Recycling

The production of traditional Portland cement is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, as the ingredients have to be heated to very high temperatures. Such is not the case with a new biocement, however, which also incorporates waste materials.

Even though our forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, new wooden structures are typically made of all-new wood. A special computer system could help change that, by facilitating the use of wood reclaimed from existing buildings.

Over the past couple of years, disposable face masks have become a very plentiful form of garbage. There may actually be a use for them, however, as recent research shows that they could strengthen concrete when added to it.

Concrete is a popular building material, enough so that one of its key ingredients – sand – is in short supply. Scientists are thus now exploring the possibility of replacing that sand with glass waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Two of our biggest environmental problems are the tons of unusable plastic waste, and the tons of carbon dioxide which are released into the atmosphere in smokestack emissions. A new process is claimed to use the former to trap the latter.

We've heard about a number of uses for recycled carbon fiber, ranging from water-draining concrete to lightweight surfboards. Now, the stuff has been utilized in what is claimed to be a better-performing sealant for tubeless bicycle tires.

As important as face masks are in our current pandemic-riddled world, they have a major environmental impact. Now scientists have demonstrated a novel method for disposing of old masks by using them to make low-cost, flexible and efficient batteries.

Food additives called emulsifiers are widely used to combine two liquids which ordinarily don't mix, like oil and water. And while most are made from dairy proteins or egg yolks, a new one uses spent brewer's grain which may otherwise be discarded.

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world, but it comes at a huge environmental cost. Engineers in Japan have developed a new technique to make concrete by recycling waste concrete and combining it with captured carbon dioxide.

E-waste is a major environmental hazard, full of valuable metals. Engineers at Rice University have now shown that precious metals and rare earth minerals can be recovered by flash-heating ground-up electronics with a zap of electricity.

The lithium-ion batteries at the heart of our transport future don't last forever, and researchers expect a massive influx of depleted units in the coming decade. A new breakthrough, however, could streamline our efforts to recycle them.

The James Dyson Award is an international competition to encourage students to get creative to solve the world's pressing problems. The national finalists have been announced for 2021, showcasing ideas that help people and the environment.