Photo: Mariëlle Leenders

“Designers Want to Fix the Big Ugly Problem With Solar Panels”: Bloomberg reports on efforts by Dutch designers Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk to overcome public objections to solar panels by creating alternatives featuring “imagery of sunset tones, rain drops, brushstrokes and leaves”. More here

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is to investigate ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda over possible greenwashing. As part of its ongoing efforts to combat misinformation, including publication of a Green Claims Code last year, the CMA “will be scrutinising eco-friendly and sustainability claims made by ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda about their fashion products, including clothing, footwear, and accessories”. Among the issues being investigated are whether “the statements and language used by the businesses are too broad and vague, and may create the impression that clothing collections – such as the ‘Responsible edit’ from ASOS, Boohoo’s current ‘Ready for the Future’ range, and ‘George for Good’ – are more environmentally sustainable than they actually are”. More here

If you are heading to a beach this summer and despairing at the amount of plastic washed up there, the Washed Ashore project may provide some inspiration. Founded in 2010 in Oregon by artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, it has collected 35 tons of plastic along the local coastline to make 86 sculptures “to educate a global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and to spark positive changes in consumer habits” (one shown above). More on the project from Treehugger here

“By next year, every item of clothing sold in France will require a label detailing its precise climate impact,with a similar rule expected for the rest of the European Union by 2026,” reports the Fashion United website. The French Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe) is currently testing 11 proposals for what the resulting label might look like to consumers and what data will be collected and analysed to be included. More here

The “Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) has slammed the RIBA for including ‘greenwashing and social cleansing projects’ in the shortlist for the Stirling Prize 2022,” reports the Architects Journal. Referring to the projects shortlisted this year, an ACAN statement says “Upholding projects like these as good examples grossly underestimates the level of change required from the industry to adequately tackle the climate crisis and neglects the needs of marginalised groups in pursuit of profit for a select few…To the RIBA, we challenge you to reconsider this year’s Stirling Prize nominees. This list is not something to celebrate and promotes architecture that pollutes the planet.” More here

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