Round-up 8/2/21

A rubbish new book designers should read, haute couture Ocean Plastic and why embodied carbon is the next big building industry challenge

Ecosurety CIO James Piper has written The Rubbish Book, aimed at “debunking the most prevalent myths about recycling”. “The book will contain: a history of different sorts of packaging, detailed descriptions of the recycling process for all materials, an A-Z of different packaging types and whether they can be recycled and finally an insight into the future of recycling and new materials that might change how we look at rubbish”. The book will be published via the Unbound crowdfunding platform, details here

EU Green Week is asking for submissions to its virtual exhibition. “EU Green Week is the opportunity for organisations and companies to present projects, products and policies, share experiences and best practices, to network and exchange points of view,” the organisers say. Deadline: March 8. Details here

As part of her Roots of Rebirth Spring/Summer 2021 collection, Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen has created a haute couture dress constructed from the Ocean Plastic material produced by Parley for the Oceans. Ocean Plastic materials are made from plastic waste collected from beaches and seas around the world. More here

Energy efficiency is no longer enough: the Architects Climate Action Network argues that, for the building industry, reducing embodied carbon is the next big challenge. This Fast Company piece outlines the aims of ACAN’s new campaign and why “Today, and in the years ahead, the building industry will need to think about not just a building’s operational emissions but all the energy that goes into creating it—from the harvesting and manufacturing of building materials to the energy used in construction to the energy required to eventually demolish and dispose of construction materials when the building is no longer needed.” Read it here

“Fossil fuel companies are spending big money to make sure their message reaches kids. Science teachers are doing their best to make sure they learn the facts.” Fascinating story from Bloomberg Green about the battle in US classrooms over climate change education, with Big Oil lobby groups seeking to influence the curriculum and supplying teaching materials. Story here