As COP27 wraps up and we get closer to welcoming 2023, it seems appropriate to talk about the carbon footprint of Christmas. I think that most of us would actually like to not destroy the planet and yet seem to forget about what’s really important during the holiday season (Christmas in particular).
Too Good To Go is an app that allows you to buy heavily-discounted mystery bags of food that would have otherwise been wasted. Here’s more about Too Good To Go, a certified B-Corporation, and food waste in general.
The Re-Up Refill Shop, based in Oakland, California, offers zero-waste solutions for most of the stuff that you need for your home. US residents dump more than their own body weight in plastic every year. Half of it is packaging.
Whenever I come home to Ireland I have the dilemma of which kind of butter to buy: conventional dairy-based butter or plant-based vegan butter. In California, the choice is pretty straightforward – it’s now fairly easy to find good-quality, ethical and affordable vegan butters. In Ireland, however, the choice is not so clear, as I’ll explain over the next couple of posts. Or at least it wasn’t a clear choice at first…
Hi Folks! In a return to the Daily Footprint posts, I’m going to spend some time looking at plant-based meat substitutes. They are definitely catching on: last year, in the US, sales of meat rose by 2% while sales of plant-based meat-substitutes rose by 24% (and sales rose even faster than that in Europe). Over … Continue reading Daily Footprint, #31 – Beyond Meat
Greetings, people! Is it just me or is everyone incredibly freaking busy since the year started? In any case, I’m a little late on this post to announce the winners of the last competition to write a Green Stars Review. Of course, life is not a competition and we’re all winners – just wanted to … Continue reading Your Turn – Competition Results, and Repeat!
Summary: Laundry detergent is as effective as it needs to be and yet is constantly being reinvented for marketing purposes. Any further improvements in detergent should be made on the fronts of sustainability and social impact. Instead, the major detergent makers focus on minor tweaks to improve aesthetics or convenience, addressing first-world problems rather than … Continue reading Daily Footprint, #27 – Laundry Detergent, Part 1: Revenge of the Pods
Earlier in the year, I wrote a post about cell phones that covered a few social and environmental issues, from repairability and longevity to sourcing of (conflict) minerals. I said I would post an update once I chose a new phone and wrote a Green Stars review, and so, here I am! Based on the … Continue reading Ethical Cell Phone Update: LG Review
I got a request from S., author of A Misplaced Pen blog, to cover this topic (thanks for the suggestion!). I don't use a water filter at the moment, partly to reduce waste and partly because (like Mulder) I want to believe. In my case, I want to believe that safe water is provided for … Continue reading Daily Footprint, #24 – Sustainable Water Filter
It’s good to get back to the Daily Footprint, charting the impact of our epic voyage through a typical day. You’ve just had a stressful meeting at work with lots of Important People (even Mr. McDougall senior showed up!) and you really feel the need for some comfort food. You know you shouldn’t (especially since … Continue reading Daily Footprint, #22 – Potato Chips
The Green Stars Project 