In Chicago, Historic Hull House Shares Lessons on Urban Farming
Immigrants ultimately farmed on 20 acres of the site, roughly five miles from the Hull House, on the unused land surrounding International Harvester's massive factory.
The latest
In the Right to Repair Revolt, Nebraska Leads With Farm-Data Ownership Law
As much as he embraces data on his farm, Mills was shocked when a single John Deere combine collected 36,000 data points during last fall’s harvest.
Want to bolster your local food system? Here's a handbook.
Nessa Richman noticed a mother next to her feeding her young son breakfast: a bag of Fritos and a Pepsi.
A hidden crop for corporate tech: farm data
Farmers fear precision agriculture tools that promise to ‘empower’ them with AI-driven insights.
How a Minneapolis far turned front yards in mutual aid
She and a neighbor drove through the streets in a camera-equipped Rivian, monitoring immigration enforcement while her partner wrangled food distribution for families in hiding.
Circular economies
I'm fascinated by efforts to rethink the industrial economy beyond "take, make, waste" practices.
Circularity meets consumer power in the tech repair fight
Right-to-repair advocates have notched a series of recent wins, aiding efforts to make more durable tech.
The trials of making 'dirt to shirt' tees in America
Mass market T-shirts travel more than most Americans do. Eric Henry keeps production close to home.
Inside the unrealized promise of circular diapers
After one nasty, short life, diapers trap organic matter in layers of plastics and paper pulp for hundreds of years.
Goodwill vies to build a textile recycling powerhouse
The global nonprofit is seeking to help build out North America’s threadbare textile recycling infrastructure.
Next-gen materials
Lots of people are formulating new materials to pollute less or even restore nature. What will it take to go mainstream?
These startups hope to spin old polyester threads into fashion gold
Nearly every week brings another brand partnership, factory blueprint or financing deal.
Adidas, Converse and Nike are among those advancing cutting-edge circular shoes
Each year, companies churn out about three pairs of shoes for each person on the planet.
Gucci, Levi’s, Puma among early backers of next-gen clothing materials
Fungus, algae and pineapples are showing up on runways.
A glimpse inside
Nerding out on factory tours and taking snapshots.
Company powers secondhand sales for The North Face, Patagonia
Here's what it takes to clean and ship clothing for secondhand sales for major apparel brands.
Tour Reformation's fast-fashion factory making surprising sustainability gains
Its cheeky take on circular fashion: “Being naked is the No. 1 most sustainable option. We’re No. 2.”
See how this Chicago recycling plant uses AI and robots to recover aluminum
It’s controlled chaos inside Chicago’s newest recycling plant in the former stockyards district.
Cleaner messaging
It's always fun to write about companies' attempts to prevent misleading "green" claims.
Toilet paper startups sell 'clean' product with audacious ads
Big toilet paper brands generally avoid potty humor, but their latest challengers are embracing it.
14 sustainability cliches to retire in 2025
Ready to disrupt an industry? You’ve already plucked the low-hanging fruit. It’s time to meet the moment.
Greenwashing terms to avoid at any cost
Oh, what a tangled web they weave when businesses set out to either deceive consumers or advertise green credentials they haven’t earned.
Plastic planet
Challenging business readers to think past virgin petrochemicals.
Toxic chemicals risks that companies need to address now
Some 350,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced faster than they can be controlled.
7 trends shaping polyester's future
Polyester carries all the fossil fuel burdens of plastic.
How businesses can turn plastics risks into opportunity
Concerns have never been more acute about pollution from plastics.
Lego's sustainability shift draws questions, doubts
After fits and starts, the Lego Group plans to break free of virgin petroleum-based plastic.