This archive tracks real progress in circular economy design and zero-waste systems — from industrial material loops and packaging innovation to municipal composting and repair-culture movements. These stories show how waste is being redesigned out of the economy, not just managed after the fact.
California will now require corporations to offer access to repair resources like parts, tools, documentation, and software for three years for products priced between $50 and $99.99 and seven years for those priced at $100 or higher. The act applies to gadgets and appliances made after July 1, 2021.
The developers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong believe the new bacterial-cellulose-based material can offer a sustainable, easily available and non-toxic solution to plastics in food packaging.
The new ban will also extend to plastic straws and cutlery, as the nation’s government expands its campaign against single-use plastics, which began in 2019 when it banned plastic carrier bags.
For “portable batteries” used in devices such as smartphones, tablets, and cameras, consumers must be able to “easily remove and replace them,” reducing costs for consumers and reducing e-waste.
Companies that sell in Minnesota but don’t offer customers or independent repair shops the materials needed to fix devices within 60 days can be found in violation of state law.
In addition, all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100% recycled tin soldering and 100% recycled gold plating by 2025, and magnets in its devices will be made completely of recycled rare earth materials.
Right-to-repair just scored a historic win: in April 2023, Colorado became the first U.S. state to legally guarantee farmers the ability to fix their own agricultural equipment. The law requires manufacturers to share the same diagnostic tools, software, and manuals they give authorized dealers — closing a digital loophole that often left skilled local mechanics unable to complete a repair without a corporate authorization code. For farmers facing a broken combine mid-harvest, that shift can mean the difference between saving a season and losing it. Colorado’s breakthrough is now serving as a template for similar fights across other states and at the federal level, and for a broader movement extending repair rights to electronics, medical devices, and beyond.
Pilot programs are ongoing in Missouri, Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, and Hawai’i are already seeing promising results.
In 1996, South Korea recycled less than 3% of its food waste. Today, it has East Asian nation has achieved a near 100% food waste recycling rate after implementing a country-wide mandatory composting scheme in 2013.
Governor Newsom signed a new bill into law that will ban single-use plastic produce bags starting in 2025. The law requires that all such bags be replaced by recycled paper bags or compostable ones.
