Nike celebrates circular design with ‘most sustainable shoe to date’
The Nike Air VaporMax 2020 Flyknit is one of Nike’s most sustainable shoes to date, the company says, being made with at least 50% recycled content by weight.
“We wanted to look at not only Nike’s waste stream but other industrial waste streams and how we could leverage that content,” said Nike product design lead Jesi Small. “We let that drive a lot of the decision-making.”
Nike Air VaporMax 2020 Flyknit sustainability credentials:
- The first full-length VaporMax Air unit is made with about 75% recycled material.
- The recycled Flyknit yarn is made from about 67% post-industrial recycled content by weight, as well as different recycled components (including recycled plastic bottle waste).
- Themoulded dual-density Ortholite sockliner is made from about 50% recycled content, while the tongue features at least 80% recycled foam.
- TPU on the heel clip and toe tip contains about 60% recycled TPU.
“We wanted to make a sustainably-sourced silhouette from the ground up, and one that is quick and easy to put on and wear daily,” says Small.
“That’s why we also innovated around ease of entry, exit and lockdown to design a smarter and better-designed shoe for all athletes.”
“One of the cornerstones of what we were trying to do with this shoe was integrate the idea of ‘Rawthenticity,’ or showing how the raw pieces of each of these sustainable design elements was coming to life,” says Jarrod Hale, Nike NSW senior project line manager.
“In this approach to being perfectly-imperfect using raw materials, we felt like the idea could show wearers how and why things are working, and from a function and aesthetic aspect that brought the whole thing together.”
HelloFresh to become first global carbon-neutral meal kit company
The company commits to offset 100% of its direct carbon emissions from 2020 onwards.
HelloFresh, global provider of meal kits, is committing to offset 100% of its direct carbon emission from its internal operations and office, as well as all emissions from delivery to customers and corporate travel as part of the company’s green energy and carbon reduction strategy.
This will make HelloFresh the first global carbon-neutral meal kit company, it says.
For the International Segment, HelloFresh will partner with Planetly, a climate-tech start up from Berlin and, with their expertise, invest in climate protection projects around the globe. The initiative is expected to offset over 40,000 metric tonnes of carbon for 2020. In the US, HelloFresh is collaborating with terrapass to offset at least 50,000 metric tonnes of carbon.
In cooperation with Planetly, HelloFresh will offset the full amount of direct carbon emissions for 2020 through continuous investment in global climate protection projects as per CCBS Gold Level certification.
Partner organisations and projects in the UK include supporting a forestry project to help to lead the way in voluntary carbon woodland creation and forest management, working with Woodland Carbon Code to track its emissions and providing a transparency for all UK-based Carbon Units.
Google Pixel phone case made from over 70% recycled plastic
Google’s new Pixel 4a case is made from over 70% recycled plastic, the company says.
It says two recycled plastic bottles can provide enough knitted outer fabric for five cases.
Last year, it outlined its sustainability commitments across manufacturing, the supply chain and product design.
- By 2020, 100% of all shipments going to or from customers will be carbon neutral.
- Starting in 2022, 100% of ‘Made by Google’ products will include recycled materials with a drive to maximize recycled content wherever possible.
- It will make technology that ‘puts people first’ and expands access to the benefits of technology.
Veolia becomes first waste company to join new OPRL membership
Veolia has become the first company to join the On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) organisation under the recently introduced waste management company membership grade.
The new membership continues the collaboration between OPRL and Veolia to advance recycling of packaging in the drive to improve sustainability.
OPRL Ltd operates the UK-wide On-Pack Recycling Label scheme recently rated as global best practice by the UN Environment Programme, and joins over 540 businesses using the labelling system to engage their customers in recycling.
Veolia’s membership now means the company’s large customer base can access a fully aligned service on the recyclability and labelling of their packaging as part of the OPRL membership.
Tim Duret, Technology and Organics Director, Veolia UK and Ireland said: “From my perspective with a long involvement in the recycling sector, it’s really encouraging that the whole value chain is now coming together to overcome the barriers to creating a true circular economy for packaging.
“As new members, we’re delighted to contribute to OPRL’s development of the labelling scheme and its expanding range of tools that genuinely reflect the UK recycling capabilities and challenge us all to do better.”
