end-of-life at a landfill.” Recycling extends the life cycle of materials, giving new purpose to old products to help realize a zero-waste future. 

This article series is sponsored by Sustana and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image courtesy of Sustana

We Actually Have the Technology to Recycle Paper Coffee Cups, But Can It Scale?

Perhaps your holiday wish list wasn’t fulfilled last month, but there’s no reason why you can’t relaunch it. When it comes to the home, companies are rolling out more products to make domestic life more energy efficient, safer and also, quite frankly, more fun. Meanwhile, with the timing of events like CES now underway, countless companies keep improving and innovating their smart home products. Many of these appliances and devices may be pushing the household budget, but we can dream, can’t we?

<h2>Smart bath technology from Kohler makes bath time easy - and doesn’t scald</h2>

Calgon, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjGPgs0_S0" target="_blank">take me away</a>!

Today, we’ll stay out of the bath-vs.-shower water efficiency fray. For those who enjoy a bath from time to time, the mess and the oops over we got it too hot or too cold are enough to dissuade us from soaking instead of showering. Plus, all that water lost in trying to achieve the perfect bath temperature contributes to the ongoing waste of this precious resource. Kohler, however, has a solution, one parents would definitely dream about as bath time for the little ones is more stressful than soothing.

The company’s <a href="https://www.smarthome.kohler.com/smart-bathing" target="_blank">PerfectFill</a> technology takes the guesswork out of creating the perfect bath. Announced at CES this week, this “smart bath” allows you to fill up the bathtub at your desired depth and temperature. Voice commands or an app will also let you set up to 10 various baths. Prices start at $2,700, which when considering the costs of a flooded home and subsequent bills because of one’s forgetfulness, is not too steep. One more thing – the tub will also drain at your command, but you’re the one who will be tasked with scrubbing it. The self-scrubbing tech may take a few more years.

Also available: the dreamy Stillness bath (shown below), which adds fog, light and aroma to your bathing experience. This smart home dream comes with a price, however; it’ll set you back <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/3/22858257/kohler-ces-2022-smart-bathroom-perfectfill" target="_blank">about $8,000</a>.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Kohler’s Stillness Bath adds fog, light and aroma to the bathing experience." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc6cf527-453b-4540-ab9c-5c38694152a3" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/stillness%20bath%20smart%20home.png" width="609" height="467" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Kohler’s Stillness Bath adds fog, light and aroma to the bathing experience. (Image via <a href="https://www.smarthome.kohler.com/smart-bathing">Kohler</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2>Home water security systems are fast becoming a thing</h2>

It’s been a relatively wet winter in California, but this year’s rain and snow aren’t enough to make up for several years of drought, and <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90710353/the-western-u-s-might-be-seeing-its-last-snowy-winters" target="_blank">the future is looking bleak</a>.

Is it time for homeowners and landlords to do their part? In much of the U.S., that answer is a yes, given that a good portion of our struggles with water scarcity have to do with <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/safe-water-data-problem/729516" target="_blank">leaks and other inefficiencies in our water systems</a>.

<a href="https://www.moen.com/flo" target="_blank">Moen</a> and <a href="https://www.phyn.com/press/phyn-and-kohler-partner-to-launch-two-kohler-powered-by-phyn-products-in-2021/" target="_blank">Kohler</a> are among the companies that are rolling out water security systems that can help make a smart home become even more intelligent and more water efficient. Moen offers a water monitor that can alert you for leaks and other problems within your home’s pipes, while a detector can flag overflowing drains, severe weather and appliance failures – and both systems work together. Kohler offers water systems that offer similar solutions – including one that will automatically shut off your home’s water supply if necessary. If you’re not moved by the impending water crisis, perhaps the threat of a pricey plumbing bill could give you that nudge to buy such devices and protect all that you’ve invested in your smart home.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Moen's smart water monitor and detector" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fcbaa44c-1b83-43fe-895f-b54a51e51eea" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Moen%27s%20smart%20water%20monitor%20and%20detector.png" width="864" height="450" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Moen's smart water monitor and detector (Image via <a href="https://www.moen.com/flo">Moen</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2>If only Sue Ann Nivens had these smart ovens at her disposal</h2>

