Need to Know
21 : 01 : 22

Las Vegas – Circumventing the often complicated government guidelines that prevent many well-meaning homeowners from recycling properly, the Lasso Loop takes the circular economy into its own hands. With the mission of preventing reusable materials from ever reaching the landfill, the domestic appliance allows consumers to recycle in their own homes.

Maximising convenience and utility, the Lasso Loop is a compact appliance that recycles seven of the most common plastics, glass and metals. It can clean and decontaminate items, before crushing or shredding them. Once the appliance is full, an app can be used to organise curbside collection. ‘The current curbside recycling system is broken and inefficient, recycling only 9% of goods and requiring relentless mining, extraction and processing of virgin material which perpetuates pollution on our planet,’ explains Aldous Hicks co-founder of Lasso Loop.

While the Lasso Loop's launch price of £2,565 ($3,500, €3,087) makes it a luxury for most homes, its development points to the future of domestic waste management. To read about the other technological innovations poised to enter the domestic space, readers can consult Five Future Home Scenarios for 2050.

London – Created by the founders of Depop, Delli is a community-oriented platform for both food lovers and those working in the food sector. With the aim of elevating access, storytelling and sustainability in food, the Delli app provides a network for sharing ingredients, recipes and personal food stories, alongside 'drops' from food sellers that help them to mitigate food waste.

These drops will enable producers and sellers to try new ingredients without wasting resources. By taking this zero-waste, small-batch approach, Delli also promotes connections between cooks, suppliers and food lovers in local communities. ‘Throughout the last two years, the hospitality industry moved away from the high street and into our local neighbourhoods and people’s kitchens,’ explains Simon Beckerman, CEO and founder of Delli. ‘The sentiment of sustainability that has come out of the hardship is what Delli is based on.’

While community-led food experiences have been growing in recent years – as explored in our Kindred Diners Community – such networks will increasingly evolve to centre around sustainable approaches to food and drink.

Known as the staple drink of most morning routines, new research by YouGov reveals that coffee might be falling out of favour among younger consumers. With 46% of Generation Z in the UK stating that they do not drink coffee at home or in the workplace, coffee brands are facing a challenge to engage and entice this audience.

When asked whether there is ‘no such thing as too much coffee’, 61% of Gen Z respondents disagreed, the highest percentage of all the generations surveyed. In contrast, Millennial and Generation X consumers had the largest share of coffee devotees, with 32% citing there’s no such thing as too much coffee.

While fewer members of Gen Z are incorporating coffee into their daily routines, the study shows that for those who do drink coffee, taste and price are given as key motivations, alongside convenience (20%). This gives coffee brands insight into where they can market to this audience or use targeted advertising to reach new consumers.