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SKIP AHEAD Best eco-friendly laundry detergents | How to shop for eco-friendly laundry detergent | Why trust NBC Select? How I picked the best eco-friendly laundry detergentsTo highlight the best eco-friendly laundry detergents, I spoke with cleaning and laundry experts. The best eco-friendly laundry detergentsWith expert guidance in mind, this list includes eco-friendly laundry detergents that meet the EPA’s Safer Choice Standard, earned the EWG Verified mark or both. How to shop for eco-friendly laundry detergentShopping for eco-friendly laundry detergent involves many of the same considerations you’ll want to make when purchasing any type of laundry detergent. Though any ecolabel is a good option, experts primarily recommend looking for the following two when shopping for eco-friendly laundry detergent.

Persons: They’re, Sarah Paiji Yoo, Paiji Yoo, Marilee Nelson, Nelson, Carlyanne Brown, Brown, ”, ecolabels, ecolabel, “, ” It’s, Malin, Cory Fernandez Organizations: NBC, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Dirty, Environmental, Grove, PVA, Facebook, Twitter

☆ College dropout started a side hustle with $200 from his mom—his business could bring in $4 million this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Natalie Wu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

When Kobe Harris started his lip balm company on his bedroom floor in 2019, he wasn't necessarily looking to immediately drop out of college. Then, he sold $15,000 worth of lip balm in one day, and decided to take the leap, Harris said on Friday's episode of ABC's "Shark Tank." He asked his mom for $200 to purchase some ingredients on Amazon, and used them to experiment with lip balm formulas on his bedroom floor at home while working a summer lifeguarding job, he added. It's the advice Harris' mom, a multi-time business owner, gave him when he told her he wanted to drop out of college to make lip balm, he said. Sign up for CNBC's online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

Persons: Kobe Harris, Harris, salve, Harris didn't, Kendra Scott, Lori Grenier, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, O'Leary Organizations: Loyola University Chicago, CNBC Locations: Las Vegas, Kobee

☆ The White House Has a Plan to Slash Plastic Use in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Calling plastic pollution one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems, the Biden administration on Friday said that the federal government, the biggest buyer of consumer goods in the world, would phase out purchases of single-use plastics. The administration also said it planned tougher regulations on plastic manufacturing, which releases planet-warming greenhouse gases and other dangerous pollutants. The efforts, which the White House called the first comprehensive strategy to tackle plastic use nationwide, aim to reduce demand for disposable plastic items while also helping to create a market for substitutes that are reusable, compostable or more easily recyclable.

Persons: Biden

☆ Composting could be set for U.S. boom, and it needs one, decades behind recycling
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Some states, municipalities and private-sector companies are pushing to make composting as commonplace as recycling. Yet data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows little residential food waste is composted in the U.S. — 3.7% as of an April 2023 report. These include at-home options, curbside bins, drop-off locations and private valet services that pick up food waste from multi-family homes. Thousands of composting facilities neededFranciosi said his organization has been fielding more calls from municipalities that are interested in composting, but funding challenges remain. Another challenge is the dearth of composting facilities.

Persons: Scott Smithline, Jenny Grant, Frank Franciosi, Stacy Savage, Franciosi, Grant, Lauren Organizations: PepsiCo, Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Resources Recycling, Zero, Local Locations: U.S, Vermont, California, Europe, REA, New York City, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten

☆ 10 of the best air fryer tips and tricks to follow, according to chefs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Sophia Mitrokostas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Business Insider spoke to chefs to identify the best way to use your air fryer and the top tips for getting the perfect dishes from it every time. Here are some things everyone who has (or is planning to get) an air fryer should know. Choose the right fryer for your kitchen and lifestyleDo your research before purchasing an air fryer. Deanna Kang, chef and recipe developer at Asian Test Kitchen, told BI that placing your air fryer beneath your exhaust hood can help keep your kitchen air clear. Skip the microwave — use your air fryer to reheat leftoversTo take full advantage of your air fryer, Kennedy said, use it to breathe new life into leftovers.