Many of the leading appliance makers tout their versions of a smart, or smarter, oven. Whirlpool is upping the ante, though. As <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/whirlpool-brand-brings-new-connected-features-to-smart-appliances-proving-its-trusted-machines-get-smarter-over-time-301453656.html?tc=eml_cleartime" target="_blank">announced this month</a>, several of its smart ovens are scoring an air fryer upgrade, one that will occur remotely – just be sure you have the app and wireless internet working. In case you’re still using gallons of vegetable oil to make French fries, air frying has become a thing because of its easy, energy efficiency and health benefits – as for the latter, <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-air-fryers-healthy/" target="_blank">even the Cleveland Clinic</a> is on board. Eating smarter in your smart home? It doesn't sound so far-fetched.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Whirlpool has upgraded its smart ovens" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cb9bb871-129d-417f-aa4f-0a999aa4269f" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Whirlpool%20has%20upgraded%20its%20smart%20ovens.png" width="656" height="442" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Whirlpool has upgraded its smart ovens (Image via <a href="https://www.whirlpool.com/smart-appliances.html?cmp=whp:whp:ktm_b_q3_md:whrsot:pr:txt:na:na:sotrelease:na:na:na:na">Whirlpool</a>)</figcaption></figure>Now if only the late, great Betty White’s character, Sue Ann Nivens (shown above), had a smart oven with a safe soufflé option while the actress made her mark on the <a href="https://www.whirlpool.com/smart-appliances.html?cmp=whp:whp:ktm_b_q3_md:whrsot:pr:txt:na:na:sotrelease:na:na:na:na">Mary Tyler Moore</a> show back during the 1970s:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tVl4ZLrkEJw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

<h2>It’s more than a fridge, it’s a kitchen assistant</h2>

Chatter about the potential for smart refrigerators has been ongoing for over a decade. Is relying on internet of things (IoT) technologies <a href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/3176673/your-smart-fridge-may-kill-you-the-dark-side-of-iot.html" target="_blank">really smart</a> with the risks of malware and other threats? Are the added costs <a href="https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/submission/food-for-thought-should-you-buy-a-smart-refrigerator/" target="_blank">really worth the expense</a>, especially as refrigerators have become more energy-efficient (but <a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/you%E2%80%99re-not-crazy-your-appliances-were-built-fail-you" target="_blank">often have shorter life spans</a>) over time?

Samsung’s Family Hub seeks to put those collective eye-rolls about smart fridges aside. Yes, there are the features that might nudge you to forget about the Fire TV, with a bevy of <a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/explore/family-hub-refrigerator/features/" target="_blank">entertainment features</a> that make having only an Alexa Dot in the home seem so last decade. 

But at a time when food waste is still very much a problem nationwide, smart fridges are among the solutions we need to help us send less food to the trash. Among the bells and whistles that the Family Hub boasts include the ability to tap and see what’s in your fridge, as well as technology that offers meal ideas and recipes based on what foods are stacked on the shelves. 

If you have the budget and find the popular stainless steel look to be cliché, the Family Hub is available in an impressive <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/28/22856937/samsung-family-hub-smart-fridge-bespoke-ces-2022" target="_blank">range of colors</a>, too.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Samsung's Smart Hub fridge promises a bevy of features" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fe6eb7eb-3a81-4d8a-a1cc-fe6e23b09432" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Samsung%20Smart%20Hub.png" width="705" height="507" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Samsung's Smart Hub fridge promises a bevy of features (Image via <a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/explore/family-hub-refrigerator/overview/">Samsung</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2>Rounding out the smart home - LG keeps improving its smart washers and dryers</h2>

The <a href="https://www.lg.com/us/consumer-reports/washer-reviews" target="_blank">electronics manufacturer</a> is among the companies making its presence <a href="https://www.3blmedia.com/news/lgs-onsite-presence-ces-2022-spotlights-sustainability" target="_blank">known at CES</a>, with its latest FX washer and dryer scoring swell <a href="https://www.reviewed.com/laundry/news/lg-unveils-fx-washer-dryer-ces-2022" target="_blank">reviews</a>. Artificial intelligence takes the guesswork out of much of the tasks surrounding laundry, including measuring the perfect amount of detergent and heat allowing consumers to save water and energy – while reducing the annoyances involved with checking the dryer yet again to see if the clothes are dry. Spend a little more coin and a pet filter paired with a software upgrade. The cost for both starts at about $3,300 and will be available later this year.

 
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="LG's latest washer and dryer monitors detergent and energy use" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9338ed08-63c6-45d3-9a11-57bd60a116f7" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/LG%20Home%20dryer.jpg" width="768" height="470" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>LG's latest washer and dryer monitors detergent and energy use (Image via LG)</figcaption></figure>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Betty_White_Sue_Ann_Nivens_1973.JPG" target="_blank">CB Television</a> via Wiki Commons

If Only Betty White’s Iconic TV Character Had These Smart Home Products at Hand

Federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates are still being fought out in court, but some leading corporate citizens are taking action on their own. In the latest development, Ikea is imposing a lower rate of sick pay for unvaccinated U.K. employees who test positive for the virus, and its actions could very well ripple into the U.S.

<h2>The power of the purse</h2>

The Ikea decision is somewhat unique to the U.K., which requires companies to provide a minimum level of sick pay for workers. Companies can also offer sick pay that is far higher than the required minimum. 

As reported by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59930206" target="_blank">BBC</a> and other U.K. media, effective this week Ikea will only provide sick leave at the higher, full pay rate for vaccinated employees who need to quarantine due to a breakthrough positive test. Unvaccinated employees with a pregnancy or other verifiable medical condition that prevents them from getting vaccinated will also qualify for full sick pay.

All other unvaccinated employees who test positive will receive the U.K. “Statutory Sick Pay” of only £96.35 per week, or about $130.00 USD.

