Looking to recap everything green and good that happened this past month? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! From swapping out petrochemicals to natural parks, we’re giving you the scoop on 10 of the weird and wonderful things that happened around the world in September or so.
- The floral scent of your body wash is likely made from petrochemicals. This pilot is trying it with flowers instead
At Bridge Farm Group in Lincolnshire, England, a sprawling 60-acre glasshouse boasts rows of roses, petunias, and marigolds, with about 90 million plants destined for retailers across the UK. However, not all will be sold. To combat waste, researchers are partnering with Unilever and the University of Nottingham to transform unsold flowers into fragrances.
Each year, thousands of ornamental plants, including flowers and potted varieties, go unsold due to demand fluctuations and quality issues, contributing to an estimated 990 million tonnes of waste annually, according to Unilever and the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. While some flowers may be donated or composted, Unilever’s experts are investigating innovative ways to recycle these blooms.
- The Hague has banned fossil fuel ads
The Hague has made history as the first city globally to enact a law banning advertisements for fossil fuel products and climate-damaging services. This legislation, effective from the start of next year, prohibits both public and private advertising for petrol, diesel, aviation, and cruise ships across the city, including on billboards and bus shelters.
The ban, which took two years to pass, marks the first instance of a city implementing such a restriction through local law. It follows a call earlier this year from UN chief António Guterres for governments and media to adopt similar measures, akin to those implemented for tobacco.
While the law is legally binding and targets high-carbon products and services, it does not apply to political advertising by the fossil fuel industry or general brand promotions.
- EBay launches Pre-Loved Fashion Week
eBay has launched its inaugural Pre-Loved Fashion Week in collaboration with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the British Fashion Council. The event features live, shoppable runway shows showcasing pre-owned designs from brands like Khaite, Off-White, and Simone Rocha, taking place just before the official spring-summer shows of New York and London Fashion Week.
Additionally, the resale platform offers daily curated drops of pre-loved fashion and accessories, with “Endless Runway” shows available to shoppers in the U.S. and U.K. via eBay Live.
- Lego to replace oil in its bricks with renewable plastic
Lego is on course to replace fossil fuels in its iconic bricks with renewable and recycled plastics by 2032, following long-term supply agreements with producers. Despite testing over 600 materials, the company has had limited success in finding an oil-based brick alternative by its 2030 target. To reduce oil content, Lego will pay up to 70% more for certified renewable resin, encouraging manufacturers to increase production.
CEO Niels Christiansen told Reuters that the company is on track to ensure that more than half of the resin it needs in 2026 is certified according to the mass balance method, an auditable way to trace sustainable materials through the supply chain, up from 30% in the first half of 2024.
“With a family-owner committed to sustainability, it’s a privilege that we can pay extra for the raw materials without having to charge customers extra,” Christiansen said
- Judge in Brazil orders slaughterhouses to pay for Amazon reforestation
A judge in Rondonia, Brazil, has ruled that two beef slaughterhouses, Distriboi and Frigon, along with three cattle ranchers, must pay US$764,000 for purchasing cattle from a protected Amazon area, contributing to environmental damage. The companies and ranchers may appeal. Cattle raising is a key driver of Amazon deforestation.
This ruling is the first of several lawsuits seeking millions in damages from slaughterhouses accused of sourcing cattle from the Jaci-Parana reserve, a former rainforest now largely converted to pasture. Four slaughterhouses, including JBS SA, the world’s largest protein producer, are facing charges, though the court has not yet ruled on JBS’s case.
Brazilian law bans commercial cattle raising in protected areas, but about 210,000 cattle are grazing in Jaci-Parana, which has lost nearly 80% of its forest and is the most devastated conservation area in the Brazilian Amazon. Damages in the reserve are estimated at $1 billion.
- The largest dam removal project in the US is completed
The removal of four hydroelectric dams—Iron Gate, Copco Dams 1 and 2, and JC Boyle Dam—restores free passage for the Klamath River’s iconic salmon population, which has been blocked for over a century.
Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit overseeing the project, described the event as a “celebratory moment.” His team, along with conservationists, government officials, and tribal members, gathered on the riverbank near the site of the former Iron Gate Dam to cheer the progress.
Federal regulators approved the dam removal plan in 2022, and the smallest dam, Copco No. 2, was taken down the following year. This year, crews began releasing water from the reservoirs in preparation for dismantling the remaining dams.
- EPA restores industrial air pollution rule
The “Once In, Always In” policy aims to reduce emissions of arsenic, benzene, and other hazardous air pollutants from industrial facilities across the country.
The Environmental Protection Agency has strengthened a regulation limiting toxic air pollution from factories, refineries, and other industrial sites, reversing a significant environmental rollback from former President Donald Trump.
In a recent update on its website, the agency indicated it has finalised changes to the “Once In, Always In” rule. This rule mandates that facilities identified as “major” sources of toxic air pollution must consistently uphold stringent pollution controls, even if they are later reclassified.
The EPA defines a “major source” as a facility that emits 10 tons or more of a single hazardous air pollutant or 25 tons or more of at least two such pollutants, including arsenic and benzene. Exposure to these pollutants poses various health risks.
- Patagonia’s nonprofit arm gave $1 million to California’s regenerative farms
Ventura County, California is known for its scenic beauty and vast farmland, producing a significant share of the nation’s fruits and vegetables. However, it also has some of the highest pesticide use, posing risks to health, air, and water quality. Rodale Institute is stepping in to help local farmers transition to regenerative organic agriculture, improving soil health, climate, and community well-being.
With support from Patagonia’s Holdfast Collective and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, they’re offering technical assistance, business planning, and equipment stipends to underserved farmers.
- The UK is about to stop using coal to produce electricity
The U.K., once home to the world’s first coal-fired power plant, is now on the verge of eliminating coal from its energy mix. This September, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station—the last coal plant in the country—will close, marking a significant milestone in the U.K.’s transition away from polluting energy sources.
London opened the first coal-fired plant in 1882, and for over a century, coal dominated global electricity production, a position it still holds today. However, the U.K.’s energy landscape has radically shifted, thanks to a rapid expansion of wind power. Wind now generates 29% of the country’s electricity, up from just 8% in 2013, while coal has dropped from 36% to nearly zero in the same period.
This shift coincides with a broader decline in electricity demand across the U.K.
- The U.S. national park system gets a $100 million grant, the largest in its history
The National Park Foundation announced it received a historic $100 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., the largest in its nearly 60-year history and the largest ever for U.S. national parks. As the fundraising arm of the National Park Service, the foundation said the funds will support programs to enhance over 400 sites nationwide, focusing on youth access to parks and the conservation of threatened ecosystems and wildlife.
“For over 50 years, private philanthropy has played a vital role in bridging the gap between park needs and available funding,” Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, said in a statement.
“This grant will allow us to supercharge our efforts to ensure our national parks are for everyone, for generations to come,” he added.
We do this every month 😉
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