Kickstart: Best foot forward

Most of the time when I see a headline about sustainable shoes, the focus is on sneakers. But what about a sustainable stiletto?

Covestro and Brazilian footwear manufacturer Calçados Beira Rio have joined forces on a concept using recycled plastics along with materials made using carbon dioxide and other green sources for both a casual shoe and a woman's dress shoe.

The high heels are made with recycled plastic.

"For example, used polycarbonate products are shredded, cleaned, possibly mixed with new plastic and reused as recycled Makrolon," Covestro writes. "In women's shoes, this lends lasting strength to the insole and heel."

Our sister paper Sustainable Plastics has more.

Gatorade wants to get to know you better, starting with your sweat.

The company has unveiled the Gx Sweat Patch, with sensors on a film substrate you slap to your skin to get an analysis of whether you need more hydration. (I'm going to guess that it recommends drinking more electrolytes frequently, even if the patch and an accompanying phone app don't specifically call for Gatorade.)

The Gx platform also includes personalized plastic bottles and "pods" with electrolytes you can mix with your own water. I guess they couldn't find a way to charge you for just the water.

Now I'm no doctor or coach, but I'm pretty sure that the average person doesn't really need a high-end skin sensor to know they should drink something when they're thirsty. Perhaps it makes sense for world-class competitors. Gatorade has had a version of the patch for professional athletes for a couple of years. I suppose it's a new business for suppliers of specialized film, but I'll pass for now.

The news that Swedish carmaker Volvo is moving to all-electric powertrains by 2030 isn't that surprising. A lot of automakers are shifting to EVs for markets like Europe, where there are new regulations on the way to create greener cars.

But in addition to the new manufacturing model — which includes more plastics in battery systems, electronics, sensors and lighter weight parts — Volvo wants to change the retail environment.

All sales will take place within Volvo's online store.

It's not that there isn't a place for dealerships, but rather that the dealerships will be an offshoot of the internet-based buying model, the company says.

That will also eliminate one of the most hated elements of car buying: haggling over price.

"Key changes will be that there will be no more bargaining on price because it will be set by Volvo and vehicles will be delivered much faster," our sister paper Automotive News writes. "That is because Volvo plans to radically reduce complexity in its product offer, focusing on pre-configured electric models."