<h2>Ikea will not reward irresponsible behavior during a pandemic</h2>

In light of the relatively high rate of breakthrough infections attributed to Omicron variant, the Ikea decision appears to be an attempt to avoid rewarding irresponsible behavior during a pandemic. U.S. employers would do well to pay attention to the underlying theme of responsibility.

Vaccinated employees who test positive due to a breakthrough infection may not be symptomatic, but U.K. regulations still require them to isolate. Nevertheless, they have acted on the most reliable information available, namely, on the recommendations of public health experts. The Ikea decision rewards their responsible choices with full sick pay.

In contrast, employees who choose not to vaccinate have gambled their choice on their own preferred sources of information, or perhaps even no real information at all. Providing them with the higher level of sick pay would only serve to put the company’s seal of approval on irresponsible behavior. So, the Ikea decision punishes them with lower sick pay.

<h2>Clapping back at anti-vaxxers</h2>

It’s possible that Ikea would prefer to provide no sick pay at all for unvaccinated-by-choice workers who test positive, but British labor law requires at least the minimum of £96.35.

Still, the Ikea decision should send a signal to other employers that are trying to distinguish between responsible and irresponsible behavior during a pandemic.

Unvaccinated employees pose a potential hazard to other employees, clients, and customers. They also undercut the entire concept of corporate wellness initiatives. Many companies have staked their reputation on <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/business-covid-19-vaccine/718616" target="_blank">promoting vaccination</a> and enforcing other <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/shame-covid-19/726446" target="_blank">COVID-19 safety precautions</a> in the workplace, only to have some of their own employees blow them off by choosing not to get vaccinated.

<h2>Next steps for U.S. employers</h2>

Here in the U.S., employers with vaccine mandates generally provide unvaccinated employees with <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/employers-vaccine-refusers/727716" target="_blank">a testing option to avoid termination</a>. That movement gained support from President Biden, who ordered a January 10 deadline for all businesses with more than 100 employees to impose a vaccination mandate with a testing option. The order is in addition to a previous vaccination mandate for federal employees and contractors.

If those mandates are upheld in court, it would help create a more favorable legal environment for private sector employers to impose their own mandates, without a testing option.

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Citigroup, for one, is not waiting around. Last week, Reuters reported that Citigroup employees who are unvaccinated as of January 14 will be placed on unpaid leave and will be terminated by the end of the month. Other large financial services firms will most likely follow suit.

As with Ikea, the issue is fairness and responsibility. Banks and other large institutions are trying to get their remote workers to return to the office. Without a vaccine mandate, they face the prospect of vaccinated employees leaving their jobs in search of workplaces that do tacitly approve and enable irresponsible, potentially life-threatening behavior.

<h2>From a trickle to a flood</h2>

So far, very few high-profile businesses have ventured to fire unvaccinated employees. In combination with the Ikea decision, firm leadership from a large corporation like Citigroup could help spur others to act.

<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/united-ceo-says-vaccine-mandate-appears-ended-weekly-deaths-employees-rcna11760" target="_blank">United Airlines</a> is one of the few other examples of forceful corporate action. Last fall the company fired more than 200 unvaccinated workers. Other airlines had also expressed interest in mandates but later backed off.

Google could become the next. The company has reportedly provided for <a href="https://www.koamnewsnow.com/i/more-employers-have-started-firing-workers-for-refusing-to-get-vaccinated/" target="_blank">a January 18 deadline</a> for vaccination, after which vaccinated employees will have 30 days of paid administrative leave to think it over. If that doesn’t do the trick, the company will offer a window of unpaid personal leave for as long as six months before termination.

The health care field has also begun to activate. Last week, for example, the nonprofit medical center Mayo Clinic fired <a href="https://www.wate.com/news/mayo-clinic-fires-approximately-700-employees-who-didnt-comply-with-vaccination-program/" target="_blank">approximately 700 unvaccinated employees</a>, or about 1 percent of its workforce, after they missed a January 3 deadline for vaccine compliance.

<h2>Rewarding irresponsibility</h2>

Unfortunately, some public policy makers have gone out of their way to thwart a coordinated, effective national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Former President Trump failed to articulate a science-based approach in the first year of the virus, and his efforts to downplay the danger continued to ripple out on the level of state policy in 2021.

The impact on employers can be significant, depending on where their operations are located. For example, in most states, employer vaccine mandates are supported by state unemployment regulations that withhold benefits from workers fired due to vaccine non-compliance. That can provide significant motivation for workers to get vaccinated.

However, last fall the governors of Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee signed bills into law that provide <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/vaccine-mandate-unemployment-eligibility/" target="_blank">benefits to unvaccinated workers</a> who are fired. Forbes also reports that the state of Arkansas has joined the list.

Legal observers anticipate that the U.S. Supreme Court will not uphold the federal vaccine mandates. That would be more than a little ironic considering the repression of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/salesforce-texas-abortion-law/728386" target="_blank">women’s reproductive rights</a> expressed through conservative decision-making in the U.S. legal system.

