Recycling

It was just last month that we heard how waste coffee grounds could be utilized to boost the strength of concrete. Well, new research shows that such otherwise-unwanted grounds could also be used to 3D-print plant pots, single-use cups and more.

Researchers have developed a way of recycling polyester. Their new method is simple, non-toxic for humans and the environment and, what’s more, it preserves the integrity of the cotton removed from the fabric so that it’s ready for reuse.

The disposable nature of modern gadgetry is leading to a worrying e-waste problem. To highlight the issue, Envision Racing and artist Liam Hopkins teamed up to create a Formula E Gen3 racecar built from discarded phones, laptops, vapes and other tech.

The machinery at municipal recycling facilities often gets jammed up with the adhesives utilized on items such as jar labels and boxes. That may cease to be the case in the not-too-distant future, however, thanks to a new degradable adhesive.

Indian scientists have developed a groundbreaking method to extract keratin and melanin from discarded hair, opening up possibilities for their use in wound dressings and sunscreens.

While we use around five trillion plastic bags every year, disposable alternatives aren't that much better. A group of scientists, however, want us to rethink the humble paper bag, making it super strong, durable and a handy source of biofuel.

Polypropylene is one of the most commonly used plastics but there are problems when it comes to recycling. Researchers have developed a new way of breaking down this troublesome plastic by enlisting the help of a couple of common fungi.

You may have heard how the BPA (bisphenol A) in some food-packaging plastics has been linked to various health problems. Scientists are thus developing a more innocuous alternative, and it's made from tomato waste which would otherwise be discarded.

Although glass is known for being fully recyclable, the US Environmental Protection Agency states that only about one third of post-consumer glass actually gets recycled. A new glass-based building cladding material could help boost that number.

The amount of single-use plastics the world disposed of during the pandemic continues to be a huge environmental headache. A clever new upcycling method, though, takes the trash and turns it into one increasingly lucrative piece of tech, carbon dots.

When a wind turbine reaches the end of its working life, some components can be recycled but blades often end up in landfill. Vestas is looking to commercialize a new chemical process that can break down all epoxy-based turbine blades for reuse.

Scallops' soft bodies are well-protected by their hard shells, so … could those same shells protect human heads? That question was asked by the Japanese designers of the Shellmet, which is a helmet made partially of scallop shells.