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Buffy launches breathable and biodegradable bedding

Breeze Comforter by Buffy

New York – The bedding brand has released a duvet made entirely from eucalyptus fibres.

The Breeze duvet is a plant-based comforter that uses natural eucalyptus wood pulp for its outer shell, inner filling and threading. In contrast to the materials typically used in bedding, like cotton, down and polyester, eucalyptus wood pulp is fully biodegradable. In addition, the material’s properties ensure that it is soft and breathable, as well as being designed to help regulate temperature and promote better sleep.

Adding to its sustainable credentials, eucalyptus is reported to be significantly less resource-intensive than cotton and consumes nearly 10 times less water during the production process. ‘Not only does [the Breeze] promote a better sense of wellbeing, we see it as a statement of ethics,’ says founder Leo Wang. ‘Through much research and testing, we are proud to release a product using materials that are kinder to our bodies and to the planet.’ The brand is showing how the ideas we explore in our Whole-system Thinking macrotrend are evolving.

A free text service for kitchen advice

Great Jones

US – Kitchenware start-up Great Jones has launched Potline to help customers become confident cooks.

Great Jones, which was launched in 2018, is a direct-to-consumer brand for aesthetically pleasing and practical cookware including pots, pans and ovens. Now, the company is launching a free text message service that offers anyone recipe ideas, cleaning tips and general cooking advice. The service will initially be available between 4:00pm to 8:00pm EST on Mondays and Wednesdays, when human employees will be on hand.

According to its co-founder Sierra Tishgart, text messaging friends and family is a natural part of the cooking process. ‘We really want this to feel like that you are in the middle of making pasta and your sauce isn’t landing – how would you look for help there? I would text somebody. We really realised that is just the fastest, most immediate and natural form of communication,’ she tells TechCrunch.

New brands such as Great Jones and Fall Risk are experimenting with new use cases for Text Commerce, as consumers suffer from online engagement ennui.

Atlanta is building a seven-acre edible food forest

Atlanta – The forest will help feed communities that live in one of America’s food deserts.

Conceived by the city of Atlanta, The Conservation Fund and local non-profit-making organisations, a seven-acre area of land is being transformed into the largest edible forest in the US. The area, near the Lakewood-Browns Mill community, is a food desert in which a third of the population lives below the poverty line.

In order to bring healthy food to this community, the area, which is now a public park, will expand in the next few years, allowing the community to grow their own produce. In addition, the landscape will include more than 100 fruit and nut trees that will grow figs, apples and plums for anyone to pick and eat. The project will help Atlanta achieve a goal of getting 85% of all residents within a half mile of fresh food by 2021.

As geopolitical factors threaten our global supply chains, cities must find innovative ways to feed urban populations without easy access to fresh food. For more, read our macrotrend Uprooted Diets.

The Edible Country, Visit Sweden campaign

Belstaff celebrates Scotland’s rural characters

Everyday Heroes, Belstaff and Leica

UK – Belstaff has commissioned a photographic project focusing on everyday individuals living in the Highlands and islands of western Scotland.

In collaboration with Leica Camera and photojournalist Emily Garthwaite, the outerwear brand has created a series of portraits of five men and women who contribute to local industries, while championing sustainability and tradition. The series, which celebrates the Belstaff Icons collection, includes portraits of an organic dairy farmer, a shellfish diver and a community activist.

According to the press release, the heroes featured have been chosen for ‘their fascinating stories and how they make a difference locally and beyond’. The photographs will be displayed at Belstaff stores and online, and then shown at an exhibition at Leica Camera’s Duke Street Gallery on 27 June. The campaign marks a new example of brand communications that explore the idea of purpose through work. Similarly, Gant recently unveiled a documentary that praised the power of switching careers.

Stat: The UK’s luxury industry continues to boom

The luxury sector is now worth £48bn ($61bn, €54bn) to the UK economy, according to new findings from Walpole. The trade body for the British luxury industry also found that between 2013 and 2017, the industry grew 49% and exports topped £38bn ($48bn, €43bn).

The report forecasts that the value of sales for 2024 will reach about £65bn ($82bn, €73bn), contingent on the UK and EU securing an agreement on their future trading relationship. Even with Brexit looming, the sector is growing at an average rate of 9.6% year on year, outpacing the UK’s average annual economic growth of 4%. According to Walpole, this can be attributed to a strong performance in the luxury car sector, a growing industry we explored in our recent Supercar Clubs microtrend.

For more on how the UK will navigate its luxury industry in preparation for the onset of Brexit, read our State of Luxury Market.

Thought-starter: Does the therapy sector need to diversify?

As mental health disorders surge, foresight writer Holly Friend explores how the outdated therapy sector is diversifying to address the vulnerabilities of the next generation.

Mental health disorders are rising in Western societies. In the UK, one in three young people have mental health troubles such as depression, negative feelings or inability to focus, according to a new study by Action for Children. In the US, the share of adults living with a mental illness is one in five.

But even as these disorders rise, therapy remains a privilege. Jaded by the industry’s clinical image and aversion to change, innovators are stepping in to make the therapy experience more accessible for all.

For example, The Difference brings on-demand therapy to consumers’ Alexa devices. Subscribers to the service can request a therapy session by sharing a personal PIN code with their Alexa. They are then connected to a therapist in under 30 minutes, who will call them on their mobile phone. For those seeking face-to-face sessions with a therapist, Two Chairs is a new chain of California-based design-led clinics that aims to address the difficulties in accessing mental healthcare.

Read the full Modern Therapy microtrend here.