Persons: —, fryer, fryer Chris Riley, Riley, Fiona Kennedy, Kennedy, Deanna Kang, Kang, arancini Organizations: Service, Business, Shutterstock

☆ Nespresso, Keurig have new coffee pods coming designed to put an end to all the garbage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Keurig coffee sales in the U.S. reached over $4 billion last year, while Wall Street analysis pegs Nespresso sales at roughly $1.5 billion. The U.S. coffee pods and capsules market is expected to grow to $10.1 billion by 2028 up from $8.4 billion last year, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence. Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and compostable coffee pods are increasingly in demand, and have been on the market for a few years, such as NEXE, a packaging solutions supplier based in Canada, which launched a line of compostable coffee pods in the U.S. and Canada in 2021, which it markets as Nespresso-compatible. Getting customer buy-in for new products is also a challenge for companies looking to produce more sustainable coffee pods. Here's a look at what Keurig and Nespresso — the two largest makers of at-home coffee pod systems — have planned for at-home coffee drinkers as part of that push to keep the pods from filling up the garbage.

Persons: Pepper, Joe, Dillon Baxter, Nespresso, Dr, it's, Monique Oxender, Oxender, they'll, Keurig Organizations: Intelligence, National Coffee Association . Companies, Nestle, Recycling Locations: U.S, Canada, there's, North America, Europe

☆ Nespresso and Keurig Spend Millions Trying to Solve Coffee-Pod Waste
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Kevin Reilly | Grant Tyler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Each year, coffee companies like Keurig and Nespresso produce almost 50 billion single-serve coffee pods, which are notoriously difficult to recycle. Keurig even says so on its labels. Club Coffee in Canada uses a different approach, making a compostable K-Cup alternative, the PurPod100, out of coffee waste. We also asked a coffee expert: What's the most convenient way to brew while producing the least amount of waste?

Organizations: Coffee Locations: Canada

☆ A Breakthrough in Plastic Recycling Is Coming Up Short
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

By 2025, Nestle promises not to use any plastic in its products that isn’t recyclable. By that same year, L’Oreal says all of its packaging will be “refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable.”And by 2030, Procter & Gamble pledges that it will halve its use of virgin plastic resin made from petroleum. To get there, these companies and others are promoting a new generation of recycling plants, called “advanced” or “chemical” recycling, that promise to recycle many more products than can be recycled today. So far, advanced recycling is struggling to deliver on its promise. Nevertheless, the new technology is being hailed by the plastics industry as a solution to an exploding global waste problem.

Persons: Nestle, L’Oreal Organizations: Procter, Gamble

☆ 2 friends who sold everything to move off-grid together say prioritizing friendship over a romantic partnership has been a relief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They didn't want to put their life on hold waiting for a romantic partner to buy land and a home. Casey and Savannah are bucking the traditional path — both by moving off-grid and by making friendship the center of their lives. Savannah added that moving off-grid has been challenging, especially because they are doing nearly all the work themselves. How the 2 friends fund their off-grid lifeCasey and Savannah did a lot of research before taking the leap into off-grid life. A nontraditional pathSavannah said they both knew they'd really be "sealing the deal" on a life together by moving off-grid.

Persons: Casey, —, it's, they'd, Savannah Organizations: Service, Business, Savannah, YouTube Locations: Savannah, California, Casey, there's

☆ I live off the grid in a yurt on land I inherited. There's nothing I miss — life is ridiculously peaceful.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Melissa Petro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cami Ostman, a 56-year-old writer and writing coach from Shoreline, Washington. She wasn't going to do anything with the land, so she said I could have it. I can think of seven friends in my age range who've bought off-grid land or purchased sprinter vans or RVs. In Seattle, I'm accountable to my students and employees, but when I'm on my land, I leave my work behind. There's nothing I miss when I'm in the yurt — it's so ridiculously peaceful.

Persons: —, Cami Ostman, I'd, she'd, I've, who's, Pam, who've Organizations: Service, Business, Edison Locations: Shoreline , Washington, Seattle, Washington, Bellingham , Washington, Mongolia, Siberia, Turkey, Pacific, Shoreline

☆ Italian designers Krill are using fruit peel to make furniture
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Using fruit peel, orange seeds and coffee ground waste collected from businesses in Italy, Krill products can be redistributed to the same businesses for use in their offices, instead of furniture made from common plastics. “After three or four years, you have to change your furniture [anyway],” says Marco Di Maio, director of operations at Krill. “But if all that furniture was made using our materials, we would be able to recover them, crush them and print other furniture with the same material. First, the food waste is dried and crushed into a very fine powder. It’s also looking to develop injection molding — injecting the molten compound of food waste and PHB into a mold instead of 3D-printing — which could cut costs and save time.

