Skip to content

8 Good Things That Have Happened For The Planet In 2020

Emma Loewe
Author:
Updated on July 4, 2020
Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director
By Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director
Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen and the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us."
Image by Aubrie LeGault / Stocksy
Last updated on July 4, 2020

In the name of celebrating progress during a time when it can be hard to come by, here are a few positive pieces of environmental news that have come out of 2020 so far. To look back on past planetary progress, check out 2019's wins.

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

1. Our oceans may not be totally doomed after all.

In one of the more hopeful climate reviews as of late, a group of scientists projected that marine life could recover from human intervention in the next 30 years1 if policies around overfishing, pollution, and habitat restoration are implemented swiftly. "Rebuilding marine life represents a doable Grand Challenge for humanity, an ethical obligation and a smart economic objective to achieve a sustainable future," their report reads.

2. Our planet got a minute to breathe.

COVID-19 has put millions of people out of work and forced millions more to work from home. While this certainly isn't something to celebrate, it has had some positive impacts on the natural world. Fewer cars on the road means less carbon and nitrogen in the atmosphere, at least for the time being. Early research also shows that biodiversity is also benefitting2 from our new normal.

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

3. Trash became high-fashion.

The apparel industry is notoriously resource-intensive, and major brands are now forced to grapple with how to reduce the amount of raw materials go into their clothes. One solution? Making the old new again. This year, Rothy's unveiled bags made out of ocean plastic waste and H&M turned the wine industry's discarded grape skins, stalks, and seeds into vegan leather.

4. New markets emerged for old clothes in the U.S.

Americans buy a lot of clothes and then inevitably get rid of them, sometimes after only a few wears. To create new markets for those used clothes, brands like Reformation, Toad & Co, and most recently Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta are now offering credits for shoppers to return their old clothing in-store, where it can be resold or recycled through ThredUp, an online consignment shop.

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

5. A new carbon labeling scheme was introduced to the fashion world.

In a sign that greater transparency could be coming to the fashion industry, this year Allbirds became the first brand to track and publicize the carbon footprint of its products. (Their average shoe creates the same amount of emissions as driving 19 miles in a car or running five loads of laundry in the dryer.) Allbirds then joined forces with Adidas to collaborate on what they hope will be the lowest carbon footprint sneaker to ever hit the pavement.

6. Plastic-eating particles could take some pressure off recycling systems.

Tech startup Carbios has identified a bacterial enzyme that digests PET plastic into its chemical building blocks. Unlike the typical recycling process, the enzyme breakdown doesn't degrade the quality of the plastic and instead makes it infinitely reusable (as of now, plastic can only be recycled a few times until it degrades). This year, a peer-reviewed study3 backed up the enzyme's efficacy and Carbios broke ground on a production facility in France. Meanwhile, another bacterium—this one isolated from soil—is also being studied for its plastic-eating properties4.

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

7. Household products got a green makeover.

Innovative new companies like blueland, cleancult, and Force of Nature have shown that home staples like laundry detergent and all-purpose cleaner don't need to come in plastic packaging. Meanwhile, cleaning product delivery service Grove Collaborative committed to going plastic-free by 2025 and Unilever announced that all of its products will have net zero emissions by 2039.

8. Diets changed for the better.

Many people used quarantine to brush up on cooking skills and prepare healthier, more environmentally friendly meals than usual. Meat consumption in America is on track to fall this year for the first time since 2014, and farmers and CSAs across the country are reporting an increased demand for their local food.

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Emma Loewe author page.
Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director

Emma Loewe is the Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen and the author of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. She is also the co-author of The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care, which she wrote alongside Lindsay Kellner.

Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She's spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.