Tag: Environment

Building elements filled with seeds and surfboards containing straw are allowing nature to grow. Now, a Hong Kong-based startup is 3D printing hexagonal tiles from clay which are installed on the seafloor and planted with young coral. A coral-specific algorithm tells a robotic arm how to print the tiles' labyrinthine structure. This not only promotes growth but enables corals...

Malleable metal tyres are a revelation. Now a startup from London has developed a patent-pending system which aims to prevent tyre wear from entering the environment. The microplastic pollutants are produced when vehicles accelerate and brake. Using electrostatics and airflow, particles charged from friction with the road are diverted to containers beneath the rear bumper. Captured pollution can be...

Human urine could help build astronauts’ sleeping quarters on the moon, or supply fertiliser for farming. Cattle, however, are a major contributor to greenhouse gases by passing methane front and back. According to a study by a Washington State University research team, help might come from an unlikely source: the faeces of baby kangaroos. For, in contrast to their...

Fire retardants and soft drinks can help reduce CO2 levels. Why? Because they are made from algae. Now, a US startup is using the environmentally-friendly plant to produce organic, black printing ink. The algae is grown using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide from air. First, the natural blue pigment phycocyanin is extracted for use in food. Applying a process...

Sawdust makes for stylish furniture, while flags embedded with seeds have a blossoming afterlife. Now, a research team from the University of Virginia is creating building elements from soil impregnated with stonecrop seeds. The 3D printed, one-metre high walls are soon ablaze with lush green. These reusable structures are not only low in emissions but also store CO2, while...

Magnetic nanoparticles can extract lithium from industrial wastewater. And a research team in Princeton has developed a material which can remove salt and microplastics with at least 98% efficiency. Inspiration came in the form of a sandwich. First, the team mixed bread dough with carbon, varying the recipe by reducing the number of ingredients each time, until eventually only...

Social engagement breeds improved teamwork, whether locally or abroad. Now, a Spanish company is offering firms and their employees a chance to develop more sustainable practices. First, a team is created on their platform, with each member filling out a questionnaire. The results are used to calculate both individual team members’ CO2 consumption, and that of the team as...

Farm stubble, sawdust, and corn flakes are valuable resources for packaging material. Now, a Ukrainian startup is turning to nature’s other gifts to help lower CO2 emissions. Why fell 17 trees to make a ton of paper when you could use 2.3 tons of fallen leaves instead? After being collected from parks, sidewalks and residential developments, the leaves are...