5@5: Personal care without the waste | Coronavirus spurs sales of food staples

Ethique: The world’s first zero-plastic, zero-waste personal care brand

Beauty products are infamous for having excessive packaging: cellophane wrap; shiny, thick cardboard boxes; and fancy plastic bottles. Biochemist Brianne West, who previously developed shampoo and conditioner bars to avoid plastic containers, has now launched the world's first zero-plastic, zero-waste line of personal care products. Read more at Forbes…

Consumers' fear of coronavirus triggers spike in sales of household staples

UNFI President Chris Testa says it's not only water, paper towels and soaps that consumers are stocking up on. The food distributor is seeing sale of cold medicines, pasta, canned tuna and snack bars skyrocket as well. At Nuts.com, peanut-butter powder and organic chickpeas are flying out the door. Kroger's stock rose 8.1% on Thursday as consumers prepare for the worst. Read more at The Wall Street Journal…

What is ‘Let Dairy Die,’ and why is it all over the Democratic race?

As Democratic candidates for president addressed crowds of supporters and voters in the run-up to Super Tuesday, they regularly found themselves facing anti-dairy activists. Two protesters made it on to the stage with Joe Biden at a Tuesday night rally in Los Angeles, California. Who's behind it? Direct Action Everywhere, the animal-rights organization previously known for targeting grocery stores' meat departments. Read more at The New York Times…

Washington state to cover COVID-19 tests for the uninsured

As health care looms over national politics and consumers can't decide whether they need to wear masks to protect themselves from coronavirus, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced that his state will cover the costs of testing for uninsured people whose doctors recommend the screening. In addition, the state has ordered insurers to cover testing for the virus without requiring copays or deductibles. Read more at KUOW.org…

Scientists turn stinky durian waste into energy storage

We don't yet have garbage-consuming, flux-capacitor-powered flying cars that take us to the future, but scientists have figured out how to make phone-charging supercapacitors from the waste of the super-stinky durian fruit. A University of Sydney associate professor says the chemical-free process also works with jackfruit. Read more at Treehugger.com…