Tag: Reuse

Outgrown sustainable children’s shoes dissolve when cooked. A short hairstyle can be transformed with environmentally-friendly extensions. But making bespoke clothing more sustainable presents a challenge. Enter an interdisciplinary US-based research team and its revolutionary new knit-dress. A three-dimensional template is created using high-tech yarns and computerised knitting. Next, a programmable robotic arm with a hairdryer-like extension shapes the dress...

Some jeans can be composted after use. Yet, in the Netherlands, a design and furniture company is investing in the circular economy, having developed a unique process which gives used furnishings a new lease of life. Tiny fibres, i.e. offcuts when jeans are recycled, are mixed with a water-based adhesive. The solution is sprayed onto the surface of newly...

In India, leaves are being converted to fertiliser and farm stubble used to make packaging material - instead of being burned. Organic waste can be used in a variety of sustainable solutions. But what if you lack the material to implement a solution in practice? Enter a US-based startup and their platform which allows biological waste to be both...

Adding electrons to aluminium can create a rare metal. An Australian student has been thinking in terms of conversion too - only on a greater scale. His idea is to provide existing cars with internal combustion engines with an electric drive function. He developed a compact axial flux motor that is retrofitted onto the brake disc. The energy required...

Used chopsticks are being converted into furniture, while food waste can be redeployed as construction material. And don’t forget about sugarcane. A London-based research team mixed the crop’s fibrous waste with a liquid blend of minerals, then pressed the material into pyramid-like blocks. These can be cured in a week, 21 days fewer than standard concrete. Moreover, they are...

Agave waste from tequila production can be turned into cutlery. Once the gel from aloe vera plants has been made into moisturising lotion or cream for medical complaints, however, the rest often goes unused. Until now. It all began when a Texas-based research team noticed there were no pests near aloe vera farms. Intrigued, they began looking into the...

Sawdust can be 3D printed into kitchen utensils or cars parts. Now, a Canada-based research team has found a new use for the waste wood, combining it with a layer of tannins. These natural plant compounds, found in berries, tea and coffee, have anti-inflammatory properties and can even filter out UV rays. Aware that tannins also trigger multiple reactions...

Thanks to tequila, sustainable cutlery is a reality. Beer has already inspired researchers to develop alternatives to animal feed. Lately, a London-based startup has been working with brewers to develop a leather alternative using the spent grain from the brewing process. A combination of plant proteins and fibres and non-toxic chemicals creates a dark, biodegradable material with similar properties...