8 Good Things That Have Happened For The Planet In 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.