Recyclable

A versatile new kind of polymer can be used on its own like regular rubber, or mixed with filler materials including used PVC and carbon fiber to create brand new composites, which can in turn be recycled in an almost endless loop.

Imagine getting a flat tire, and just smearing on a chemical that makes the rubber meld seamlessly back together. That’s the kind of breakthrough researchers are now reporting, with a new material made of waste products and easily recyclable itself.

While it's nice to own multiple styles of shoes, each one of the things has a rubber sole that will ultimately end up in the landfill. Made2Share shoes are different – they incorporate a single set of soles that accommodate various zip-on uppers.

​Sweden's Teenage Engineering is arguably best known for its mini synthesizers called Pocket Operators, but has been pushing design envelopes in other areas too. A collaboration with RISE researchers has yielded a loudspeaker encased in a kind of white wood that stays white as it ages.​

Every year for the past few years, the TU/ecomotive team has built an electric concept car. This year's EV is called Noah, and is being billed as the world's first circular car. This doesn't refer to its appearance but rather its sustainable production and usage, and its end of life recyclability.

​Although wind turbines may seem like the epitome of "green" energy, scientists from Vanderbilt University are working on making them even greener. They're looking at a resin that could save energy when turbine blades are being created, and that might make those blades more recyclable.

Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have developed an electronic skin embedded with a host of sensors that can be bent and twisted to custom fit its owner. If it gets damaged, the e-skin can be healed, and it can be completely recycled at the end of its useful life.​​

Amsterdam-based furniture company Fiction Factory recently released a novel modular tiny house built from cardboard. Named Wikkelhouse, it can be assembled in just a day and comes in multiple sizes and configurations.

The walls and roof of William McDonough's ICEhouse​ were assembled in just a few days and the whole structure in just 9 days. And where conventional houses​ typically create a lot of waste​ at the end of their lives​, this home was designed to eliminate waste and for its materials to be reusable.

Lapdeck combines the comfort of sitting on the sofa with the good posture and productivity levels associated with sitting at a desk. As a bonus, it's collapsible down to the size of an envelope, and made from recyclable cardboard.

The virtues of a simple, low-cost and sustainable lifestyle have driven the growth of the tiny house movement. Jonas Wagell's Mini Houses embody these values. Having initially been designed as a weekend cabin or guest house, the Mini House is now in its second iteration.

The chemical tree got a bit of a shake this week with scientists at IBM announcing the discovery of the first new class of polymer materials in decades. The new plastics have properties that could potentially have a huge impact in manufacturing, transportation, aerospace, and micro electronics.