Latest Stories from Jessica
How California’s plastic ban will challenge the beauty industry
The Golden State has announced a new bill that will ban the sale of single-use plastics by 2032. What does this mean for the hundreds of beauty brands that create and sell their products in California? Plastic is arguably the world’s most convenient synthetic material, but it has become an indestructible double edged sword that harms the wellbeing of humans and the natural environment. Decades of dependency on sturdy plastic bottles,...
PANGAIA’s new ‘Re-Color’ collection utilises dyes from old textiles
Using technology that turns used textile fabric into powdered dye, PANGAIA has created a new capsule collection that uses no harmful chemicals to obtain its pastel hues. The world can’t get enough of co-ord tracksuits and PANGAIA is one brand determined to deliver them in the most sustainable way possible. Already having made a name for itself in the eco-friendly fashion realm, the brand has found yet another way to reduce...
London Zoo places handbag on display to raise poaching awareness
To make a clear statement about animal poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, the London Zoo has displayed a brown crocodile skin bag where its Siamese crocodiles usually reside. Visiting London Zoo presents an exciting opportunity to observe some of the world’s most elusive creatures without ever having to leave the concrete jungle. What you wouldn’t expect to spot is a designer, crocodile leather handbag positioned behind the layer of glass...
Are ‘best before’ dates on fresh produce necessary?
Every year, 88 million tons of food goes to waste in the EU. To tackle the problem, supermarkets are removing best before dates on fresh produce and encouraging customers to use their senses while shopping - literally. ‘Do you think this milk is still ok?’ my colleagues ask one another on Tuesday morning, reverting to the good old, trusty smell test on a past-dated carton before tucking into their morning...
Young volunteers are rebuilding Ukrainian towns with clean-up raves
The small Ukrainian town of Yahidne is being cleared of remnants of Russian invasion and rebuilt by young volunteers to the soundtrack of house and techno music. Since the last days of February, Eastern Ukraine has experienced unrelenting shelling and occupation by Russian soldiers. Even the country’s smallest and least populated towns have not been exempt from this reality. Located in the North East, Yahidne is home to just 300 people,...
Berlin switches off monument lighting to preserve energy
The lights on Berlin’s famous monuments and historic buildings are being shut off in order to save energy amidst Russian energy cuts. Other cities like Hanover are cutting hot water in city-run buildings. If you’re planning to visit Berlin this summer, don’t expect to see its impressive monuments lit up during the evenings. In light of the energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, the city is switching off the...
Spain launches ‘all bodies are beach bodies’ campaign
Launched by the Spanish government’s equality ministry, the campaign slogan reads ‘the summer is ours too’ and features women of varied sizes and skin tones sitting seaside. The body positivity movement has exploded on social media over the last decade, influencing millions and reshaping decisions made in major fashion shows and in marketing campaigns around the globe. First picking up traction in 2012, the goal is to promote the acceptance of...
Saudi Arabia announces plans for a futuristic city named The Line
The future of architecture could forever be changed by the design of a new vertical city in Saudi Arabia. Fresh details about the project pose it as an epicentre of sustainability, productivity, seamless living, and leisure for millions of people. Of all prosperous nations in the world, Saudi Arabia looks the most motivated to position itself as a leader of the future. Abandoning its dependency on revenue from oil reserves is...
Why the response to the monkeypox outbreak is problematic
Monkeypox was just declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation. Why are officials pushing the damaging narrative that it’s only a concern for men in the LGBTQ community? Although we’ve all experienced a heightened awareness towards contagious illnesses over the last few years, it appears that officials and the general public haven’t learned from our recent past. We’re still dealing with an ever-mutating COVID-19, but new strains of...
Plant-based version of nylon fabric is on the horizon
As the fashion industry looks for ways to shrink its environmental footprint, two companies have partnered up to create a sustainable nylon fabric from plant-based materials. Nylon was the fashion industry’s first ever lab-made fabric. Today, it stands as the most environmentally problematic. Nylon first gained popularity during the 1940s, replacing expensive and hard-to-source silk used for ladies’ stockings, a fashion staple at the time. It also came in handy during...
