Matthew Charles gains his freedom, IKEA tries solar power and a former Bachelor starts a social enterprise
You’re reading What’s Good This Week — SEA’s weekly roundup of good news from around the world
Matthew Charles, Nashville Man Who Gained National Attention, Is Released From Prison Again
Via WPLN: One of the first prisoners to be released under a new criminal justice reform law is Matthew Charles, a Tennessee man first profiled by WPLN in December 2017. Charles was serving another decade behind bars, but Thursday morning his sentence was unexpectedly reduced to time served, several weeks after the passage of the First Step Act. He was released Thursday.
Charles made national headlines last year, after he was re-sentenced and ordered back to prison two years after his release. News outlets from the New York Times to Fox News covered his case, following a WPLN profile on him. A number of public figures, including celebrities and politicians from both parties, have advocated for his freedom.
The Bachelor’s Ben Higgins Gets into the Social Impact Industry
Via Causeartist: “You might recognize Ben from season 20 of ABC’s TV dating show “The Bachelor,” but since his 2016 search for love, Ben has shifted from his platform as America’s most eligible bachelor (although we hear you can find him on Bumble these days) to a more grounded industry- coffee. Ben and his partner Riley Fuller co-founded Generous Coffee, which invests 100% of its profits into nonprofit efforts focused on employing women, providing access to education, and empowering communities. While Generous serves delicious and ethically-sourced coffee, the company also hopes to inspire a movement where generosity is the driver behind making a big impact. Be on the lookout for their first shop opening in 2019!”
This beauty brand launched a skin care in 100% compostable packaging
Via Fast Company: Seed Phytonutrients, is a hair, skin and body product company creating non-synthetic, effective products that support small-scale organic farmers. Made in entirely compostable bottles, the packaging features post-consumer paper, combined with clay that makes it water resistant and strong enough to resist shower water pressure. The exterior paper serves to strengthen and protect the plastic, which is 60% thinner than a typical plastic bottle. As a whole, Seed bottles use a fraction of the plastic used by other beauty brands. The bottles are then shipped in a nested fashion, to ensure that no space is wasted in the shipping containers.
The design team wanted to make sure that consumers would go on to recycle the bottles. So, they ingeniously put a packet of organic seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Company between the plastic and paper parts of the bottle, encouraging consumers to take the bottle apart and recycle the necessary parts.
This author threw an ethical wedding — here’s how you can too:
From plastic-free party favors to ethically produced bridal gifts and sustainable skin care, read how author Trang Chu Minh made her wedding all about social impact.
“With our wedding seemingly a distant memory now, I wanted to shine the spotlight on some of the tremendous social enterprises I have had the pleasure to work with in preparation for our nuptials. While our celebrations were admittedly far from a sustainable affair, I hope my experience will serve as an inspiration for future bride-to-be-s to proactively seek ways to support a meaningful social or environmental cause.”
IKEA’s first india store will use solar powered electric rickshaws for deliveries
IKEA has revealed it will be using solar powered electric rickshaws as its chosen form of delivery vehicle in India. the electric rickshaws will make up 20% of the new store’s delivery fleet, and will be helpful for navigating the country’s notoriously dense traffic. IKEA opened its first store in India on Thursday to a stampede of 40,000 shoppers after it had been under construction for over two years. Electric vehicles are growing increasingly popular around the world, and India’s rickshaws have been subject to various designer’s updated proposals. the electric rickshaws will be charged at their store using 4,000 solar powers installed on the building’s roof with the excess electricity used to provide electricity for lighting and other uses inside the store.
