Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up
Ubuntu Thoughts / 5 Min read
Friday 8th April, 2022
Callum Berry
Content & Media Manager
Content & Media Manager
Happy Friday readers! We’re here once again to give you the low-down on recent positive green news, so let's get straight into it.
No to nets
Conservationists have bought a commercial fishing licence covering 100,000 km2 of the great barrier reef to protect dugongs, dolphins and turtles, effectively creating a ‘net free zone’ larger than Tazmania. Richard Leck, the head of oceans for WWF-Australia, said it was now time for state and federal governments to make commercial gillnetting on the northern Great Barrier Reef “forever prohibited”.
For those not well versed with fishing vernacular (we had to Google it too…), Gillnets are large panels of net that are placed vertically in water to trap sealife which either get wedged (when mesh holds them around the body), gilled (when mesh slips beyond gills and they can’t swim back), else they can get tangled by their fins, teeth or other protrusions.
Gillnets are often used to catch sardines, salmon and cod, but can accidentally entangle and kill other animals, including sharks and sea turtles. It’s fast time we stopped focusing on ways to ‘factory fish’ and respected the wider ecosystems we serve.
For those not well versed with fishing vernacular (we had to Google it too…), Gillnets are large panels of net that are placed vertically in water to trap sealife which either get wedged (when mesh holds them around the body), gilled (when mesh slips beyond gills and they can’t swim back), else they can get tangled by their fins, teeth or other protrusions.
Gillnets are often used to catch sardines, salmon and cod, but can accidentally entangle and kill other animals, including sharks and sea turtles. It’s fast time we stopped focusing on ways to ‘factory fish’ and respected the wider ecosystems we serve.
Microplastics management
From the highest peaks to the ocean’s deepest points, microplastic pollution is virtually everywhere. These ocean aliens usually originate from unexpected sources such as laundry detergents, which are typically made with plastic microcapsules in order to retain fragrance for longer. Making microcapsules biodegradable, however, could go a long way towards solving the problem—something the industry has yet to achieve, but could soon be a norm.
Paris-based startup Calyxia has been working to develop biodegradable plastics in an effort to make microplastics a thing of the past. The company, which has recently secured $17.6 million in funding, is also developing coatings that can be added to plastic products—such as electronics and sporting goods—to help prevent the material from shedding off microplastics as it wears down.
Paris-based startup Calyxia has been working to develop biodegradable plastics in an effort to make microplastics a thing of the past. The company, which has recently secured $17.6 million in funding, is also developing coatings that can be added to plastic products—such as electronics and sporting goods—to help prevent the material from shedding off microplastics as it wears down.
More plastic problems
In a similar effort to fix our broken planet, French startup Carbios is looking to solve most of the world’s recycling conundrums with a new process that uses enzymes to break down the most problematic PET plastics (like contaminated black food trays) into a form that can be used to make clear water bottles that look and act like those made from petroleum.
The green chemistry company announced in October that it had wrapped up funding for the construction of a new recycling plant that will use enzymes to ‘biorecycle’ multicoloured plastic, such as food trays or polyester shirts—for which the recycling rate is close to zero.
This is actually very exciting (even if it is in a geeky way), as it was perplexing as to why the technology to recycle multicoloured plastic hasn't been developed already. We’re fully behind Carbios in their efforts to bring on a better, cleaner world.
The green chemistry company announced in October that it had wrapped up funding for the construction of a new recycling plant that will use enzymes to ‘biorecycle’ multicoloured plastic, such as food trays or polyester shirts—for which the recycling rate is close to zero.
This is actually very exciting (even if it is in a geeky way), as it was perplexing as to why the technology to recycle multicoloured plastic hasn't been developed already. We’re fully behind Carbios in their efforts to bring on a better, cleaner world.
Well that’s all from us at Ubuntu, we hope that we gave you the lift you needed to power through the last few hours of Friday! Have a great weekend, and be sure to follow our socials so you know when the next PNR comes out (every Friday).
Got an interesting story you’d like us to highlight? Feel free to send in your ideas to callum@ubuntustudio.co.uk and you could be featured in an upcoming PNR!
Got an interesting story you’d like us to highlight? Feel free to send in your ideas to callum@ubuntustudio.co.uk and you could be featured in an upcoming PNR!
About Ubuntu Studio
We're not your average, run-of-the-mill creative agency. We were founded and built on a passion for helping companies do better - for themselves, for people, and for the planet.
We appreciate that all life on earth is under threat, so we’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it. Reducing the negative impact on people and the planet.
If you're looking to make a change in how you market your business, we'd love to chat. Find out more at ubuntustudio.co.uk.
We appreciate that all life on earth is under threat, so we’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it. Reducing the negative impact on people and the planet.
If you're looking to make a change in how you market your business, we'd love to chat. Find out more at ubuntustudio.co.uk.
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