Have an old campaign sign? Donate it to a beekeeper!
During election season, it’s completely normal to see front yards covered with campaign signs. But now that the election season is over, what should be done with all these political signs? Rather than toss it in the trash, a beekeeper in Florida is asking people to donate them to help keep her Read More...
This tiny electric car designed by students is made from recycled waste
Making a truly sustainable vehicle sounds like a nearly impossible endeavor, but a team of Dutch students recently gave it a shot, with the result being a rather impressive sporty-looking electric car made almost entirely out of waste. Developed by a team of students from the Eindhoven University Read More...
Berlin opens giant city-run department store for second-hand goods
City planners around the world should take note of an exciting new development taking place in the German capital of Berlin. As the city looks to cut down on waste, it has opened a state-run department store that sells items that might get thrown away otherwise. Located on the third floor of the Read More...
Startup in Uganda upcycles plastic bottles into building materials and PPE
The city of Gulu, Uganda, is six hours from the nearest recycling plant – so most plastic bottles collected in the city end up trashed or burned. However, in a small pilot facility that’s now operating behind a restaurant in the city’s downtown, a startup called Takataka Plastics is testing a Read More...
This phone case is made of recycled fishing nets and ropes
It’s estimated that more than 150 million tons of plastic waste have made their way into our oceans. Among the major contributors to this pollution problem is the abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear that ends up breaking down into microplastic or tormenting marine life. Enter Read More...
Researchers are turning waste rubber tires into high-value aerogels
About 1 billion rubber tires—which are highly durable and non-biodegradable—are generated worldwide every year. Only 40% get recycled into low-value-added products, 49% are incinerated to generate energy, and at least 11% end up in landfills. While many go into landfills, landfill sites are Read More...
Launch startup powers rocket engines with fuel derived from plastic waste
From park benches to car parts, it appears that turning garbage into useful products is quite a diversified line of work. Now, launch startup Skyrora is making a case by upcycling plastic waste into a new type of fuel to power its 3D printed rocket engines. Having tested both its Read More...
This winery used rusty oil drilling pipes to create a solar-powered barn
Winemakers in California have given unexpected new life to old oil field drill stem pipes, using them to create an equipment barn covered in solar panels. The use of the rusty oil pipes gives the barn a bit of steampunk vibe, fitting in nicely amongst the rolling vineyard-lined hills. But beyond Read More...
A Dutch design studio is turning storm-felled trees into beautiful benches
When a powerful storm ran through the Dutch city of Eindhoven last year, nearly 1,000 trees fell victim to heavy winds and found themselves uprooted from the ground. Typically those felled trees would be thrown into a wood chipper and disposed of, but a Dutch design studio thought of a clever way Read More...
This brand is turning old cashmere jumpers into new ones
Cashmere is a luxury good, one people will notice when you wear it. It also has a much larger environmental impact than other fabrics. Whereas it takes the hairs of four goats to make enough wool for one sweater, the wool of one sheep can be enough for five garments. With the demand for cashmere Read More...