In anticipation of the upcoming 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death, here are some need-to-know numbers for Wednesday.
Food waste is causing financial waste, according to a new public service campaign. A scientist from the Natural Resources Defense Council says an average family of four spends about $1,500 a year on food they don’t eat. And there are potential economic consequences, the NRDC said, with extra food boosting demand and pushing up prices. But not everyone buys into that argument, wrote Marketplace’s Annie Baxter. A Montana State University agriculture economist said the effect of extra food on prices “is modest,” and questioned any benefits to avoiding food waste because of the time needed to plan menus and manage the fridge.
Changes in the food and beverage industry are happening with Coca-Cola. The soda giant is planning some redesigns, with the made-over products rolling out in Mexico first. “The new design is intended to bring a visual consistency across Coca-Cola’s various products by using the same signature red circle with the Coca-Cola label,” Marketplace’s Nova Safo wrote. Meanwhile, the company’s Coke Zero, Diet Coke and Coke Life will have the brand’s secondary colors. Such redesign efforts come as soda consumption drops to a 30-year low.
In the realm of literature, a new survey from the British Council revealed that India, Mexico and Brazil are the Bard’s greatest fans. Eighty-nine percent of respondents from India said they liked Shakespeare. The Washington Post wrote that the country’s “urban elites were steeped in a style of orthodox English education that is probably no longer seen even in Britain.” The literary legend is least liked in Indonesia, France and Germany.
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