Estée Lauder to develop refillable packaging as part of circular economy drive

Stadium 974 – the first fully demountable tournament venue in FIFA World Cup™ history – has achieved a five-star rating under the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), which is administered by the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD).  The 40,000-capacity venue is a landmark in sustainable stadium design and construction, having been built with prefabricated and modular steel elements such as standard certi­fied shipping containers. This reduced the waste generated during the production of stadium components and the waste created on site during construction. The use of modular elements also reduced the venue’s construction duration. Water efficiency methods ensured that 974 reduced water use by 40% compared to a conventional stadium development.  As a result, 974 achieved a five-star rating for GSAS Design & Build and a Class A* rating for GSAS Construction Management. Executives from the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy received the certificates during a special event on Wednesday. The SC delegation included Eng. Ghanim Al Kuwari, Deputy Director General, Technical Services; Eng. Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Executive Director; Mohamed Al Atwaan, Facilities Management Director, Stadium 974; and Jassim Al Jaidah, Sustainability Communications Manager.  As the f­irst-ever FIFA complaint stadium that can be fully dismantled and re-purposed post-event, 974 sets new standards in the building and usage of sustainable venues. This includes f­lexibility in the design to rebuild the stadium with the same capacity in a different location or build multiple smaller venues using the same materials. A study into the environmental impact of Stadium 974 was published earlier this year.  Located in Doha – close to Hamad International Airport and opposite the stunning West Bay skyline – Stadium 974 hosted its first match on 30 November 2021 during the FIFA Arab Cup™.  Eight stadiums will host matches during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which will take place from 20 November to 18 December. Each venue has achieved a minimum four-star rating under GSAS, which was adopted as a sustainability rating system by FIFA and will ensure all tournament-related infrastructure meets stringent environmental standards.  Stadium 974 will host seven matches up to the round of 16 stages during Qatar 2022, starting with Mexico versus Poland on 22 November.

Old milk containers, juice jugs and toy cups are not the type of products usually associated with high-concept furniture, but two designers in Hong Kong have taken these and other items and upcycled them into stylish pieces of public furniture. Tasked with creating a collection of 12 benches for the town hall in Sha Tin, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the co-founders and design principals of HIR Studio, Howard Chung and Irene Cheng, turned to the Shing Mun River for inspiration. “The Shing Mun River is the soul of Sha Tin,” says Chung, who grew up in the area. “But even though the river quality has improved over the years it is still quite polluted, so we really wanted to do something to help alleviate the problem of plastic pollution in the water.”

here are a lot of ways to build a home sustainably, including many creative ways to maximize natural heat from the sun and collect your own rainwater. If you’re interested in building an off-grid home, it might be worth it to stay in one before you get started to help inspire the design.
These on- and off-grid houses around the U.S. all feature sustainable design and blend well with their natural surroundings. Even if you’re not trying to build your own home, any one of them would be an amazingly scenic getaway from city life.