Grocery Run
Plus: Waymo's EV battery repurposing program, a whey protein shortage, and more 🛒
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Short letter today! Have a great rest of your week.
On + Erewhon recently announced a multi-year partnership, starting with the launch of a capsule collection, a co-branded “Solar Reset” juice, and an LA-based community initiative. The capsule collection includes two exclusive colorways of the Cloudsurfer Max and other co-branded apparel.
Waymo just launched an EV battery repurposing program, using old batteries to power local electricity grids. In partnership with B2U Storage Solutions, thousands of old Waymo batteries will be deployed across local energy grids starting in Texas and California. Once removed from the autonomous cars, these batteries can serve grids for 7+ years. Sufficient energy storage infrastructure is critical due to the intermittent nature of renewable sources like solar (where energy generation peaks during the day, then drops at night). Storage allows renewable energy to be used at peak demand times (i.e. night).
In the age of proteinmaxxing, a looming whey protein shortage threatens companies selling protein-packed products. Whey protein, which is a byproduct of cheese production, is often used to add protein to snacks and beverages because it’s an easily-dissolvable and complete protein (meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids). However, putting protein in everything comes at a cost: reduced supply + higher prices. Whey protein prices have increased more than 50% since January and some suppliers are already sold out for the rest of 2026. The shortage, while not directly felt by consumers yet, is forcing some brands to explore alternative protein sources, like milk powder and pea protein.
Thank you for reading!
– Henry
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