A type of glass that can deform like plastic by mimicking the properties of mother-of-pearl could be used for everything from car windows to foldable phones Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2207952-shatterproof-phone-screens-could-be-made-from-seashell-like-glass/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: plastic
This Remote Atlantic Island Is Being Covered in a ‘Crust’ of Plastic Trash
Researchers have discovered yet another new form of plastic pollution infesting Earth’s oceans and beaches — and it’s real crusty. Source: https://www.livescience.com/65806-blue-plasticrust-pollution-coating-portuguese-island.html
‘Vast Quantities’ of Recycled Plastics Are Actually Burned Or Dumped In Landfills
“A Guardian investigation reveals that cities around the country are no longer recycling many types of plastic dropped into recycling bins. Instead, they are being landfilled, burned or stockpiled…” An anonymous reader shared this eye-opening report from the Guardian. “From Los Angeles to Florida to the Arizona desert, officials say, vast quantities of plastic are now no better than garbage…”
As municipalities…
India’s Sixth Biggest City Is Almost Entirely Out of Water
Millions of people are running out of water in Chennai, India’s sixth largest city. The Chembarambakkam reservoir and the three other reservoirs that have traditionally supplied Chennai are nearly all dry, leaving the city suffering from an acute water shortage. CNN reports: Due to an inability to collect sufficient rain water combined with low groundwater levels, the Tamil Nadu state government…
How seafood shells could help solve the plastic waste problem
Chitin and chitosan from crustacean shells could put a dent in the world’s plastic waste problem. Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/seafood-shells-chitin-plastic-food-waste4…
Ireland To Ban New Petrol, Diesel Vehicles By 2030
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: The Irish government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, as part of a major strategy to protect the environment. The aim is to ensure that all new cars and vans on Irish roads in 11 years’ time are electric vehicles. The proposed legislation was among…
Engineers Boost Output of Solar Desalination System By 50 Percent
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Researchers in Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) this week showed they could boost the efficiency of their solar-powered desalination system by more than 50% simply by adding inexpensive plastic lenses to concentrate sunlight into “hot spots.” The results are available online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “The typical way…
The Plastic We ‘Recycle’ Is Actually Horrible for the Environment
When you drop your plastic waste into the recycling bin, where does it go? Source: https://www.livescience.com/65730-where-us-plastic-recycling-lands.html
Lego Struggles To Find a Plant-Based Plastic That Clicks
Last year, it was reported that Lego was investing $120 million and hiring about 100 people to eliminate its dependence on petroleum-based plastics, and build its toys entirely from plant-based or recycled materials by 2030. The effort has been seven years in the making, “but it keeps hitting brick walls,” as The Wall Street Journal reports. From the report: Lego tried…
Crisp packets made of a new material could be much easier to recycle
Crisp packets are currently hard to recycle, but a new material made of extremely thin sheets of plastic could make them more environmentally friendly Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2205983-crisp-packets-made-of-a-new-material-could-be-much-easier-to-recycle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…