In Chicago, PETA has offered to replace a recently stolen catalytic converter to get Oscar Mayer’s iconic Wienermobile rolling again—but only if parent company Kraft Heinz agrees to convert to vegan hot dogs. In a pun-filled letter to Kraft Heinz executive Carlos Abrams-Rivera, the animal rights organization also offered to cover the Wienermobile’s maintenance for […]
In Chicago, special purpose acquisition company AMCI Acquisition Corp. II has scheduled a special meeting of its stockholders to vote on the proposed business combination with LanzaTech. Founded in 2005, LanzaTech transforms waste carbon into materials such as sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging, and other products that people use in their daily lives. The vote is […]
In Chicago, fast food mainstay McDonald’s is the latest chain to receive pushback from consumers who demand sustainable service items but will not suffer any inconvenience. McDonald’s recently swapped the plastic straw/spoon combo on its popular McFlurry packaging to a paper alternative, but social media is grumbling over the combo serviceware’s performance. “Love a Maccy […]
In Chicago, a food tech company developing extracts and alternative proteins from algae has received funding from Tokyo’s DIC Corporation. DIC says the unspecified investment in Back of the Yards Algae Sciences advances its position in “more sustainable and circular algae-derived products,” including natural food colorants, natural food additives, and biostimulants. BYAS owns proprietary technology […]
In Chicago, Wilson Sporting Goods has launched new sustainable offerings for tennis players, including performance rackets made from bioplastics, recycled plastics, and waterborne coatings. Hans-Martin Reh, Global General Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports, says in a press statement that the Earth Day Series of rackets are “thoughtfully crafted in a more sustainable manner, while not […]
In Chicago, popular beer brand Coors Light will eliminate the plastic ring packaging that holds six packs together by the end of this year, and parent company Molson Coors plans to do the same across its North American brands by the end of 2025. The move will require a nearly $85-million investment in packaging machinery […]
In Chicago, agribusiness giant ADM has acquired Serbia’s Sojaprotein, a leading provider of non-GMO soy ingredients, for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 1977, Sojaprotein produces vegetable protein ingredients for customers in the meat alternative, confectionary, protein bar, pharmaceutical, pet food, and animal feed segments. It recorded $100 million in sales in 2020 and exported to […]
In Illinois, a Northwestern University research team offers a practical way to make ships CO2 neutral — or even CO2 negative — with CO2-capturing solid oxide fuel cells. After “burning” traditional carbon-based fuels, the fuel cell generates concentrated CO2 that can be stored on-board the ship. From there, the CO2 can either be sequestered or recycled into a renewable […]
In Chicago, McDonald has announced that it is phasing out fossil fuel-based plastic from its Happy Meal toys in more than 100 countries as it transitions to mostly recycled and renewable plastics and sustainable fibers by 2025. Specifically, it aims to reduce the use of traditional plastics by 90% compared to 2018. The company is […]
In Chicago, design student Gabe Tavas has been awarded the prestigious James Dyson award for developing a process to convert kombucha waste into an alternative for wood, including exotic and endangered species. Dubbed Pyrus, the material is made from a sheet of bacterial cellulose that is a byproduct of kombucha production. Tavas created the first […]
