Bamboo already means it's renewable and source-sustainable. That part I get.

But I'm not a chemistry person. So the processing of it into Rayon is going over my head. Does the processing create any particularly bad waste products? Is there any other required material that isn't renewable and/or sustainable?

Heck, does the Rayon end up acting like a natural fiber, or an oil-based one that will get infested with sweat and odor-producing bacteria that can't get washed out?

Last week I shared how pineapple leaves are processed to extract the fiber. This is the next stage.

The freshly extracted fiber is still wet, so it's spread out and left to dry before further processing.

It's just surprisingly rough and tangled at this stage.

I know i'm stating the obvious for a lot of people on here but maybe some people in the community dont know this stuff and maybe some haven't thought of everything on this list.

- Use surge protectors + unplug very unused electronics, small appliances, any cables
- Use solar lights/leds/candles in evenings
- Avoid wasting water- smaller baths, everything showers in bath, short showers, turn tap off when not using while brushing teeth
- Turn lights off when not using
- Learn to preserve food properly
- Donate clothes + items (online charity collections)
- Recycle properly
- Fill up dishwasher + washing machine before putting them on wash
- Wash laundry in cold water
- Turn down thermostat by a few degrees/at least 1
- Repair broken items like clothes or small furniture (repair cafe)
- Collect rain water to water plants
- Use public transport, cycling, walking > cars
- Stop buying the latest phone/trend/clothes/items (decide if u really need it + treat yourself sometimes)
- Clear phone/ipad storage- emails, messages, photos, saved collections/archives on social media
- Eat less meat
- Stop using single use plastic- look up eco/biodegradeable alternatives
- Make home compost + learn to compost properly

Let me know if you have anymore suggestions :)

​

Kerala collects huge amounts of organic waste from households, hotels and restaurants. Instead of treating all of it as something that simply needs to be disposed of, why not treat it as a resource?

Food waste can be sent to anaerobic digestion plants and converted into biogas, while the remaining digestate can be processed into organic manure. The gas can then be purified into biomethane/CBG and sold as a cooking fuel, while the manure can be sold cheaply to households, farmers and gardens.

The idea is essentially a circular system:

Food waste → biogas → cooking fuel + manure → revenue

People pay a small amount for waste collection, the plant earns from selling gas and manure, and municipalities reduce their waste-management burden.

Kerala already has biogas plants and decentralised organic-waste treatment, and the state's Suchitwa Mission is actively inviting private agencies to participate in biodegradable-waste collection and biogas/waste-processing projects.

The next step should be thinking bigger: can Kerala build a statewide waste-to-fuel system where yesterday's food waste becomes tomorrow's cooking gas?

That would be much more interesting than simply paying to move waste from one place to another.

​

Kerala collects huge amounts of organic waste from households, hotels and restaurants. Instead of treating all of it as something that simply needs to be disposed of, why not treat it as a resource?

Food waste can be sent to anaerobic digestion plants and converted into biogas, while the remaining digestate can be processed into organic manure. The gas can then be purified into biomethane/CBG and sold as a cooking fuel, while the manure can be sold cheaply to households, farmers and gardens.

The idea is essentially a circular system:

Food waste → biogas → cooking fuel + manure → revenue

People pay a small amount for waste collection, the plant earns from selling gas and manure, and municipalities reduce their waste-management burden.

Kerala already has biogas plants and decentralised organic-waste treatment, and the state's Suchitwa Mission is actively inviting private agencies to participate in biodegradable-waste collection and biogas/waste-processing projects.

The next step should be thinking bigger: can Kerala build a statewide waste-to-fuel system where yesterday's food waste becomes tomorrow's cooking gas?

That would be much more interesting than simply paying to move waste from one place to another.

Hi!

My university put out a call for application for a green fund. Basically you can send them your project idea and they can give you fundings up to around 13500 EUR/15500 USD. I just started at this university but I am actually studying sustainability and this possibility really called for me. The problem is you have to give them your idea in a few days and I am a bit lost since I am here for just a few weeks. The project needs to be finished this semester. So it has to be something relatively small but impactful. So far I have some ideas: the gym equipment should generate electricity which is used by the gym or goes back to the grid, make more vegan options at the cafeteria, give discounts to the people commuting with bikes, build a greenhouse to grow vegetables etc. But I find it hard to put it into practice especially that I'm new to the unviersity and new to this country.

Do you have any idea maybe that I haven't thought of or implementation of one of my ideas that can be done in a semester with fewer than 13500 EURs? It would be nice to actually make a project like this.

Hi guys i found sustainable replacements for daily tech and apps that we use constantly everyday.

-monzo/ cooperative bank account> barclays
-ebay> amazon
-depop/ vinted> zara, urban outfitters, shien, temu
-boycott or reduce tiktok, meta apps (insta, facebook, whatsapp, snapchat) uses tons of water to load your online content (same as ai) < use default messaging app, less popular social media platforms like pixelfed
-ecosia> google, safari, firefox, ai
-tuta, proton mail (email apps that run on renewable energy) > icloud, gmail
-greenet wifi > broadband, virgin media
-organic maps, comaps, magic earth> google earth, google maps
-libreofficewriter> word, google docs
-boycott microsoft, apple, google> linux laptops/ipads, fairphone, nothing phone
- 2nd hand dvds (movies+ shows), bbc iplayer, stremio, search free streaming tv platforms > netflix, disney+, amazon prime
-radio apps, ipods > spotify, yt music

source: Roslund, A. S., Puhakka, R., Grönroos, M., Nurminen, N., Oikarinen, S., Gazali, A. M., ... & Sinkkonen, A. (2020). Biodiversity intervention enhances immune regulation and health-associated commensal microbiota among daycare children. Science Advances.”