Persons: “, ”, Marco Di Maio, Di Maio, won’t, Rekrill, we’ve, ” Di Maio, San, Iles, Ellen MacArthur, bioplastics, ” Iles, It’s Organizations: CNN, Circle Economy Foundation, bioplastics, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Locations: Milan, Italy, San Pellegrino, Sicily, “

☆ What Kris Jenner's former personal assistant learned from her that helped her launch her own company: 'Kris doesn't do anything that's not strategic'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A 27-year-old who briefly served as Kris Jenner's personal assistant has gone viral sharing her experiences. Madeline Steitz has since turned her focus to launching her own natural sweetener brand. AdvertisementA 27-year-old vegan baker and entrepreneur went viral last year on TikTok discussing her brief stint as Kris Jenner's personal assistant, saying the job helped her launch her own eponymous sweetener brand. "Kris doesn't do anything that's not strategic when it comes to operating business, and she's an absolute genius." After leaving, Steitz turned her attention to Maddie's Natural Sweeter, which she'd conceptualized in January 2022 and formally launched in October.

Persons: Kris Jenner's, Madeline Steitz, Steitz, —, Robbie Page, Jenner, Kylie Cosmetics, Kim Kardashian's Skims, Kendall, Kris doesn't, Abbott Kinney, Louis Cole, Cole, Peter Thiel's, she'd, Kris Organizations: Service, Business, TikTok, Abbott, LinkedIn, Thiel Capital, Jenner Communications Locations: Los Angeles, Cashmere , Washington

Sitting beneath a palm tree on a cliff above the ocean at Mr. Benioff’s Hawaiian home in 2018, they explained both devices. “This one,” Mr. Benioff said, pointing at the Ai Pin, as dolphins breached the surf below, “is huge.”“It’s going to be a massive company,” he added. They experimented in secret with hardware components and built a virtual assistant, like Siri or Alexa, working with customized language models based, in part, on OpenAI’s offerings. The device’s most sci-fi element — the laser that projects a text menu onto a hand — started inside a box the size of a matchbook. It took three years to miniaturize it to be smaller than the size of a golf tee.

Persons: Mr, Benioff, “, ”, Siri, Altman Organizations: Apple

☆ McDonald's is scrapping its iconic McFlurry spoon after nearly 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McDonald's is ditching its hollow plastic McFlurry spoons in the US, it announced Tuesday. McDonald's is replacing them with the smaller spoons used for sundaes, which it says use less plastic. AdvertisementAdvertisementTo make a McFlurry, McDonald's staff pour soft-serve ice cream into a cup and then sprinkle topping onto it. They then insert the hollow plastic spoon, which is attached to a McFlurry machine and used to mix toppings into the ice-cream. "This small change will help reduce single-use plastic waste in restaurants," McDonald's said in a statement.

Persons: McDonald's Organizations: Service, Food

☆ Biomaterials startup Traceless wants to help tackle plastic pollution. It just raised $39 million in debt and equity with this 15-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A German startup hoping to help put an end to plastic pollution has just raised 36.6 million euro (around $38.9 million) in a mixture of equity and debt. Hamburg-based Traceless, founded in 2020, has developed a plant-based biomaterial using agricultural waste to replace plastics. The startup material uses the existing natural polymers that are in its raw material, which requires up to 80% less energy to process compared to conventional plastics, Lamp said. Traceless produces its material as small pellets to provide to product manufacturers, which then mould it to their needs. The startup hopes to have replaced 1 million tonnes of plastic by 2030.

Persons: Anne Lamp, compostable, Traceless, Joanna Baare, Baare, Hamburger Sparkasse Organizations: UB Forest Industry, Growth, SWEN Capital Partners, GLS Bank, Planet A Ventures, Tech Locations: Hamburg, Antarctica

☆ Opinion: Seaweed is nutritious, not slimy. Eating it could save the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Opinion Vincent Doumeizel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It can be a nutritious food, an alternative to plastic, restore our oceans and could even help tackle climate change. UliU/iStockphoto/Getty Images Seaweed has become popular in Western baking in recent years. James MacDonald/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBut just as we are recognizing its untapped potential, seaweed is becoming increasingly vulnerable. California, Norway and Tasmania have all lost more than 80% of their kelp in recent years, the result of climate change, pollution and overfishing. If we learn to sustainably cultivate our ocean, we can contribute to feeding the entire global population while mitigating climate change and restoring biodiversity.

Persons: Vincent Doumeizel, Derek Davis, Dixie, Prannie Rhatigan, Rhatigan, Kate Waters, Natasha Breen, Jun Lee, Jonas Gratzer, James MacDonald Organizations: United Nations, Food, Lloyd’s Register, CNN, Southside Bakery, Portland Press Herald, Washington Post, University of Queensland, Bloomberg, Legend Press Locations: Portland, US, Washington , DC, Asia, Seoul, South Korea, Australia, Jakarta, British Columbia, Canada, California, Norway, Tasmania

☆ We met dumpster diving 14 years ago and now make up to $3,000 a month selling our trash treasures
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They now make up to $3,000 per month from dumpster diving, and post their dives on TikTok. AdvertisementAdvertisementWe make between $2,000 and $3,000 a month selling our dumpster dive trash treasures. But it's still rare that we see somebody else dumpster diving at the spots we go to in Buffalo. When some people hear the term "dumpster diving," they sometimes picture a rat-infested dumpster covered in food, or that we're digging through household trash. We view our dumpster diving efforts, particularly selling scrap metal to scrap yards, as "carbon credits" that offset the carbon emissions from our next plane flights.

Persons: David, Erin Sheffield, David Sheffield, we're, It's, We've, Joe's, Erin, we've, — Organizations: Service, University at Buffalo, Walmart, Foods, Aldi, Body Works, Dick's Sporting Goods, Erin Sheffield Garage, eBay, Facebook, Body Locations: Wall, Silicon, Buffalo , New York, France, dumpsters, Norway, Mexico, TikTok, Buffalo

☆ Amazon's Whole Foods to triple shelf space for vertical farmer Bowery
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Ophelia Anwah | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bowery, a vertical farming company that grows crops indoors, is getting more shelf space at Amazon 's Whole Foods, with a deal to triple the stores stocking its salad kits. Currently, Bowery's salad kits and a selection of greens are carried at 50 Whole Foods Market stores in the Northeast. The deal comes amid challenges for both vertical farming and Amazon's efforts to expand its grocery footprint. The vertical farming industry, meanwhile, has been under pressure, like many formerly high-flying, heavily VC-funded startup niches. According to PitchBook, through the first quarter of 2023, vertical farming deals declined by 91% year-over-year.

Persons: Matt Williams, Zesty Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, romaine, Andy Jassy, Jassy Organizations: Foods, Bowery, CNBC, Walmart, Albertsons, Westside, FreshDirect, Amazon Locations: Northeast, Westside Market, Brooklyn, East Coast, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee , North Carolina, Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami

☆ More than retail or hotels, the film industry is destroying the planet. But sustainable sets like Oscar winner 'The Whale' may offer a new way forward.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Parisa Hashempour | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

InsiderThe film industry has a sustainability problem, and it's massive: The average tentpole production — a film with a budget over $70 million — generates 2,840 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the British Film Institute reported. Yawger saw raw materials from industry waste transform into items such as tables, outdoor furniture, bowls, and benches. "It revealed the film industry was the second most polluting behind aerospace," Jennifer Sandoval, the director of service development at Earth Angel, told Insider. "Plastic and trash are very visible in the film industry, and people can understand why we need to change things," Yawger said. These changes might help drive a more climate-conscious narrative or simply enable Earth Angel to swap out a character's plastic water bottle for a reusable one.

