Business
Textiles are one of the largest contributors to a growing waste problem that we deal with today. In a society that often values having things that are new and trendy, the fast fashion industry has taken over. Each year millions of tonnes of clothes are produced, worn, and thrown away.
Business
Medium-Life Bulky Products, or MLBP's, such as mattresses, carpets, and cushions, contain a large amount of material that, at the end of its life, is ultimately taken to the landfill. In addition to the sheer amount of material waste, the materials themselves often contained chemicals that would
Business
When it comes to being responsible in regards to waste, an important part of that process revolves around not just taking waste and creating new products with it, but also mitigating how much becomes waste in the first place. In regards to sustainability practices, this is often seen in medium-
Business
Ahrend, a Dutch furniture company, sought to revitalize the white-collar workspace by reimagining how we furnish them. The traditional model, which revolves around furniture that is bought to be used for a relatively short amount of time, and then discarded, was not only a large contributor of waste to
Business
Chinese Cosmetic Company Yan An Tang saw a need for innovation in the way that cosmetic companies handled their waste. Cosmetic packaging was often multiple types of plastic, with dyes, contaminants, and other complications that made recycling them difficult. What happens to that packaging when the product is finished can
Opinion
Material has a finite lifespan. More and more products are being produced. Single-use products are getting harder to avoid. It would seem that everywhere we go, at any point throughout the day, we could be receiving something that will eventually wind up in the trash. Space is limited, landfills
Business
When disposing of trash, we often separate it into recyclable and non-recyclable. While it's fairly obvious why some items, such as organic and biodegradable waste, belong in the trash, some items have recyclable components but may be too complicated to go through a sorting facility. That'
Science & Tech
Styrenyx breaks down waste polystyrene, a common hard plastic, into its original building block: styrene monomer. This includes flame-retardant-laden and other distressed feedstocks that are otherwise difficult to recycle. It uses controlled temperatures, with no catalyst required, and is the result of 8 generations of development, over 20
Arts & Lifestyle
The Toronto Tool Library and Makerspace, founded in 2012, creates an opportunity for a local shared pool of resources for anyone who wants to get crafty. Here’s one you’ve heard before: the average drill is used for just 13 minutes in its lifetime. Yet many of us possess
Arts & Lifestyle
Digital second-hand marketplaces have existed for as long as the internet has been in existence. These services help ensure that previously owned products don't go to waste when they aren't needed anymore. What if a similar service existed, but with the goal of reducing food
Science & Tech
TrackMyTrash is a service that would allow a user to discover the path that their recycled material is taking. This service would utilize reports from recycling plants, post-production companies, and innovators in recycled materials. All information would be compiled in an online database and app, allowing anyone to find
Numbers
Overview The figure above displays the results of multiple survey questions pertaining to the practice of recycling materials. It summarizes both quantitative and qualitative data to show reasons why the sample may or may not recycle, how to increase recycling participation, and why people don't always purchase items