Tag: Recycling

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...

Potato starch could help reduce plastic consumption. Algae are perfect for sustainable fire retardants. Food cans have an oil-based inner lacquer made from synthetic polyester resins. Enter an Italian startup that is using waste from industrial tomato processing to create a plant-based alternative inspired by an old patent. First, the skins are separated from the waste. After thermal treatment...

Home food waste can be sent off to make chicken feed. But what about unused paint in cellars and garages? In the US alone, around 320 million litres of paint each year end up being incinerated, or worse, thrown in the garbage. Not good enough, thought founders of a Michigan-based startup and developed a new recycling process. Unused latex...

We’ve seen seaweed make lemonade, and AI harnessed in the quest for the perfect beer. Now a San Francisco-based startup is looking to pull pints from treated wastewater. Buildings use only 14% of drinkable water, but generally don’t re-use it. The team used the recycled greywater - water with no faecal contamination - from a high-rise apartment building. The...