Good News Notes: “NASA asked the same question in the 1960s. And the challenge of feeding a year-long space mission led to a remarkable discovery: when astronauts exhale, the carbon dioxide in their breath can be captured by a special class of microbes – and potentially turned into nutrients. Now an American company has taken…
Tag: plastic
Ecology of the Home: Upcycling Goes Russian
Good News Notes : “Altering an old shirt or putting a patch on your favorite jeans means not only saving on buying a new thing but also saving your house from clutter — and maybe even saving the environment. Four years ago Valeria Tsvirko founded the “ANTYPlyushkin” project in a St. Petersburg library communication center. She originally…
Scientists develop method to recycle plastic bottles into aviation fuel using less energy
Good News Notes: “Humans produce more than 6 billion tons of plastic every year, and its accumulation in landfills and oceans is considered by many to be an environmental crisis. Only 9% of plastics are recycled in the U.S., and while bans on single-use plastic bags and straws have some benefits, we’re nowhere near addressing the volume…
These microscopic robots swim through the ocean and dissolve microplastics
Good News Notes: “Microplastics—tiny pieces of plastic smaller than five millimeters across—are everywhere, from snow in the Arctic and rain in the Rocky Mountains to bottled water and beer. On the ocean floor, there may be nearly 16 million metric tons of it. In the top 200 meters of the Atlantic Ocean, there may be 21 million more metric…
Biodegradable plastic that can break down in your compost developed by scientists
Good News Notes: “Biodegradable plastic bags, cutlery and coffee cup lids may seem like a win for the environment, but they often introduce more problems than solutions. Despite being touted as “green”, many of these plastics take just as long as their conventional counterparts to break down in home composts and landfill, leading to more pollution…
TerraCycle wants to recycle everything in your life
Good News Notes: “Have you ever felt guilty about tossing your old Teva sandals, or Colgate toothbrush, or Etch A Sketch into the trash, where they will clog up a landfill for hundreds of years? I have good news for you. All of those items—and many more—are now recyclable thanks to TerraCycle, a company that…
Making Cleaner, Greener, Biodegradable Plastics From Waste Fish Parts
Good News Notes: “Polyurethanes, a type of plastic, are nearly everywhere — in shoes, clothes, refrigerators, and construction materials. But these highly versatile materials can have a major downside. Derived from crude oil, toxic to synthesize, and slow to break down, conventional polyurethanes are not environmentally friendly. Today, researchers discuss devising what they say should…
Dunkin’ debuts new sip lid for sweet cold foam drinks, continues testing biodegradable straws at Massachusetts locations
Good News Notes: “Dunkin’s drinks might look a little different starting Wednesday, as the company introduces a new type of lid. The new sip lid is designed specifically for sweet cold foam drinks, which also debuts nationwide on Wednesday. ‘The sip lids are a great innovation to introduce with our sweet cold foam because they enhance the sipping…
Green Whale Global supplies compostable plastic products to fashion, cosmetic industries
Good News Notes: “Green Whale Global, the first South Korean firm to produce 100 percent biodegradable plastics, has successfully supplied international and Korean clothing brands with biodegradable hardened plastics, the company said. The clothing brands such as Recto, Nounou, and Nohant are soon to offer environmentally friendly packaging and hangers using plastics manufactured by GWG,…
kenyan woman’s startup recycles plastic into bricks that are stronger than concrete
Good News Notes: “Nzambi Matee — a Nairobi-based 29-year-old entrepreneur and inventor — is the founder of a startup that recycles plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete. called Gjenge Makers Ltd, her company initiated following the development of a prototype machine that turns discarded plastic into paving stones. one day at the…