Signals

Europe – Following success in the US, JUST, a company that produces a plant-based liquid egg substitute, hopes to make its mark in the European market.

The company has entered an agreement with Eurovo Group to bring JUST Egg to European consumers that follow vegan or plant-based diets. The substitute egg is made from mung bean protein, which allows the product to cook in the same way as conventional hen’s eggs while offering a similar amount of protein.

With recent reports suggesting that veganism could help to save the environment, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their eating habits on natural resources and emissions. Businesses are also recognising their responsibility to provide plant-based products in order to give consumers a choice at the point of purchase.

Munich – A recent exhibition, African Speculations, curated by Christopher Marcinkoski and Javier Arpa Fernández, academics from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, examined the impact of various speculative urbanisation projects proposed in Africa since 2005.

Despite demand for urban improvements throughout Africa, many projects are rarely orientated towards the populations that need them, and are used instead to pursue singular economic gains for local governments, brands or businesses. The exhibition warned of the possible political, social and environmental disasters that could be caused if such development models are realised.

With the UN forecasting that two-thirds of humanity will be living in urban environments by 2050, cities must be able to sustain growing demands on their infrastructure. If governments are not able to support such demands, the role of citymaker may fall entirely to private corporations – a decision that will require careful implementation to support the rights and interests of the local population. For more on the development of future cities, explore our Branded Cities report.

Almost a third of plastic packaging from UK supermarkets is difficult to recycle, according to a new study by consumer research group Which? Despite a number of recently implemented initiatives, the analysis found that the budget supermarket Lidl had the lowest proportion of widely recyclable packaging at 71%, followed by Iceland (73%), Ocado (74%) and Sainsbury’s (75%).

With concerns still growing about plastic’s environmental impact, supermarkets and retailers are beginning to reduce their reliance on the material through the introduction of plastic-free aisles and alternative packaging. For more, read our recent Listicle.