Cristina De Jong, a master’s student studying textile engineering at Thomas Jefferson University, is a fervent reader of clothing labels, carefully assessing fiber content before purchasing new garments. “I’ve sort of given myself a reputation among my friends and family,” says De Jong. “I will be your sustainable clothes consultant. Like, tell me if you’re
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When people walk into SHIFT Sustainable Goods + Services, after the aroma of eucalyptus welcomes them in, they might find themselves looking at the chalkboard and wall of glass jars, feeling like they’ve stepped into a general store from a previous century. But at SHIFT, rather than creating nostalgia, reducing waste and protecting the earth
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In 2008, Philadelphia had 205 miles of bicycle lanes. By 2021, that had expanded to nearly 300 miles of bike lanes across the city. But most of those, even today, are nothing more than a stripe of paint — and as John Boyle, research director for the Bicycle Coalition points out, “paint isn’t protection.” With
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The entrance to Stuart Leon’s office is adorned with a rack of luchador masks and rolls of “Loading Zone” stickers. Life-size cardboard cutouts of Leon and his legal team welcome guests into the office’s nerve center, where Stuart Leon Bicycle Crash Law T-shirts spill from the shelves. From under a pile of brightly patterned neckties,
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For nearly a decade, Philadelphians looking to begin their composting journeys have looked to one of two options for private compost pick-up services — Bennett and Circle Compost. But now, customers won’t have to choose at all. Bennett Compost announced its acquisition of Circle Compost in an email to customers on Dec. 12, with the
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For the first time in the utility’s history, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) has agreed to hold community engagement meetings to discuss decarbonization. In a settlement agreement approved Oct. 9 by the Public Utility Commission (PUC), PGW agreed not only to a significantly lower rate hike than they initially proposed, but also to begin engaging in
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As the holiday season approaches, college campus cafés are preparing for the influx of students ordering coffee and pastries to power them through final exams. But once the semester officially ends, what happens to the product that isn’t sold? That’s what Saxbys cafés across nine states tackled last academic year as they participated in the
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Like many deaf Americans, Igor Khmil usually uses American Sign Language (ASL). But when he is helping another deaf individual access public transit information — about routes or fares or schedules — he cannot communicate with SEPTA staff in ASL, as there are typically no interpreters in the transit authority’s stations. Instead, he has to
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It’s a balmy day in late August, but the Mycopolitan Mushrooms grow room feels more like a forest floor in mid-October. A thick mist sprays from the ceiling, casting a glowy haze across shelves filled with blooming oyster mushrooms, lion’s mane and a handful of other exotic species. Pennsylvania is home to the majority of
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In the nine years Julia Jackson lived in Manayunk, just a few streets from the Leverington Avenue bridge, she witnessed her fair share of flooding — and Venice Island residents using the bridge to evacuate from their homes during floods. When she saw that the paper mill site at the island’s northern tip had been
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