National Geographic - USA (2021-11)

Waste not! That goes for

leftover cafeteria food,

feathers that still fluff,

and fix-it-yourself devices.

BY CHRISTINA NUNEZ

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): ISRAEL SEBASTIAN, GETTY IMAGES; NATA ZHEKOVA, GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO;

COURTESY ARKET; BABAK TAFRESHI, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION

EXPLORE | PLANET POSSIBLE

PLANET

For more stories about how

to help the planet, go to

natgeo.com/planet

GOT EXTRA FOOD?

COLLEGE STUDENTS

ACROSS THE COUNTRY

ARE COLLECTING SUR-

PLUS CAFETERIA FARE

AND DELIVERING IT TO

AREA GROUPS IN NEED

THROUGH THE FOOD

RECOVERY NETWORK.

FIND A CHAPTER OR

START ONE YOURSELF:

FOODRECOVERYNETWORK.ORG

LEAVE THE LEAVES

Skip the annual ritual

of raking and bagging

fallen foliage. When left

on the ground, autumn

leaves provide shelter

and food for beneficial

insects and other wild-

life. They can also enrich

the lawn; running a

mulching mower over

leaves grinds them into

nourishment for turf.

CAN YOU FIX IT?

Rating Repairability

May Reduce Replacing

Sometimes all that

stands between your

things and the landfill

is whether they can

be fixed if they break.

That’s why France now

requires products (such

as smartphones and

laptops) to be labeled

with a repairability

score. Worldwide, the

“right to repair” move-

ment appeals to people

who want the ability

to service their own

products, from cars to

tractors to electronics,

instead of buying new

ones. Feel handy?

Find repair guides and

scores at ifixit.com.

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RECYCLING DOWN YIELDS

FOWL-FRIENDLY GEAR

If you’re in the market for a

winter jacket, keep an eye out

for one with recycled down.

Several retailers are gather-

ing feathers for new products

from reclaimed bedding and

apparel. Longtime sustain-

ability advocate Patagonia

says the practice has mark-

edly cut its carbon footprint

related to insulation.

FLUFF

FLIES

AGAIN

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