The 19 good news of the month
Our curated list of positive stories to remember from this month headlines.
Eurasian beavers have returned to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire for the first time in 400 years. Experts believe that dams built by beavers could help prevent flooding and boost biodiversity. Source: Positive News
Cochin International Airport is the world’s first solar power airport and receives The United Nation’s 2018 Champions of the Earth Award for Entrepreneurial Vision. Source: Reuters
MEPs approve single-use plastic ban. The proposal includes a ban on some of the most widely used throwaway items such as plates, cotton buds, and light plastic bags, which make up 70 per cent of marine litter. Source: Euronews
Sustainable luxury fashion brand The Maiyet launches its new store in Mayfair at The Conduit, London’s latest member’s club with a focus on social impact. Source: Standard
International agreement bans commercial fishing in the Arctic. The moratorium on Arctic fishing will safeguard an area about the size of the Mediterranean for at least the next 16 years. Source: The Guardian
Elon Musk announces that the first of his speedy transportation tunnels beneath Los Angeles will be open to the public in just a few short months. "The purpose is to demonstrate that a lift can be built in very small footprints and within existing buildings, whether they are houses, office buildings, or retail parking lots," the firm's website explains. Source: Twitter
Megan Markle’s becomes the latest celebrity championing sustainable and ethical fashion, in style, during the Royal tour of Australia. Source: Living it
The UK plans to introduce a plastic tax on all packaging that does not include at least 30 per cent of recycled material. Source: FT
Watch brand Baume partners with skateboarder Erik Ellington with his brand HRS (Human Recreational Services) to create limited edition timepieces, crafted from upcycled skate decks. Source: [Wonderland Magazine](https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2018/10/19/baume- hrs-watch-collaboration/)
IKEA and HP Inc. join a group of retailers tackling ocean pollution through their supply chains. The two companies are the latest members of NextWave Plastics, a collaborative effort to minimize the amount of plastic entering our oceans by capturing it and turning it into new products. Source: Green Matters
Coach becomes the latest fashion brand to announce that it’s no longer going to be manufacturing clothing using fur. Source: PETA
French supermarkets Franprix have introduced the first cigaret butts collectors outside their stores with the objective to recycle them. Source: Le Parisien
Eileen Fisher and Public School release a zero-waste capsule featuring three ready-to-wear designs and one hat which were made using damaged garments collected by Eileen Fisher in a style influenced by Public School's signature aesthetic. Source: Fashionista
Sustainability editor-at-large for Vogue Australia, Clare Pres, releases her book Rise, Resist, Swap: Changing the World Through Fashion (Melbourne University Press). Source: RiotAct!
Malaga’s restaurant, Sollo, of Michelin-starred chef Diego Gallegos becomes self-sufficient thanks to its aquaponic farm. The ecosystem makes it possible to transform fish droppings into nutrients to feed the plants. Source: Positivr
The Sydney Opera House Goes Carbon Neutral. The key drivers to its carbon neutral certification include reducing electricity use by 14 per cent from baseline, increasing its waste recycling rate from 25 per cent to 60 per cent, and offsetting remaining emissions with help from EnergyAustralia. Source: AusLeisure
Ethical fashion organisation Fashion For Good opens the first sustainable fashion museum in the heart of Amsterdam. Source: Pebble Mag
Diane von Furstenberg decides to cease production and use of fur in all upcoming collections. The company is working with the Council of Fashion Designers of America on a sustainability roadmap, and focusing on innovative textiles as fur substitutes. Source: WWD
“Time” Magazine names Fenty Beauty one of 2018’s Most Genius Companies for continually striving to make the makeup world as inclusive as it should have always been. Source: TeenVogue