Project Trace

A great way to have an impact on reducing climate-warming emissions: reduce food waste! An easy way to do that might sound obvious: make a grocery list. Sticking to a grocery list can help make sure we only buy the food we know we'll eat — and avoid in-store impulse purchases (which also saves money!) — because we've planned on it. For those who prefer a tech-y alternative to pen and paper, there are plenty of grocery-list-making app options to choose from:

As of January 1, all of Chicago’s more than 400 municipal buildings now run on 100% renewable energy. That includes 48 fire stations, two international airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants in the world. The milestone was achieved primarily due to the state’s newest 3,800-acre, 593-megawatt solar farm in central Illinois — now the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi River. The city also anticipates that its demand for 100% renewable energy will lead to more local development of clean energy, too.

Just over a year ago, California became the first state to require manufacturers to make zero-emission lawn equipment including leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and other small off-road lawn equipment. They did so to better protect the health of both the planet and people: unlike their gas-powered counterparts, battery-powered leaf blowers, for example, generate less extreme noise pollution, do not release toxic fumes, and do no leak known carcinogens. The state also allocated $30 million in incentives for individuals and landscaping businesses to make the switch — making battery-powered lawn equipment not only good for the planet and human health, but a good financial choice, too.

We love an eco-entrepreneur: The entire city of New Orleans didn't have a way to recycle glass... until two college students created one. Now, Glass Half Full is building a $6.5 million state-of-the-art recycling facility to process 300,000 pounds (that’s 600,000 beer bottles!) of glass every day.

This graph from Our World in Data gives us so much hope for the future! Our individual day-to-day actions might seem trivial in the face of such a large issue like climate change — but when our actions combine with individuals, governments, and organizations around the world — it makes such a big difference! Just look at where we’d be with no policies or actions in place:

Beyond its environmental benefits, tree-free toilet paper made from alternatives (like bamboo) is big business. Since launching in 2019, one of the top tree-free toilet paper brands, Reel has doubled it’s revenue annually, now exceeding more than $18 million, according to SEC documentation. Tree-free alternatives can help reduce the number of trees currently cut down (10 million annually!) to supply the existing household paper industry. https://lnkd.in/ew88f5yP

We’re in this together!

Companies like Best Buy have been taking note of customers’ growing concern and interest in living more sustainably — and gives them a place to help reduce the amount of electronic waste they send to landfills. Their recycling program has been around a while… and it’s expansive! Learn more: