4. Fashionably Sustainable | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Food Drink

From SeaWorld To Starbucks, Billion-Dollar Companies Are Eliminating Billions Of Units Of Waste

What are big companies doing to help the environment?

1161
Starbucks Pink Drink
@starbucks via instagram

While viewing stories on Instagram, I discovered that Starbucks was making efforts to reduce the billions of straws used by consumers every day. While this news brightened my day, I began to wonder what other companies were doing to improve the health of our Earth through different means of conservation.

1. Kudos to Whole Foods

Some grocery stores such as Whole Foods, switched to paper instead of plastic grocery bags as early as 2008. My favorite place to not find plastic bags beside the grocery store is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These are the same plastic bags that have caused flooding in developing countries by blocking drainage and have leaked toxins into our water systems worldwide. Isn't it refreshing that 94% of water in the United State contains microscopic plastic fibers?

2. Shamu Splashes Into Water Conservation

Besides just eliminating plastic straws and one-use shopping bags, Sea World and its multiple theme parks have made many efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and water use. They harvest rainwater for cooling building and have installed solar panels, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 9%. They even have gone as far as to change their food to more organic and cruelty free ingredients. By reusing water, Sea World is helping the U.S. fight against the one trillion gallons of wasted water every year.

3. Landfill of Glitter and Gold

Stores such as Staples and Best Buy have initiated technology recycling programs. Dell is also on board and accept any brand for free. E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. The metals in technology can easily be reused as Americans continue to throw out millions of tons of gold and silver.

4. Fashionably Sustainable

Target has introduced an eco-friendly clothing line. H&M has even introduced an eco-friendly brand to accompany their clothing recycling program. Eight-five percent of textiles are not recycled causing textiles to make up 5% of our landfills. Walmart has gone as far to cut off suppliers whose manufacturing, processing and distribution methods contributed to vast carbon emissions.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Thoughts While Studying For Finals
StableDiffusion


That time of the semester has arrived once again, finals. The worst week ever. Who thought it was a good idea for all your classes to have exams all in the same week? Definitely not me. Here's 20 thoughts you may have studying for finals.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

5697
Disney magic kingdom castle on new years
StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

40 Gift Ideas for the Indecisive

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

119883
Christmas gifts around a tree
StableDiffusion

It's officially December. There is less than a month of 2024, and I still feel like yesterday was summer. Now comes the merriest time of the year, the Christmas season.

Everyone has been waiting for this time of year since mid-October (which is way too early, in my opinion) or before. It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. A lot of times when I ask friends and family what they want, I get a lot of "I don't know" or "I don't care."

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Bucket List To Live In The Now

Find excitement in your life and start exploring wherever you are right here, right now.

1534
mu bucket list

I was sitting at my cubicle, now that I am an adult, looking at the rain pouring down on the windowsill, bumming on life, wishing for the rain to just stop for a full day.

There are moments where we count down the hours until work is over and how many more days till the weekend, and this many weeks until something exciting. Or something like that? Well, I was bumming because my next day off from work is not until Memorial Day weekend, which is not until the end of May. And since this is my first year out of college being a “real person,” I am totally missing the winter, spring and summer breaks. I am sure all of us have felt this way even if just for a hot minute…

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Ways To Survive Finals As Told By Leslie Knope

Because you know you're going to be stressed out, and Leslie knows exactly how to survive.

1093
Everything hurts and I'm dying

So finals are on their way. That's right everybody, finals are about to start.

But hey, don't panic. Start getting your affairs in order and prepare for a week of hell. Here's a few things Leslie Knope wants you to do to make your finals week just a little bit less stressful:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments