Not everything from the garden went into the dish? What do you do with all that food waste? Coloradan Gail Loos found a solution to those pesky kitchen scraps.  She created the GreenCycler, a device that grinds kitchen scraps into a size that accelerates the composting process.  The contraption works a lot like a paper shredder.  Loos redesigned the blades so they could grind food waste effectively, and the user can also easily remove those blades for cleaning.  The storage container boasts a design that promotes evaporation while discouraging any increase of pests and anaerobic activity.

Now just in time for the holidays, Khunu has rolled out an impressive collection of women’s outerwear, or as the company describes it, adventurewear. The sweaters are well tailored, and women will love them for their slimming effect—the quality of yak wool allows such sweaters to keep their shape. Currently the line is available for order on the internet: and within the United States, shipping by USPS Priority Mail is free.

For here, to go, or reuse? By 2011, KFC claims that the company will reduce the use of foam by over 60% and total plastic use by 17%. Part of the push will be an introduction of reusable packaging. Currently 60% of its restaurants serve some of its sides in colorful plastic containers—all restaurants will feature them by next year. The company hopes that customers will reuse, and eventually, recycle, the containers.

Indego Africa partners with other organizations as well as it works to improve the lives of women and their families. In the case of the Ingenzi Knit Union, women there benefit from U.S.-based NGO Rwanda Knits, which provides knitting machines as well as technical training and business classes to ensure the women’s success. Now their work is showcased in Anthropologie’s stores.

Laotian culture exudes peace. In such cities as the World Heritage City Luang Prabang, monks in saffron robes knock on doors to collect peace offerings. Dusk and dawn shimmer on the temples’ facades, and the mountains provide a stunning backdrops for the lush greenery that surrounds the city. Peace has often eluded Laos, but Saffron Coffee offers Luang Prabang farmers economic opportunity.

Leticia Brenyah is a coordinator at PALMS (Productive Agricultural Linkages and Marketing Systems), a non-profit that teaches Ghanaian women how to use updated technology and more sustainable farming practices. The concept is simple: by training women on more recent methods, efficiency will not only result in higher yields, but women will also have more time to spend with their families.

You have probably heard of WWF’s Earth Hour, during which lights dim around the world in recognition of energy’s impact on the climate, wildlife, and society. The next Earth Hour will be March 26 at 8:30pm in your time zone. Meanwhile, we have another hour that will raise awareness about food: set your clocks for [...]

The flavor graveyard of Ben & Jerry’s can add a label’s corpse. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, to some the country’s largest party pooper–to others the leader in holding companies accountable to their claims while reducing our collective saturated fat intake–has been attacking Ben & Jerry’s labeling claims, and has ratted out the company to the FDA as far back as 2002, describing the company’s use of “natural” as “deceptive.”