Faced with these headwinds, corporate leaders will need to fight all the harder to articulate and enforce vaccination policies of their own that follow the science of public health and are rooted in <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/public-health-vaccines-mandates/732696">responsibility and fairness</a>.

Image credit: <a href="https://pxhere.com/en/photo/396759" target="_blank">Robert Couse-Baker</a>/Pxhere

Ikea Opens New Front in the Anti-Anti-Vaccination Battle

Remember essential workers? Almost two years ago, we started to see signs posted on lawns and in windows lauding them. Banging pots and pans in their honor became a pastime in New York and other cities. Pressure to do better on their behalf resulted in some wins for them, especially for those working in retail, many of whom scored higher wages, bonuses and even (finally) sick leave.

Fast forward to this month, and much of that praise has long dissipated, even as the omicron coronavirus variant has proven to be relentless as it takes its toll. Society has pulled the rug out from under them as many Americans feel entitled to the time and labor essential workers have given to us. Companies have done the same, as shown by their actions. (Notice how those same stores and restaurants that once freely gave out masks, wipes and hand sanitizer are no longer offering them at their entrances?)

Across the U.S., Latinos are among the communities that are disproportionately shouldering the burden as the pandemic refuses to give way.

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It doesn’t help that our leaders are singing a different tune now. New York City’s new mayor, Eric Adams, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/06/what-experts-say-eric-adams-gets-wrong-about-low-skilled-workers.html" target="_blank">urged large businesses</a> to return to their offices, saying that “unskilled” workers who lacked the “academic skills” to sit in any corner office needed commuters to patronize their employers so they can keep their jobs. He walked back those comments, but as is the case with many gaffes, they reveal what many politicians believe to be the truth. Further, let’s remember that Adams didn’t mention any safeguards the city would deploy in order to ensure the safety of the city’s essential workers.

“As coronavirus case numbers continue to skyrocket around the country, as long testing lines return, and as the calls and text messages from friends and family confirming positive tests start rolling in like it’s 2020, it bears repeating that it is the Latinx community that will once again bear the brunt of the latest variant,” columnist <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/newsletter/2022-01-06/latinx-files-covid-latinx-essential-workers-latinx-files" target="_blank">Fidel Martinez</a> recently wrote for the Los Angeles Times. “We saw this happen in spring 2020. Latinx workers were tasked with keeping the economy going, exposing themselves to the virus that has been so devastating and brutal.”

A recent <a href="https://www.labor.ucla.edu/new-report-finds-fast-food-workers-face-increased-health-risks-and-labor-violations-during-pandemic/" target="_blank">study</a> from the University of California Los Angeles confirmed that among essential workers, fast-food workers — of which there are least 150,000 in Los Angeles County alone — are at a much higher risk of becoming ill from COVID-19 than the general population. UCLA’s research found that about a quarter of these workers contracted COVID-19, and their employers only notified about half of them after a co-worker was exposed. Meanwhile, reported labor violations in such workplaces have increased during the pandemic.   

With many frontline healthcare workers in Los Angeles and beyond becoming infected, the data reveals another way in which Latino families are affected by the pandemic: Latinos total at least 2.2 million healthcare employees across the U.S., and <a href="https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/hispanic-americans-in-healthcare-and-in-essential-roles/" target="_blank">Latino health aides</a> alone comprise more than 17 percent of this workforce.

“With Hispanics driving labor force growth in the U.S., this implies that a large percentage of the community is also on the front lines of the new wave of COVID-19 cases,” wrote the editorial team of the blog <a href="https://belatina.com/latino-essential-workers-conditions/" target="_blank">BELatina</a>. “And public officials, fearing a new pandemic-related economic shutdown, are insisting that essential workers return to the workplace ‘to keep society running smoothly,’ as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s top COVID-19 advisor, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/12/27/dr-anthony-fauci-shortened-isolation-period-consideration-newday-sot-vpx.cnn" target="_blank">CNN</a> on Dec. 27. These strategies to address the pandemic imply that a large portion of Latino essential workers faces increased health risks during the pandemic.”

Even in areas with relatively impressive vaccination rates, <a href="https://inewsource.org/2021/12/15/vulnerable-neighborhoods-report-high-covid-19-rates/" target="_blank">such as San Diego County</a>, the fact that Hispanics and Latinos are disproportionately working in jobs that expose them to much of the public shows that their risk of becoming sick is still very high. And it’s not enough for their employers to “stand with” them — policies such as paid sick leave, time off to get vaccinated or boosted, and personal protective products that help prevent transmission of the virus are still very much a matter of life and death.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

As Omicron Takes Its Toll on Essential Workers, Latinos Are Among the Ones Expected to Be on the Frontlines

Green hydrogen was a bystander on the world’s decarbonization scene just a few years ago. Now the technology is emerging into the commercial sphere, and the impact on the global economy could range far and wide. With that in mind, here are five green hydrogen developments to watch that range in scale from small to large.

