Recycling small fragments of glass is now possible thanks to new process
Unlike plastics, glass can be recycled many times over—making it a much more sustainable material. The only issues are the recycling process is generally limited to large pieces that can be easily sorted by color. When glass is shattered into small fragments, they tend to simply be discarded by Read More...
This home was made almost entirely out of repurposed items
Using recycled and repurposed materials to build new things is a fantastic way to take some pressure off the environment as it decreases landfill waste, reduces the need for raw materials, and saves the energy that comes with having to dismantle and re-manufacture products. But on top of that, Read More...
Innovators are turning “valueless” plastic bags into beautiful products
“Flexible plastics” such as bags of all shapes, sizes, and colors are often deemed as non-commercially valuable as they barely have any weight and are hard to process—meaning they hardly get recycled. Slowly but surely, however, innovators are coming up with brilliant ways to make the most Read More...
Scientists unveil new method that turns used plastic bags into batteries
Plastic bag pollution has become a major environmental challenge, pushing cities and countries around the world to heavily tax or ban the sacks. But what if discarded plastic bags could be made into higher-value products? Recently, researchers have come up with a new method of converting plastic Read More...
All medals at the 2020 Olympics to be made out of recycled materials
With a little ingenuity, there's a lot you can do with old electronic waste. That was shown at the 2016 Olympics in Rio where 30 percent of the silver and bronze in medals came from recycled electronic devices. Now organizers of the 2020 edition in Japan are looking to one up Rio by forging all Read More...
90 percent of bottles collected by Oregon’s bottle deposit system get recycled
If we want to make recycling an effective way of dealing with used beverage containers, then we must look to Oregon for inspiration. Currently, the state recycles 90 percent of the beverage containers covered by its bottle deposit system, despite major disruptions in the global recycling markets. Read More...
Chemistry is helping raise the standard of recycling
Recycling is mistakenly thought of as a solution for plastic waste, but the truth is there are many types of plastics that cannot properly be recycled. That goes for many other materials such as textiles. Fortunately, chemistry is pointing the way towards cleaner, better means of recycling waste. Read More...
David de Rothschild to sail in a boat of plastic bottles
British adventurer will sail across the Pacific in a 60-foot catamaran made of 12,000 plastic bottles and other recycled materials. Marco Visscher | May 2009 issue According to David de Rothschild, the plastic bottle is the icon of the modern lifestyle. “It costs an awful lot of energy to Read More...
Videos: Creating a catamaran of plastic bottles
See the making of the Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran made of plastic bottles, and watch interviews with David de Rothschild, who plans to sail the Plastiki across the Pacific. Ode Editors | May 2009 Read More...
Albina Ruiz Rios: A passion for recycling
Author and consultant John Elkington says he is inspired by Albina Ruiz Rios's passion for recycling and the environment. John Elkington | Jan/Feb 2009 issue Scene: a quiet gathering of Optimists Anonymous. It's my turn to speak. So I admit it: I'm John, and I'm an optimist, though sometimes you Read More...