Green is Good: Inspiring Ways to Recycle

In second place on Corporate Knights’ list is Kering SA, which owns fashion houses Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen. By sourcing more than 40% of its products from certified sustainable sources, Kering is acknowledging the huge toll fashion takes on the environment. [4] New lines, synthetic fibers and the strain on crops like cotton all pollute the environment. So much so that experts say fashion consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined. [5] Thankfully, more brands are waking up to the damage. High street favorite Zara has promised to sell only sustainable clothes by 2025 – using organic, sustainable or recycled materials. In 2019, the retailer announced you can bring in unwanted Zara clothes to its stores to recycle – and take home new purchases in paper carriers swapped for plastic bags.

Follower of fashion? Consider a capsule wardrobe – a collection of basic but high-quality clothes you can mix, match and update with seasonal accessories. It’s simple, stress free and kinder on the environment.

Plastic Fantastic

Our oceans are so polluted that scientists predict there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050. [6] That’s why many clothing brands are giving plastics a second life as trainers, jackets and swimsuits. One brand riding the refurb wave is Patagonia. It recently revamped its long-sleeved T-shirt into a ‘Responsibili-Tee’ made from 4.8 plastic bottles. [7] Refreshingly, Patagonia is transparent about the products that aren’t so eco-friendly. And that includes clothing made from synthetic materials – and repurposed plastic.

The microplastics found in synthetic textiles such as nylon, acrylic and polyester break down when we wash them. Just one washload of polyester clothes releases 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment. They harm vegetation, animals and, eventually, us, as they sneak up the food chain. That’s why Patagonia labels all clothing made from synthetic materials with information on how to care for them and help reduce microfibre shedding.

Looked at the label? As well as choosing clothes made from sustainable materials, you can place synthetic garments such as running tops and yoga pants in a filter bag. These bags help reduce the flow of microfibres into your drain.

Smart Packaging

You can’t recycle the thin, crinkly plastic found on ready meals or the brittle plastic of takeaway containers. In response, Stasher has invented a range of reusable storage bags you can take to the shops and store fresh food when you get it home. It makes packs from non-toxic silicone you can wash in the dishwasher and zap in the microwave. [8] TerraCycle is another company that makes a business out of reusables. It collects and recycles the problem plastics most authorities won’t touch – including coffee capsules, pens and plastic gloves. And it recently released a service called Loop, which lets you buy your favorite products online or in some stores (including food, beauty and cleaning products) in special packaging, which it collects, washes and re-uses.

Unsure what to bin? See which plastics you can and can’t recycle in the Sustainability Guide.

Homes of the Future

One of the problem plastics we can’t recycle is straws. In 2018, furniture giant Ikea displayed its 'Last Straw' at the Design Museum, London. (It now uses recyclable paper straws.) But it’s not all publicity stunts. To date, Ikea has spent $1 billion on wind farms, solar panels and sourcing wood from more sustainable locations. The company's on-track to use 100% renewable energy. [9]

And Ikea is helping customers become eco-friendlier with:

• Induction cooktops 50% faster and more energy efficient than ceramic or radiant heat hobs.
• Lightweight and space-saving drying racks that reduce electricity bills and wear and tear from tumble drying.
• Energy-saving blinds which insulate and help reduce heating costs by up to 20%.

Cushions are covered, too. Ikea has pledged to use only up- and re -recyclable materials in its textiles by 2020. [10]

A smart meter helps you track your energy use and find ways to reduce consumption. Discover more ways to go greener at home.

Arguing the case for a more sustainable workplace? Corporate Knight’s research found that sustainable companies:

• Live longer. The average age of companies on the list is 87 years compared with the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) average of 63.
• Have happier investors. Between 2005 and 2018, the top 100 companies made a net investment return of 127% compared with 118% from ACWI firms.
• Have better pay equality. The top 100 have a lower CEO-to-average-worker pay ratio than average (76:1 vs. 140:1). So profits are spread more equally across the organization.