<h2>Buildings running on green hydrogen, and integrated with solar power</h2>

The falling cost of renewable energy has been the main driver of the green hydrogen trend. Low-cost wind and solar power help make the case for electrolysis, in which an electrical current is deployed to separate hydrogen gas from water.

Hydrogen can also be produced from water through a photoelectrochemical reaction. This method cuts out the electrical current in favor of applying solar energy directly to water, using a catalyst to trigger the reaction.

A team of scientists from the U.S. and South Korea has invented a photoelectrochemical system that could turn practically any building into a power plant. The system is designed around transparent components that can be integrated into buildings. The hydrogen would be used in fuel cells, to generate zero-emission electricity for use on site.

This project is still in the laboratory phase. However, the field of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2012/new-energy-technologies-turns-windows-invisible-solar-panels/67361" target="_blank">building integrated solar</a> is maturing, thanks in part to new <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2012/new-energy-technologies-turns-windows-invisible-solar-panels/67361" target="_blank">transparent solar cell technologies</a>. Further, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/three-clean-technologies/719556" target="_blank">fuel cell technology</a> has also improved in recent years.

Turning individual buildings into green hydrogen energy producers would serve two key purposes. It would help decarbonize the building sector, which is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The technology also dovetails with a broader movement toward more resilient, distributed energy resources. Hydrogen-producing buildings could store excess hydrogen for later use, or sell it for power needs off-site.

<h2>An electrolyzer on every wind turbine</h2>

The intermittent nature of wind and solar power is another factor driving the green hydrogen trend. The connection is especially close for wind power. Wind speeds are generally more optimal at night, when electricity demand is low. Rather than curtailing production, wind turbines could continue to generate electricity at night to produce green hydrogen for use during the day.

Existing electricity transmission lines can smooth the way to link green hydrogen production and wind farms. However, transmission bottlenecks are already popping up. As a workaround, the leading global wind firm Siemens Gamesa is developing <a href="https://www.siemensgamesa.com/en-int/newsroom/2021/11/211110-siemens-gamesa-green-hydrogen-to-vehicles" target="_blank">a hydrogen electrolysis system</a> that can be integrated directly into individual wind turbines.

In addition to supporting the vision of distributed, decentralized energy systems, this approach also opens up the potential for co-locating wind turbines with different transportation options for hydrogen, including pipelines as well as highways and railways.

Siemens is also applying its electrolyzer-on-a-turbine technology to offshore wind farms. The current plan is to use undersea <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2021/12/09/love-blooms-when-green-hydrogen-meets-offshore-wind-turbines/" target="_blank">pipelines to bring the hydrogen on shore</a>.

<h2>Green hydrogen for green ammonia</h2>

Another approach to the distributed hydrogen strategy involves locating wind-powered electrolysis systems at individual farms. The end goal would be to produce <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2020/11/30/the-renewable-energy-cows-come-home-now-with-green-ammonia/" target="_blank">green ammonia</a> fertilizer, by combining green hydrogen with ambient nitrogen from the air.

There are multiple benefits to this approach. It would enable farmers to cut their carbon footprint, by reducing or eliminating the use of conventional ammonia fertilizer produced from fossil-sourced hydrogen. It would also help foster resiliency and decentralization in the agriculture industry, and it offers the potential for farmers to use excess fertilizer as a revenue stream.

The University of Minnesota established the first known wind-to-ammonia system in 2013, at its campus in Morris. Supportive public policy would be needed in order to mainstream the idea, and the researchers are making a strong case for that. An update on the project last year lists numerous opportunities for scaling up, including the availability of existing ammonia transportation and storage infrastructure.

<h2>The auto industry goes green</h2>

In addition to generating zero-emission electricity in a fuel cell, hydrogen can be deployed as a zero emission, combustible fuel for industrial processes. That has caught the attention of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/fossil-fuel-free-steel/727166" target="_blank">the global steel industry</a>.

Steelmakers rely heavily on fossil energy, but some of their leading customers have been raising the pressure to decarbonize. That includes automakers, which are beginning to deploy <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/ev-sustainable-cars-bmw/728196" target="_blank">sustainable sourcing as a leading marketing tool</a>.

In a report last year, Bloomberg NEF noted that steel currently accounts for 7 percent of <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/steel-industry-set-to-pivot-to-hydrogen-in-278-billion-green-push/" target="_blank">global greenhouse emissions</a> related to human activity. BNEF estimates that it would take about $278 billion to bring steel production close to eliminating all carbon emissions by 2050. Along with green hydrogen, recycling would also play a central role in the strategy.

The steel maker SSAB, the energy company Vattenfall and the iron ore producer LKAB have already collaborated on a green hydrogen <a href="https://www.ssab.com/fossil-free-steel/hybrit-a-new-revolutionary-steelmaking-technology" target="_blank">system for steel production called Hybrit</a>. The venture is currently in the pilot phase and is on track for commercial operation by 2025.

<h2>Scaling up for the global green hydrogen economy</h2>

Based on the activity so far, there is ample room in a decarbonized global economy for a distributed, decentralized green hydrogen model.

Still, centralized hydrogen production will most likely play a key role in accelerating the pace of decarbonization. Aside from building owners, farmers and steel makers, there are many other existing use cases for hydrogen in food processing, pharmaceuticals, and toiletries, among other fields. The market for hydrogen fuel cells in various transportation sectors is also growing. In addition, the emerging area of maritime ammonia fuel will propel the demand for green hydrogen.

Green hydrogen stakeholders are already scaling up. One such project is <a href="https://www.sgh2energy.com/worlds-largest-green-hydrogen-project-to-launch-in-california" target="_blank">a 12 tons-per-day electrolysis facility</a> planned for the city of Lancaster, California by the global firm SGH2.

That project will soon be outdone by an agreement between the fuel cell firm Plug Power and the compressed natural gas specialist Certarus. The agreement calls for an initial delivery of 10 tons daily in 2022, with the expectation of <a href="https://www.ir.plugpower.com/Press-Releases/Press-Release-Details/2021/Plug-Power-and-Certarus-Partner-on-Green-Hydrogen-Supply-and-Expansion-of-Distribution-Infrastructure/default.aspx" target="_blank">1,000 tons daily by 2028</a>. The end users will include mining, power generation and other industrial uses.

That’s an impressive plan, but it has already been surpassed by a proposed <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2022/01/03/chile-races-china-for-global-green-hydrogen-boss-crown/" target="_blank">wind-powered electrolyzer facility in Chile</a>, which is expected to deliver 880,000 tons per year.

It will take years for the hydrogen economy to unglue itself from fossil energy, but it looks like the die has been cast. 

Image credit: Adobe Stock

From Small to Large, Five Green Hydrogen Projects to Watch

While most of the world’s automakers have been bullish about their long-term plans for electric vehicles (EVs), many hurdles still remain as many drivers still gravitate to cars with the internal combustion engine. Among the challenges is the current <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/29/electric-vehicles-semiconductors-chips-act/" target="_blank">global shortage</a> of semiconductors. That is a problem largely out of the auto industry’s control but doesn’t help matters when it comes time to persuade consumers to move on from gasoline- or diesel-powered cars.

Nevertheless, the numbers that Germany’s Volkswagen just <a href="https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/volkswagen-doubles-deliveries-of-all-electric-vehicles-in-2021-7702" target="_blank">publicly released</a> demonstrate that the industry’s path toward electrification is one that still shows promise. 

The negative side (depending on one’s point of view) for Volkswagen is that while the company delivered almost 4.9 million vehicles worldwide last year, that number represents an 8 percent decrease from 2020. Overall, demand for the brand’s cars is high: the automaker says there’s a backlog of more than 540,000 vehicles in Europe alone – and about 17 percent of those cars on order are for electric vehicles.

While we’re on the subject of electric vehicles, Volkswagen announced that it delivered almost 370,000 all-electric cars worldwide. That’s more than a 40 percent increase in orders for electric vehicles for the company, compared to the approximate <a href="https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/2021/01/Volkswagen-brand-triples-deliveries-of-all-electric-vehicles-in-2020.html" target="_blank">212,000 all-electric cars</a> that it delivered during 2020. The most popular EV? The automaker’s ID.4 crossover (shown above) by far, with the ID.3, which was <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/goat-zero-ev-redemption-volkswagen-affordable-id3-ev/84841" target="_blank">first released in 2019</a>, coming second.

According to TriplePundit’s Tina Casey, Volkswagen’s focus on producing these cars so that they are more affordable could continue to provide the automaker a boost in the worldwide EV race.

“The prospect of lower fuel and maintenance costs compared to diesel- and gas-powered vehicles can also help take the sting out of the sticker price, regardless of whether or not tax incentives are available,” Casey <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/goat-zero-ev-redemption-volkswagen-affordable-id3-ev/84841" target="_blank">wrote in September 2019</a>.

While the raw numbers may not impress those who believe the global transition toward electrification needs to happen much sooner rather than later, another one of Volkswagen’s statistics is also worth highlighting. Of the total number of vehicles that the automaker delivered last year, 7.5 percent of them were hybrid or all-electric. That’s almost double the 4 percent of the company’s total deliveries during 2020.

Advocates of electric and energy-efficient vehicles will find mixed results in Volkswagen’s numbers. While the Golf is the brand’s top-selling car in Germany, across the board SUVs made the bulk of Volkswagen’s deliveries in 2021: 40 percent, compared to almost 35 percent the previous year.

With a reported range of <a href="https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1134703_2022-volkswagen-id-4-more-range-faster-charging-price-hike-of-765#:~:text=Now%20VW%20says%20that%20it's,pack%20for%20the%20entire%20lineup." target="_blank">260 miles</a> on a full charge and a <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/2022-evs-trends/733966" target="_blank">battery platform</a> that supports several classes of vehicles, Volkswagen’s all-electric outlook looks promising. 