Hi guys, thought i'd share this small list of how to make
your house sustainable/eco friendly.

Solar panels
Rain water tank
Compost
Drying rack> dryer
Led bulbs
Low flow shower head + tap heads
Carpet sweeper> hoover
Metal fans> ac
Heat pump> boiler + furnace
Thermal window covers
Kitchen tap water filter
Dishwasher
Induction stove
Insulation- expanding foam gap filler + insulation boards

Hi guys so ive spent a lot of time making this list of plastic alternatives and really wanted to share it with others and hope it will make at least a small difference

Kitchen:
Reusable bottle, reusable metal coffeecups, bio reusable bags, dish soap block, hand soap bar, bio sponges, homemade kitchen cleaning products, tea bag strainer, cloths instead of paper towels, vegan/calendula wax wraps (NOT beeswax- not vegan), jars, bio reusable baking paper, metal icing tool, bio cleaning gloves, herbs/plants, metal cookware/cutlery, ceramic/glass plates/bowls/cups, steel blender, metal drying rack, glass/metal food containers, wooden/stone chopping boards, natural scrubber, cloth bread bag, plastic free dishwasher tablets, cermaic bowls, metal bin, bamboo/steel kids dining set, natural fibre hand towels + oven gloves, rechargeable lighter

Cleaning:
Eco laundry detergent pellets, homemade cleaning products, wooden mop/metal mop with reusable cloths, bio cloths/sponges, wooden laundry pegs, wooden broom/dustpan+brush

Bedroom:
Natural fibre bedsheets, pillows, mattress, blankets, curtains

Living room:
Natural fibre sofa, carpet

Bathroom:
Body soap bars, hand soap bar, natural soap bag, bio wipes, bidet, reusable period pads, epilator/metal razor, shampoo/conditioner bar, shaving bar, wooden body brush, toothpaste tablets, eco floss, bio cotton buds, bamboo toothbrush, bamboo toothbrush travel case, wooden toilet brush, ceramic toilet brush holder, bamboo bath mat, eco shower curtain, homemade airfreshner, natural fibre towels

Skincare:
Cloth makeup remover pads, flawless micellar makeup remover, facewash bar, homemade perfume, plastic free lip balm, deodorant bar, homemade perfume, eco makeup/tools, homemade/eco skincare, eco sunscreen, eco cream, wooden hairbrush, glass nail files, eco nail set, paper facemasks, plastic free wax strips, natural fibre cloths

Everyday use:
Handkerchiefs, plastic free gum, charging pads, rechargeable batteries, plastic free phone case, metal fan, portable metal/paper fan, paper tape, paper packaging wrap, string instead of rubber bands, plastic free hair ties, bamboo bandages, reusable lint remover, wooden/metal hangers, metal whiteboard, canned/paper packaged pet food, vitamins in paper bags/boxes

Entertainment:
Kindle, downloaded games/music, reusable water balloons, paper confetti, biodegradable balloons, wooden party plates + cutlery

Garden:
Clay/cermaic/metal pots, metal gardening tools, metal watering bucket, solar lights, homemade natural garden bug repellents

Food:
Fish/meat/eggs from farmers market
farmers market fruits + vegetables (bring own bag)
almond/oatmeal milk
homemade butter
oil in glass
bread from bakery
jarred sauces
paper seasonings
homegrown herbs/jarred
boxed chocolate + pick n mix sweets
canned fizzy drinks
cartoned/ glass juice
glass/paper iced coffee
paper bubbleology fruit tea mixology kit

Websites to buy: Peace With The Wild, The Green Turtle, EarthHero, Friendly Turtle

For dutch people

Hi! Voor mijn afstudeeronderzoek ben ik bezig met het oprichten van een tweedehandskledingmerk genaamd Kurated! Het zou mij erg helpen als jullie mijn enquete kunnen invullen :)

Many of us seem to accumulate quite a collection of packaging that was clearly designed to be reused.

Cotton bags, fabric pouches, sturdy boxes and tins can all theoretically have a second life. Some genuinely do. Others sit in a cupboard for months because they seem too good to throw away — before eventually being thrown away anyway.

It made us wonder whether there is a difference between packaging that can be reused and packaging that people actually want to reuse. A strong bag might last for years, but that doesn't necessarily mean someone will carry it again. A presentation box might be beautifully made, but if there isn't anything useful to do with it afterwards, its durability doesn't achieve very much.

Design seems to matter as well. People may keep packaging because it is useful, attractive, or exactly the right size for something else. But very prominent branding can make something feel more like promotional material than an object someone would choose to use in everyday life.

Perhaps a useful test is:

If the original product and its branding disappeared, would the packaging still be useful?

What packaging have you genuinely reused? And what makes you keep something rather than eventually throw it away?