Retired wind turbine blades get reincarnated into bridges and railway links
Even renewable energy has waste byproducts that become a major recycling problem for the industry. Many wind turbine blades are reaching the end of their lifespan, and plenty more are taken out of service early to be replaced by blades that can produce more energy. This means that by 2023, Read More...
Circular rugs: Scientists develop innovative process to recycle carpets
Though they may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of trash, carpets make up over 4 billion pounds of waste in American landfills — that’s 3.5 percent of all landfill waste in the entire country. Whether they end up in landfills or burned at the end of their life, carpets Read More...
These students want to turn old chewing gum into skateboard wheels
While ubiquitous on city streets, discarded chewing gum is a form of plastic pollution that’s rarely a topic of discussion. To help spotlight this issue, two design students have come up with the idea of turning this street waste into skateboard wheels. The brainchild of Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Read More...
Kenyan woman recycles plastic waste into bricks stronger than concrete
Kenya uses 600,000 tons of plastic bottles annually, of which only 9 percent is recycled while the rest ends up in landfills and polluting the environment. A Nairobi-based, impact-driven entrepreneur is putting that plastic waste to much better use. Meet Nzambi Matee, a 29-year-old entrepreneur Read More...
Indian startup turns black carbon into eco-friendly tiles
Carbon dioxide is often seen as public enemy #1 in the battle against climate change, but there are more dangerous substances for the environment. For instance, there is a substance called black carbon that is found in air pollution that absorbs one million times more energy from the sun than Read More...
Startup transforms 32m discarded chopsticks into sleek household items
Have you ever wondered what happens to the chopsticks we carelessly throw away after using them only once? Well, unsurprisingly, the vast majority of them end up in landfills, further contributing to the unsurmountable pile of waste burdening waste management capacities. In a bid to instead give Read More...
Korean student creates colorful stools out of used face masks
One of the most unfortunate side-effects of the coronavirus pandemic is the massive amount of waste coming from disposable face masks. According to one estimate, the world goes through 129 billion single-use face masks each month during the pandemic. In an attempt to turn this ecological disaster Read More...
Nike’s latest outdoor apparel collection puts sustainability first
When it comes to shifting the apparel industry’s polluting practices towards circularity, the onus lies on major brands to lead the green transition. That’s why we’re happy to see Nike put sustainability at the heart of its latest outdoor apparel collection. About 85 percent of the brand’s Read More...
Sustainable fashion: This puffer jacket is made of up-cycled materials
After winning one of the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competitions, UK designer Maddie Williams partnered with major Chinese fashion brand JBNY Group to gain hands-on experience in producing a sustainable collection for retail. Williams immersed herself in every step of the garment Read More...
Sustainable fashion: This waterproof outerwear is made from fishing nets
As public consciousness around the ecological footprint of the fashion industry grows, it has been good to see an increasing number of brands shifting their practices towards sustainability. Italian high-end clothing manufacturer Marta Scarampi has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to Read More...