Persons: Max, Leonardo DiCaprio's, Tamsin Hollo, Hollo, Quinn Yawger, Yawger, it's, we're, Jennifer Sandoval, Sandoval, NBCUniversal, Bosque Organizations: British Film Institute, Railroad, University of California, Netflix, United Locations: Thailand, Atlanta, Los Angeles, California, Niebla, Mexico, United Nations

☆ Chipotle wants you to think composting before burrito bowl becomes trash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Composting has been a key part of that for Chipotle, and the fast-casual restaurant chain is expanding that focus this year. In 2023, Chipotle has set a goal to institute composting programs in at least 23% more restaurants, or approximately 234 additional locations. In certain jurisdictions, compostable products have to be fiber-based, while in others plant-based compostable products are accepted. Infrastructure is key for Chipotle, Shibata said, as there are many Chipotle restaurants in areas where there is no facility that can compost certain items. She sees more jurisdictions pushing in the direction of more composting, and said that a focus from companies like Chipotle on composting will help generate momentum.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Laurie Schalow, Lisa Shibata, Shibata, We've, Frank Franciosi, Franciosi, Schalow Organizations: Mexican Grill, Getty, composted, Companies, New, New York City, Seattle Locations: Mexican, Austin , Texas, Chipotle, U.S, New York, West Coast, San Francisco

☆ The world can cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040, the UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Countries could slash plastic pollution by 80% in less than two decades, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme. Plastic pollution is a scourge that affects every part of the world, from the Arctic, to the oceans and the air we breathe. UNEP’s report aims to offer a roadmap to governments and businesses to dramatically cut levels of plastic pollution. This would be the most “powerful market shift,” reducing plastic pollution by 30% by 2040, the report said. Scaling up recycling levels could reduce plastic pollution by a further 20%, according to the report.

☆ How Biden's $369 billion sell to the climate tech industry is luring Europe's hottest startups to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

President Biden's $369 billion climate sell is attracting some of Europe's biggest startups. Battery maker Northvolt and carbon removal firm Climeworks are both lining up US expansions. President Biden's $369 billion play to make the US the new hub for climate-friendly companies caused consternation among international allies. Europe's EV battery darling Northvolt is set to announce its highly anticipated US expansion in the coming weeks while carbon removal company Climeworks has already revealed plans to scale up Stateside. The company is also watching Europe's efforts to create a regulatory framework for the certification of carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

☆ The business case for green sports stadiums and arenas is growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A general exterior view of Climate Pledge Arena before the game between the Seattle Kraken and the Carolina Hurricanes on October 17, 2022. Much like the broader world of commercial real estate, arenas, and stadiums have been slowly adopting sustainable practices over the last few decades, from recycling programs to energy efficiency efforts. That led to what has become the Climate Pledge Arena. AMBSE has even created a "playbook" for other stadium operators to follow if they also want to get to zero waste. It's reached a level of critical mass where people have moved past greenwashing, and they're making substantive changes to their business practices," Cannon said.

☆ PepsiCo raises outlook as quarterly results beat expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

PepsiCo on Tuesday boosted its outlook for the year as it posted earnings and revenue that beat expectations. Shares of the company rose more than 2% Tuesday, hitting a new 52-week high. Organic revenue, which doesn't include the impact of acquisitions and divestitures, rose 14.3%. PepsiCo Beverages North America's organic revenue increased 12%, with with Pepsi delivering double-digit net revenue growth and brands like Gatorade and Aquafina delivering high single-digit net revenue growth. The company said it expects its full-year 2023 organic revenue to increase 8%, up from 6%, and core constant currency EPS to increase 9% up from 8%.

☆ How PepsiCo is trying to get Doritos and Cheetos bags into compost bins
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But more chip bags and snack containers being sold also means more waste from plastic and other packaging materials, something PepsiCo is aiming to take on. "Two years ago, if you think about our multipack packages, there was one plastic [packaging] outside, and each multipack serving," he said. McDonald's recently agreed under pressure from activist shareholders to produce a report on reusable packaging in exchange for having a shareholder vote on the issue rescinded. As far back as 2019, both Coke and Pepsi had already cut ties with a plastics industry association, and issued previous goals related to recyclable, compostable and reusable packaging. Taking what it learned from creating the Off The Eaten Path's packaging, Frito-Lay has introduced other packaging made from 85% renewable plant materials that produce roughly 60% lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional snack bags.

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