5@5: A post-plastic ban packaging solution | Amazon splits HQ2 in half

Beyond plastic bans: Creating products to replace it

The recent plastic straw bans are only a small part of a much larger government and corporate quest to reduce plastic waste, with companies seeking alternatives in biodegradable alternatives such as cardboard. Although there are some things that plastic does particularly well—for example, holding liquids—there is a big push for innovative and eco-friendly ways to replace plastic in every aspect of the manufacturing, packaging and shipping processes. Read more at NPR ...

Amazon plans to split HQ2 evenly between two cities

Amazon will be splitting its second headquarters between two cities in order to recruit enough tech talent, a source familiar with the company’s plans says. The locations Amazon will land on have not yet been decided, but there will be approximately 25,000 employees working in each—20,000 fewer than its Seattle headquarters. Read more at The Wall Street Journal …

Their soybeans piling up, farmers hope trade war ends before beans rot

China has all but stopped buying soybeans from the U.S. in response to the Trump administration’s tariff on Chinese goods. While President Trump has stated that tariffs are a way to shift economic relationships for the better of U.S. citizens, the soybean farmers whose crops were once largely exported to China are suffering. Read more at The New York Times  …

Big soda and the ballot: Soda industry takes cues from tobacco to combat taxes

Big soda is acting a lot like the tobacco industry back in the day. Not only is the sweetened-beverage industry cultivating relationships with doctors and scientists, but it has also poured millions of dollars into campaigning against sugary drink taxes. The majority of public health advocates agree that soda taxes are a way to reduce general consumption of excessive added sugars, which can lead to 40,000 deaths each year. Read more at NPR …

Immigrants arrive with flourishing gut microbes. Then America’s diet trashes them.

Immigrants who relocate to the United States can undergo negative changes in terms of the diversity of their gut microbiomes within mere months, recent evidence shows. This lack of diversity contributes to an almost immediate sixfold increase in obesity rates, and greatly increases the likelihood of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Read more at The Washington Post …