Refugees Reducing Waste, Iron Man’s New Book, Sustainable Monsoon Homes in Bangladesh and more!

Dear Friends,

In recent years, Earth Day has become so commercialized with brands offering sales and “trendy” limited edition merch to drive their own revenue goals. So many companies are greenwashing consumers into thinking they are helping the environment when in reality they are further contributing to environmental pollution. So what’s the best way to celebrate this Earth Day? Well, we’ve listed some ideas below - from reading Robert Downey’s book on climate-friendly food to checking out the work of award-winning Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum who has pioneered low-cost, monsoon-proof homes for people affected by sea-level rise.

And for those of you working in the advertising and marketing industry, we’re delighted to share a conversation with Gabi Kay, Co-Founder of Green The Bid, a grassroots initiative supporting the advertising industry in shifting to zero-waste, carbon neutral, sustainable and regenerative practices. Gabi joined us at our recent GOODCon LA for an informational conversation with Afdhel to share how advertising and creative industries can become more sustainable, check out more below.

And regardless of how you choose to celebrate and honor the Earth this week, don’t forget to be good, be kind, and look after each other,

Af and Bobby

TOP STORIES THIS WEEK

Sustainable Advertising: Green The Bid is a grassroots initiative and community created to support the advertising industry in shifting to zero-waste, carbon neutral, sustainable and regenerative practices. Co-Founder Gabi Kay joined us at GOODCon LA to share how brands and agencies can get involved to shift the industry, check out the full interview here.

Book of the Week: Marvel’s Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. has teamed with bestselling environmental author Thomas Kostigen to write Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time. The book will provide a smart, accessible and game-changing roadmap to making climate-solving food choices.

Pioneering A Supercool Socially Conscious Lifestyle Brand: Founded by Sri Lankan born Shiran Gort, Four Leaves is an eco-friendly lifestyle brand that aims to contribute to physical, mental and social well-being. What started as only a towels and linens brand has now evolved into a full fledged ‘lifestyle brand’ with its own distinctive look & feel. One of our favorite pillars of the brand is the fact that it is rooted in giving back.

Ad of the Week: JUST Egg’s new campaign is calling out Congressmen and officials for denying climate change and failing to protect the planet. The company decided to troll lawmakers in Washington D.C. with billboards, posters, and a food truck to bring climate change to the forefront.

Refugees Reducing Waste: Precious Plastic is a Dutch startup working through the UN’s refugee agency to deliver complete recycling plants in shipping containers to refugee camps. This innovative system allows refugees to earn a living while reducing waste.

Design for Good: Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum designs a low-cost sustainable monsoon proof homes for families affected by sea level rise in the Ganges delta region of Bangladesh. These modular mobile houses use mostly natural materials to build houses that can be easily installed or disassembled, allowing for quick relocation in the event of flooding or riverbank erosion. 

How LEGO is Reducing Anxiety Through Play: The LEGO Foundation has announced it is donating another 600 LEGO kits to hospitals worldwide to help children cope with the intimidating process of having a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan. What started in 2015 as a passion project for LEGO employee Erik Ullerlund Staehr and a Denmark hospital, is now being scaled and piloted with new training material for hospital staff.

"There’s no business to be done on a dead planet."

- Yvon Chouinard