The Week in Low Carbon Commerce

April 22, 2024 - Earth Day Edition

Author

Keith Anderson
April 22, 2024

Today is Earth Day. This year’s official theme is “Planet vs. Plastics.” This week’s newsletter features funding announcements about a reverse vending machine technology with a retail media angle and a new technology for degrading plastic waste in the environment… along with one brand’s awkwardly timed decision to scale back plastic reduction targets. Read on to learn more.

Separately, in honor of the occasion, we’re offering 1 year of individual Pro membership to the first 25 people to join the Decarbonize.co Slack community. That means you’ll get access to the full-length versions of each podcast, our premium research, and deep discounts on events.

Just click here to join and DM me when you’re in. And feel free to share the offer with colleagues you think may find it of interest.

-Keith

In this edition:

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April 23-24: FirstMovr JBPx Amazon

Tomorrow, join me for a fast-paced session on maximizing the commercial benefits of Amazon’s climate and sustainability programs like Climate Pledge Friendly and Compact by Design.

From the podcast — new episodes Thursday mornings

Ep. 24: Sustainability without Compromise with Mark Rushmore, Co-founder and CCO of SURI

Mark Rushmore is co-founder and CCO of SURI, a sustainable electric toothbrush company. Mark and his co-founder began their careers at P&G, one of the great incubators of talent within the CPG industry. With a long entrepreneurial track record and some exits, he and his co-founder had the opportunity and the idea to start a consumer product brand that doesn't compromise on effectiveness or performance, produces a product that's more sustainable, and educates consumers about how to use it sustainably throughout the product's life cycle. Hear Mark’s insights about decisions from product design, materials, packaging, and growing direct to consumer and and through retail.

decarbonize.co/podcast/ep-24-sustainability-without-compromise-with-mark-rushmore-co-founder-and-cco-of-suri

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Deals and funding

Mosa Meat, based in the Netherlands, raised €40M to prepare its cultivated meat product for market entry.

Karma Wallet, a prepaid debit card offering cash back for sustainable purchases, acquired DoneGood, a marketplace for sustainable products.

Breaking, based in Boston, MA, emerged from stealth with $10.5 in seed funding for its plastic degradation technology.

OlsAro, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, raised €2.5M for its climate-resilient crop development platform.

Olyns, based in Santa Clara, California, received a loan from Closed Loop Partners to scale its reverse vending machine for the collection, sortation, and recycling of consumer packaging.

My Emissions, a climate footprinting and labeling platform for food companies, raised a £1.3m seed round. Learn more on Ep.23: Calculating and Communicating Food Emissions with Matthew Isaacs of My Emissions.

Check out all of the jobs (or post your open roles) on the Decarbonizing Commerce Career Board.