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This is what Burger King’s sustainable new packaging looks like

This is what Burger King’s sustainable new packaging looks like
May 9 2021 Share

Burger King has revealed the new environmentally friendly makeover for its most used items such as utensils, straws and wrappers. Burger King is part of a cohort of restaurants from across all of Miami participating in a ‘green packaging pilot program’ which aims to remove plastic and cardboard and use alternative materials. From new French fry containers called Frypods to a new plant based plastic for its cutlery, the change could eliminate around 500 million plastic straws from US restaurants.

Burger King is also seeking feedback from customers in order to take the changes worldwide. The company stated that this pilot gives the opportunity to gain knowledge for the industry ‘while getting us one step closer towards our goal of advancing packaging sustainability by improving materials and reducing overall packaging used, including single plastics.’

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Photo Source: cnnclimate, Brandsynario

Trust survey rating; PN Leader down by 10 points as Labour pushes forward

Trust survey rating; PN Leader down by 10 points as Labour pushes forward
May 9 2021 Share

Statistics revealed by a MaltaToday survey on the trust rating of both political parties show that PN leader Bernard Grech’s trust rating has dropped by 10 points. The Opposition leader now stands at 25.7%, making this his worst result since taking charge of the party last September. The entirety of the PN saw a six-point drop, with the total percentage at 30%.

On the Labour Party side however, it seems that Prime Minister Robert Abela is on the rise as his trust rating increases by more than two points to reach 49.6%. This is Abela’s highest rating since September, with support for the party ranking at 44.8%. In between is a gap of 39,000 votes. The survey was held between Monday 3rd May and Friday 7th May.

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Photo Source: Bernard Grech FB, Robert Abela FB, MaltaToday

Obama bids farewell to family dog

Obama bids farewell to family dog
May 9 2021 Share

The family of former USA president Barrack Obama are heartbroken about the passing of Bo, the family dog, who sadly passed away from cancer last Saturday. The Portuguese Water Dog was a gift from the late Senator Ted Kennedy and adopted by the first family in the early 2009. Obama fulfilled the promise he made to his daughters that they could get a dog after winning the election in 2008, and Bo had been their best friend ever since.

Bo joined the Obamas for both terms in the White House, later joined by another dog named Sunny in 2013. The former president tweeted; ‘Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion […] He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House […] He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly.’

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Photo Source: barrackobama IG

 

Cultural appropriation or: Why Can’t I Have It? | by Għajjejt u Xbajt

May 9 2021 Share

Oh, the comment wars these two words start. It’s not hard to find countless examples of people of colour¹ mentioning the words cultural appropriation only to be met with defensive reactions and angry retorts saying that people of colour should, in that case, “stop wearing Western² clothes” & “stop eating Western food”. It might be easy to think that telling people of colour to thus “stop doing [insert thing here] is a witty or apt response when confronted about cultural appropriation, but no – a person of colour wearing suits or straightening their hair does not count as cultural appropriation.

 

If you’re wondering why that is, have a look at the definition of cultural appropriation found in The Oxford Dictionaries:

 

There are a few key words to focus on here, the words being “unacknowledged”, “inappropriate” and “dominant”. The power dynamic aspect in particular requires attention: that the dominant culture is taking elements from the culture of people they systematically oppress is a really important point here. The marginalised group doesn’t get to have a say in how their culture is used – instead it is seized by the dominant culture to do with as they please. In fact, that’s something that’s often said by the people who engage in cultural appropriation: “I’m allowed to do what I want or to pick what I want [from other people’s culture].” And from that place of privilege, the culture that was unacknowledged, ridiculed or vilified suddenly gains worth when placed in the hands of the dominant culture.

 

That is why, to take one example, Indigenous peoples (be it in North America or in Australia) wearing a suit is not cultural appropriation – in fact the very reason they would wear a suit in the first place is because they were colonised and made to wear the same clothes as the colonisers. Moreover, an Indigenous person is very likely to be ridiculed or discriminated against for wearing their own traditional clothes in Western society.

On the other hand, crediting Marc Jacobs for coming up with a “new and cool” “mini buns” hairstyle when Black people have been wearing that style for centuries (they’re called Bantu Knots by the way) is cultural appropriation. Black people have had so much taken away from them – their rights, their humanity, and their lives. Imagine how it feels to have so much taken away from you, but then even what you do have left – a culture that you are fighting to hold on to, because it is either not accepted or is looked down upon – gets taken away from you too and, to make things worse, is glorified in the hands of a group of people who are not only outside of your culture but also both historically and currently involved in that systemic oppression.

 

A Black person leaving their natural Afro-textured hair out gets deemed “unprofessional” while people who are not Black get to “experiment” with “afro wigs“. White people wearing a kimono, a hanbok or other traditional Asian clothing for Halloween is considered fun while a Korean American congresswoman is called unpatriotic for wearing a hanbok at her swearing-in ceremony. A Native American headdress is seen as a cool mascot for a sports team but conjures the “noble savage” imagery when seen on Indigenous peoples.

Black women like Zendaya get called drug users for wearing locs, a style that’s a part of her culture and heritage, while Kylie Jenner gets called “edgy” for wearing the same hairstyle.

That something that’s an important part of your culture is simply an outfit for someone else; that your culture is only valued when it is placed on someone else; that you don’t even get credit for the ideas, customs or practices that came from your culture – that is what cultural appropriation looks like. The appropriation of other cultures is often little more than an expression of race privilege and imbalance of power. It is not up to those from the dominant culture (speaking in terms of power dynamics here) to decide what to do with a marginalised group’s culture or to force them to “share” their culture because the dominant group feels that it is being left out.

 

Instead of taking elements of other people’s cultures at will (and against their will), people from the dominant culture should listen, be considerate of and respect the culture and wishes of those from marginalised groups. Think about it – is it truly respect and “appreciation” if, when you take something from someone, they are angered and upset by it?

I think the following words from Jarune Uwujaren at Everyday Feminism are good words to end on:

“As free as people should be to wear whatever hair and clothing they enjoy, using someone else’s cultural symbols to satisfy a personal need for self-expression is an exercise in privilege. Because for those of us who have felt forced and pressured to change the way we look, behave, and speak just to earn enough respect to stay employed and safe, our modes of self-expression are still limited.”

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¹ Reminder: the terms people of colour and coloured (a word that comes with a lot of historical baggage – none of it good) are not the same. The term people of colour was used here as this phrase is referring to the shared experiences of people who are not white, but it is not a substitute for saying Black, Asian, etc. when referring to the distinct and separate experiences of particular marginalised groups.

² “Western” is a term that can and probably should be deconstructed, but it is used here for ease of writing to refer to predominantly white countries/countries in Europe or linked to European immigration.

 

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