Tag: Recycling

With a simple box, cars could be safe from theft. Tags on consumer goods are increasingly fitted with an integrated wireless module, which triggers an alarm if the item is stolen. Still, the mix of paper, electronics and adhesives used to make them is equally alarming. Now, a London-based startup is hoping to combat the hard-to-recycle combination with a...

Oyster shells are becoming fashionable. Materials made from willow fibres even protect against harmful UV rays. Now, a former female Masters student in Germany has developed a yarn that keeps water at bay even when immersed in it. Her invention, which is made from recycled and modified plastic, is also completely free from harmful forever-chemicals. Additionally, it protects against...

Wood waste can help remove microplastics from water. Glyphosate, a widely-used and hazardous herbicide, is increasingly present in water, too. Now, a research team from Brazil, where over 170 tonnes of these pesticides are used annually, is on the lookout for a sustainable removal. Waste from sugar production, it seems, might just hold the key. First the team shredded...

Wood can replace window glass when its biopolymer lignin is removed. Now, a US research team has discovered that the same polymer can be used in a medical context. They combined lignin from spruce trees with positively charged ammonium ions, whose mildly acidic qualities are effective against mould, viruses and bacteria. Tests showed that an infectious but antibiotic-resistant type...

Modern, environmentally-friendly vintage cars aren't as contradictory as it sounds. Electric vehicle races are well established too. And now one of the British teams has built a drivable prototype entirely from electronic waste: they used discarded E-cigarettes, cell phones, laptops and charging cables. The waste came from companies and school pupils, and the concept was jumpstarted together with a...

Some stretch jeans are biodegradable, while others use plant-based indigo blue. A good match for the sweaters and T-Shirts manufactured by a Massachusetts-based startup. Its founder’s ocean-inspired clothing line is made from oyster shells and granules from recycled plastic. The shells are ground into a fine powder, blended with the plastic granulate and spun into yarn. This again is...

Edible cups are great for coffee fans and help reduce waste. But what about the 10 billion kg of coffee grounds that are discarded each year? Well, Australian engineers took a shot at concrete to create a powerful mix. By heating the grounds at 350℃ in an oxygen-free room, they first produced biochar. This was used to replace 15%...

Crab and shrimp shells can be made into biodegradable components for batteries. Whereas, after breeding their larvae - which, it turns out, are rather fond of beer residue, and can be used to produce burger alternatives - black soldier flies are discarded. All that could be about to change. A US research team recently discovered that the insects, like...