“Intentionally or not, Volkswagen's ID Buzz concept might be the most successful aspect of the company's post-Dieselgate charm offensive,” <a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/01/volkswagen-sets-a-date-for-its-retro-id-buzz-electric-van-launch/" target="_blank">Jonathan Gitlin</a> of Ars Technica recently wrote. “VW has had to pivot hard into electrification, applying its proven strategy of building many different styles of vehicles from the same family of parts and designs.”

Image credit via <a href="https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/id4-5840" target="_blank">Volkswagen newsroom</a>

This Automaker’s Latest Numbers Reveal More Optimism for Electric Vehicles

The Times Square Ball has dropped, marking a new year for the western calendar — and growing sense for climate progress. Just days before the turning of the calendar, new German Minister of Economy and Climate Protection Robert Habeck <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/germany-will-probably-miss-climate-targets-environment-minister-2021-12-29/%0A" target="_blank">told</a> German national weekly Die Zeit, “We will probably miss our targets for 2022. ... Even for 2023 it will be difficult enough. We are starting with a drastic backlog.” He said the new year would be “exhausting” for the ministry. 

While other nations haven’t made such bold announcements, organizations like the <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/updated-climate-commitments-ahead-cop26-summit-fall-far-short-net%0A" target="_blank">United Nations Environment Program</a> (UNEP) have made it clear that, as a whole, G20 members are projected to fall short of their 2030 pledges. The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) updated during the recent U.N. climate conference only shave about eight percent off of predicted 2030 emissions, the UNEP shared in its Emissions Gap Report from last October. If nations were preparing to meet the 1.5 °C Paris goal, they would have pursued a 55 percent drop, the UNEP added.

Clearly Germany isn’t the only nation falling behind. As the new year begins, it’s useful to take a look at the trajectories of the world’s <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters" target="_blank">top greenhouse gas emitters</a>. Habeck noted that Germany will focus in part on a doubling or more of the number of wind turbines built this year. On that point, what sort of hard work is ahead for other nations, and where are the open doors and where is resistance?

<h2>China: pushing forward climate targets</h2>

Generating over half of the world’s <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidblackmon/2021/08/26/china-drives-dramatic-rise-in-global-coal-usage-in-2021/?sh=1cdb9cc03193" target="_blank">coal energy</a> and about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, China takes its rightful place at the top of the list. The industrial powerhouse has remained the <a href="https://www.fs-unep-centre.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GTR_2020.pdf" target="_blank">top investor in renewable energy</a> since 2013, when it overtook Europe, but it has set modest climate goals, such as reaching <a href="http://www.news.cn/english/2021-10/25/c_1310266060.htm" target="_blank">peak carbon dioxide emissions</a> before 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2060. We may see a shift in these goals in 2022. In a piece for <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-the-fight-against-climate-change-china-is-doing-more-than-you-think-but-still-not-enough-172138" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>, Professor of Environmental Diplomacy at DePaul University Phillip Stalley predicted that the increased number of climate pledges announced at last year’s climate summit, as well as a new and unexpected partnership with the U.S., could help to nudge China toward more ambitious targets. 

<h2>The U.S.: breaking through policy roadblocks</h2>

Yes, with its new administration, the United States has reentered the global stage as a climate leader. But actually taking such action has proven to be difficult. While Biden’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/22/1065136333/in-2021-climate-ambitions-soared-and-crashed-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world" target="_blank">$1 trillion infrastructure package</a> has passed through Congress, a larger spending bill has been stalled. The administration has indicated that it may rely more heavily on executive orders and rules to achieve climate progress. At the end of December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/biden-raises-automobile-fuel-economy-standards-to-fight-climate-change" target="_blank">increase in vehicle mileage standards</a> to 40 miles per gallon by 2026. And earlier in the December, Biden signed an executive order that sets <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/08/fact-sheet-president-biden-signs-executive-order-catalyzing-americas-clean-energy-economy-through-federal-sustainability/">emissions goals</a> across federal operations. 

<h2>The European Union: shifting to bolder climate progress</h2>

While the European Union has been a <a href="https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/eu-climate-change/" target="_blank">climate leader</a> in many ways — even pursuing the goal of making Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050 — the research group <a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/eu/" target="_blank">Climate Action Tracker</a> has rated its overall efforts “insufficient.” A study published late last year found that Europe will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/europe-miss-2030-climate-goal-by-21-years-current-pace-study-2021-09-04/" target="_blank">miss its 2030 target</a> for reducing greenhouse gases by 55 percent by 20 years. Instead of relying on incremental change, the EU should start taking bold action, Olivia Lazard writes for <a href="https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/84506" target="_blank">Carnegie Europe</a>. 

