Prolonging youth…for avocados!

Prolonging youth…for avocados!

January 24, 2019
Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.

How many times have you bought fresh avocados and discovered a few days later that they were rotten inside? This familiar experience may soon be a thing of the past.

Apeel Sciences, a food technology start-up, is tackling the problem of food waste. Edipeel is a plant-based coating that prolongs the shelf life of some produce by several weeks.

The benefits of Edipeel have earned the company a spot on 2018 CNBC Disruptor list comprising companies whose innovations are changing the world.

Video Spotlight: see the video on Edipeel featured in the article

This post is based on the CNBC.com article, This Bill Gates-backed start-up is fighting world hunger by making your avocados last longer, by T. Huddleston, Jr., December 31, 2018. Image source: slobo/iStock/Getty Images.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the quality characteristics of Edipeel? Is it compatible with the trend toward organic farming?

Guidance: Characteristics include longer shelf life of perishable produce (performance); invisible, odorless, tasteless (aesthetics); edible (special features); endorsement from well-known philanthropic and private organizations (perceived quality); and combating world hunger (image).

The article does not provide enough information to determine whether the product meets conformance, reliability, durability, serviceability, and consistency requirements.

Made of Continue reading →

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3M: Scrubbing Waste, One Product At A Time

3M: Scrubbing Waste, One Product At A Time

January 14, 2019
Lisa M. Spencer

3M announces plans to incorporate sustainability goals for each of the roughly 1,000 new products it introduces each year.

Expanding on the success of the more general sustainability initiatives it launched in 2015 as part of a ten year program, 3M takes its goals a step beyond what most companies are doing by looking at the individual products rather than just system-wide goals.

R & D will look carefully to see how each product might reduce materials or use recycled materials, such as its plan for all Scotch-Brite scrub sponges to be made with recycled plastics by 2019.  Other alternatives include reducing waste, energy, or water usage in factories or helping customers use the products in a more sustainable way.

This post is based on the Star Tribune article, 3M: Every new product must meet a sustainability goal, by Dee DePass, December 5, 2018. Image source: Nattika/Shutterstock.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does 3M’s approach differ from some companies’ approaches to sustainability?

Guidance: Whereas many companies take a big picture approach to sustainability, looking at how to reduce waste or energy in their factories overall, 3M wants each product to incorporate sustainable solutions.  This can include techniques Continue reading →

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Can Automation Save the Bangladeshi Garment Industry?

Can Automation Save the Bangladeshi Garment Industry?

December 10, 2018
Lisa M. Spencer

Second only to China in the world’s clothing export markets, Bangladesh focuses on efficiency in its textile factories to defend its market in the face of increased competition from Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and some African countries.

Automation helps Bangladesh modernize apparel factories, with two workers able to do the work of 15.  These improvements help offset increasing costs, as the government mandates a 51% wage hike, and Western brands demand better fire and safety standards in the factories.

Video Spotlight: How Automation Impacts Garment Workers in Bangladesh

This post is based on the Nikkei Asian Review article, Bangladesh fights for future of its garment industry, by Mitsuru Obe, November 4, 2018, and the YouTube video, How Automation Impacts Garment Workers in Bangladesh, by Electric Runway, June 7, 2018. Image source: igor kisselev / Alamy Stock Photo.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the cost of production in Bangladesh compare to that of other countries, and how does it impact the viability of its apparel industry?

Guidance: Currently, labor costs in Bangladesh remain low by global standards, with an average monthly wage of $101, compared to $518 in China.  However, some African countries like Ethiopia have average Continue reading →

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