CO2 Clothes Are Now a Thing -and Investors Love It 😎

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Read time today: 2:40 min

Hi friend,

It’s Friday morning. You are reading VITAMIN C 🍋. 

I’ve been bouncing between conferences this week, and I keep hearing the same thing: People are really scared about the future. Climate crisis, geopolitics, all of it.

So today, we’re lifting the mood. Good news first, a harsh truth about plastic in the middle, and then a sweet surprise at the end.

Let’s dive in.👇

1. [Good News] ✊ Climate Victories Are Happening -Even If They Don’t Make Headlines

Not every climate win makes front-page news, but real progress is happening:

✅ Montana’s youth activists won a historic lawsuit, holding their state accountable for pro-fossil fuel policies.

✅ ClientEarth is stopping destructive projects, from gas developments in Italy to corporate greenwashing in Poland.

Why this matters:

Change doesn’t always come from the top. These legal wins & grassroots efforts prove progress is real—and unstoppable.

💬 What’s the most inspiring climate victory you’ve seen? Hit reply and let me know!

2. [Climate Heroes] 💨 Wear Your Emissions

Two sisters just raised $13M to take CO₂ from the air and turn it into clothes.

Their company, Rubi Labs, uses bioengineering to transform CO₂ into fibers - no land, no water, no fossil fuels needed.

Their tech mimics how trees capture carbon, converting it into materials that can replace cotton and synthetics.

The goal? A fashion industry that cleans the air instead of polluting it.

Check them out here.

3. [Fact] ♻️The Illusion of Recycling

According to OECD only 9% of the world’s plastic waste actually gets recycled. 

The rest? Burned, buried, or dumped into nature.

Why isn’t recycling working?

The system is designed to fail because:
❌ Most plastics aren’t made to be recycled
❌ Sorting is expensive—many plastics are incompatible
❌ Virgin plastic is cheaper than recycled plastic
❌ Flexible packaging (like snack wrappers) is nearly impossible to recycle

What needs to change?

✔️ Ban single-use & non-recyclable plastics – The EU banned plastic cutlery, plates, and straws in 2021. More restrictions on microplastics are coming.

✔️ End fossil fuel subsidies – Virgin plastic stays cheap because oil companies still get a free pass.

✔️ Hold plastic producers accountable – The EU’s EPR rules force companies to fund plastic waste collection & recycling. By 2030, all plastic packaging must be recyclable or reusable.

✔️ Push for a global plastics treaty –  175 countries are negotiating a UN treaty to end plastic pollution. Talks (Dec 2024) stalled due to fossil fuel industry lobbying—negotiations continue in 2025.

We see recycling isn’t enough. We need more bold policy changes to fix it.

4. [Food for Thought] ✈️ Greenwashing at 40,000 Feet

Speaking about plastic, last summer headlines broke that Starbucks' CEO flies 1,000 miles on a private jet three times a week—instead of moving to Seattle. ✈️

That’s 800+ flights a year, burning 10x more fuel per passenger-mile than commercial planes.

The real impact? More emissions than 1,000 households annually—all while Starbucks markets itself as eco-friendly.

🤔 What’s the message here? Convenience > Climate

I believe corporate leaders need to lead by example and actually walk the talk.

Do you agree?

Read more here.

 5. [Nerdy Food Stuff] 🍭 Sweet Without the Guilt? German Scientists Say Yes!

What if your favorite treats could be sweet—but without the sugar?

Scientists at Fraunhofer Institute are working on protein-based sweeteners that could replace sugar without calories, cavities, or blood sugar spikes.

🧪 The secret? Tiny proteins found in exotic fruits that taste sweet but don’t mess with your metabolism. The challenge? Making them affordable and scalable for mass production.

If this works, the future of sugar-free foods might actually taste good - no weird aftertaste, no chemical sweeteners.

Check it out here.

Stay awesome,
Lia

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