Lazard finds hope in the <a href="https://www.ecologic.eu/sites/default/files/publication/2021/bodle-21-Ecologic-Institut-policy-brief-constitutional-court-climate-change-act.pdf" target="_blank">constitutional court ruling</a> from March that concluded that Germany’s climate measures were insufficient to ensure a safe future and urged quick and decisive action. The government amended its <a href="https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/analysis/court-ruling-germany-climate-protection-act" target="_blank">Climate Protection Act</a> in response, signaling hope for the role that democratic processes can play in keeping governments accountable and progressing, even if it requires, to quote Habeck yet again, “exhausting” work on the climate progress front for the time being. 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/eIBTh5DXW9w" target="_blank">American Public Power Association</a> via Unsplash

What Type of ‘Exhausting’ Work Is Required for Climate Progress in 2022? 

One unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic starting to come to light is a setback in a long-standing progression toward ethical working conditions in factories. While the immediate economic impacts of our reactions to a global pandemic are fairly predictable, most of us didn’t expect (or didn’t have the time to consider) how one virus’ disruption of a globalized economy could set back years of progress in ethical working conditions.

<h2>More data, but also more non-compliance</h2>

Since the pandemic started in 2020, the number of factories failing inspections for ethical practices has gone up considerably. <a href="https://www.qima.com/qima-news/2021-q3-barometer-china-recovery-slows">Supplier audit data</a> from the international inspection company QIMA, shows a clear trend from 2020 to 2021. The number of “critically non-compliant” factories increased from 18 percent in 2020 to 28 percent in 2021. This bucks a three-year growth in progress where more and more factories were moving out of the “critical” category and into the “compliant” category.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Factories which were previously assessed as “in need of improvement” have deteriorated to “critically non-compliant”. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="839160a2-db77-4d96-b7fc-b8d948a56458" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ethical%20Compliance%20Trends%202.png" width="791" height="425" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Factories which were previously assessed as “in need of improvement” have deteriorated to “critically non-compliant”.  
(Image: QIMA.com <a href="https://www.qima.com/qima-news/2021-q4-barometer-sourcing-save-the-holidays">Q4 Supply Chain Industry Report</a>)</figcaption></figure> 

These are factors most of us consider fundamental rights, which organizations ranging from small local groups to international organizations like the United Nations have been working on for decades. Since the industrial revolution <a href="http://factoryworkingconditions.com/history/the-evolution-of-factory-working-conditions/">factory working conditions have slowly evolved</a> to be better in most dimensions of ethics. The most recent reports, however, show that the ongoing pandemic has been a setback.

<h2>How the pandemic affected ethical working conditions </h2>

As was expected, the in-and-out of lockdowns across the world starting in the Spring of 2020 changed the demand for goods and services around the world. While the demand for PPE like masks and gloves soared, demand for most other products declined. 
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Demand for PPE as indicated by quantity procured by UNICEF Image Source: UNICEF.org " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4cdd6670-f6dc-49b5-a21b-f20814ea8141" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/UNICEF%20PPE%20supply%20graph.png" width="1140" height="828" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Demand for PPE as indicated by quantity procured by UNICEF (Image: <a href="https://www.unicef.org/supply/stories/covid-19-impact-assessment-and-outlook-personal-protective-equipment">UNICEF.org</a>)</figcaption></figure>While most of us in western cities are worried about the distractions of working from home or not being able to meet up with friends, we’re now starting to realize that some of the biggest economic burdens are falling on overseas suppliers. These manufacturers tasked with producing the majority of our commodities not only saw a reduction in orders, but in some cases cancelling and nonpayment of those already in production. According to an <a href="https://www.workersrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Leveraging-Desperation.pdf" target="_blank">October 2020 report from Penn State’s Center for Global Workers’ Rights</a>, over half of the suppliers they contacted were forced to accept prices for orders below the cost of production and wait longer than usual for payments.

Furthermore, 77 percent of suppliers surveyed reported that when the pandemic disruptions first hit, they had at least some of their orders cancelled and did not receive payment.

<h2>Suppliers' struggles falls on the backs of workers</h2>

In our globalized economy the burden of unexpected events flows downstream and often lands hardest on the lowest rung of the ladder: individual workers. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt in developed countries, paired with business closures reduces consumption of goods. To compensate, brands cut down on orders as they scramble to reduce costs wherever possible. As suppliers are not paid, underpaid, or have payments delayed, they too scramble to meet operational costs and as a result, retract to unethical practices.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="25 percent of surveyed suppliers said that the continuation of adverse purchasing products would make them extremely likely to go out of business. (Image: Workersrights.org)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1f2b00cb-10ea-4092-b39b-97b4a2f0d936" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Likelihood%20of%20going%20out%20of%20business.png" width="594" height="348" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>25 percent of surveyed suppliers said that the continuation of adverse purchasing products would make them extremely likely to go out of business. (Image: <a href="https://www.workersrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Leveraging-Desperation.pdf">Workersrights.org</a>)</figcaption></figure>While the long-term implications of this trend are yet to be seen, it is clear that a substantial portion of suppliers are feeling the stress. Like many other changes brought by COVID-19, we hope this will be an asterisk on our timeline of progress, not a substantial setback. 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Lp78NT-mf9o" target="_blank">Allan Wadsworth</a> via Unsplash

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We report the business case for sustainability.

Leon Kaye

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