News 28.04.2021

Need to Know

Patagonia spotlights the power of local energy, a Milan supermarket adjusts prices to food freshness and American Gen Z find faith in spirituality.

Patagonia starts a community-led energy revolution

We the Power by Patagonia

Europe – Outdoor brand Patagonia is empowering neighbourhoods across Europe to re-imagine energy systems, focusing on local and community benefits.

Its latest campaign film, We the Power, spotlights cooperatives across the continent that are working towards renewable energy solutions. From Germany’s Black Forest to the streets of ancient Girona and the rooftops of London, each is shown breaking down legislative barriers to prioritise energy from local sources. Through the campaign, Patagonia is encouraging citizens to imagine a new energy system that is community-owned and in turn supports local jobs and those in energy poverty.

‘Community energy is a win-win situation, whereby local, renewable energy production puts money directly into local communities and speeds up the creation of a cleaner, healthier future for our children,’ says Beth Thoren, environmental action and initiatives director of Patagonia.

The initiative echoes the ideas we identify in Equilibrium Cities, in which we forecast a future of city super-networks that will emerge to re-align the power between major and regional cities.

A regenerative bar building booze from food waste

 Re designed in collaboration with Alfred, Sydney  Re designed in collaboration with Alfred, Sydney
 RE designed in collaboration with Alfred, Sydney  RE designed in collaboration with Alfred, Sydney

Sydney – With a zero-waste policy, Australian bar Re serves as a blueprint for how bars can operate in the future.

Marking a world first when it comes to permanent bar locations, Re is pioneering a regenerative hospitality experience, from its drinks to its interiors. The venue, designed in collaboration with creative production company Alfred, features furnishings made from recycled bottles and Tupperware, along with structural features made from milk bottles.

Re’s cordials, syrups and tinctures are all created from leftover food products that would typically be wasted. Experimental cocktails such as Play That Fungi Music, for example, make use of salvaged mushrooms. According to Matt Whiley, co-founder of Re, the bar aims to be zero-waste in due course: ‘Traditionally, the bar industry has been incredibly wasteful. I'm not saying that we're going to be zero-waste from day one, but we're going to try bloody hard to get there.’

While we’ve previously identified the rise of zero-waste dining innovations, Re showcases how regenerative hospitality can also thrive in the drinks industry.

This Milan supermarket incentivises off-price groceries

Milan and Israel – Italian supermarket group Iper is using electronic labels to make it easier for consumers to buy foods based on their expiry date.

The store is working with Israel-based technology start-up Wasteless to feature electronic price tags that lower the cost of groceries in real time. Using algorithms, the prices are adjusted depending on expiry date, as well as the time of day and popularity of particular food items. Through this system, Iper can significantly reduce grocery waste, while consumers are financially incentivised to shop more sustainably.

While we’ve been tracking the evolution of Wasteless since 2017, the new collaboration aims to break down the stigma attached to buying off-price items. Oded Omer, founder and CEO of Wasteless, explains: ‘Now, consumers can make shopping decisions that reward their sustainable behaviour, and there is no stigma that the shopper is sacrificing anything or buying second-rate items.’

Wasteless is just one disruptor championing sustainable solutions that work towards Food Waste Innovation.

Wasteless in collaboration with Iper, Milan

Stat: Generation Z retain faith in religious ideals

Doug Wheeler installation at David Zwirner, New York Doug Wheeler installation at David Zwirner, New York

While many conventional forms of religious practice are being shunned, a new study by Springtide Research Institute reveals that young consumers in the US are adopting religion in new ways.

According to the research, 71% of Generation Z consider themselves to be at least slightly religious, despite having little interest in engaging with religious institutions. But only 13% of respondents say they are very religious.

The study also explores the changing language around religion – those practising non-Christian faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism are more likely to call themselves ‘spiritual’ rather than ‘religious’. Interestingly, the 65% of agnostic Gen Z also consider themselves to be spiritual.

Particularly during a year of isolation, young people have been seeking comfort through various channels, adopting spiritual beliefs as a way of finding solace and meaning. This taps into the themes of our Young Believers microtrend, as young people redefine the aesthetics, rituals and values of faith.

Previous News Articles
Burberry revives archival outerwear for National Geographic documentary

News

Burberry revives archival outerwear for National Geographic documentary

Burberry’s latest archival display at its London Regent Street store celebrates Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary 1914 Antarctic expedition.
Luxury : Pop-culture & Media : Fashion
Gob launches mycelium-based earplugs

News

Gob launches mycelium-based earplugs

Gob is revolutionising the earplug market with a mycelium-based alternative that promises to eliminate the environmental impact of traditional disp...
Sustainability : Health & Wellness : Design
Brenda Lee’s holiday classic enters the AI era with Spanish re-release

News

Brenda Lee’s holiday classic enters the AI era with Spanish re-release

Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday song, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, has been re-imagined as Noche Buena y Navidad in a Spanish-language release po...
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Stat: US Gen Z are the most likely to hide their voting choices

News

Stat: US Gen Z are the most likely to hide their voting choices

An October 2024 Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll reveals that nearly half of Gen Z voters (48%) in the US have lied about their voting prefere...
Society : Youth : Politics
Camdom is the world’s first digital condom for safer intimacy

News

Camdom is the world’s first digital condom for safer intimacy

This Sexual Health Awareness Month, condom brand Billy Boy and creative agency Innocean Berlin unveiled Camdom, an app that acts as a digital condo...
Health & Wellness : Technology : Pop-culture & Media
Resting Reef memorialises pets as eco-friendly marine reefs

News

Resting Reef memorialises pets as eco-friendly marine reefs

Eco-friendly funeral company Resting Reef has launched a pet memorial service that blends pet ashes with crushed shells to create eco-friendly unde...
Design : Health & Wellness : Sustainability
Netflix new unveils Moments feature to save and share scenes

News

Netflix new unveils Moments feature to save and share scenes

Netflix has launched a new feature called Moments, allowing subscribers to bookmark, save and share their favourite scenes from shows and movies.
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Stat: Mars’ study reveals strong pet devotion

News

Stat: Mars’ study reveals strong pet devotion

Mars has unveiled ‘the largest global pet parent study to date’ of more than 20,000 pet owners across 20 countries.
Pets : Society : Retail
Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

News

Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

Samsonite has unveiled its latest innovation, the Proxis Space collection, setting new standards in travel gear with sustainability and advanced te...
Luxury : Travel & Hospitality : Design
The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

News

The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

The Saudi Investment Bank and creative agency Impact BBDO have launched I am Saudi, a campaign celebrating national heritage with a bespoke typeface.
Design : Advertising & Branding : Finance
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN