Collaborate Disseminate
Advances in chemistry continue to bring new materials into the realm of recyclability, and new work from a team at the University of Michigan has taken aim at one of the most problematic to reuse. The scientists have developed a method of converting wa… Continue reading Chemistry breakthrough creates usable products out of unrecyclable PVC
The University of Chicago has announced they have created a material that behaves like plastic but conducts like metal. They also say they don’t fully understand why it works yet. …read more Continue reading Conducting Plastic Can Replace Metal
We know that marine animals of all sizes are inadvertently consuming plastics as they move through the ocean, but what does this diet look like for the largest of them all? To answer this question, scientists at Stanford University have analyzed the fo… Continue reading Study finds blue whales eat some 10 million microplastic particles a day
Recycling plastics is far from a straightforward process, but a new report has laid bare the grim reality of the situation. Conducted by Greenpeace, the study looked at activity at a broad range of processing facilities across the US and found that the… Continue reading Plastic recycling labeled “a myth” as US rates sink to 5%
Plastics can be hard, plastics can be soft, but can plastics be both at the same time? Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have been exploring this question and produced a first-of-a-kind material that is pliable in some sections and stiff … Continue reading Light-activated “smart plastic” has its soft spots
While desktop 3D printing is an incredible technology, it’s got some pretty clear limitations. Plastic parts can be produced quickly in a 3D printer but can be more expensive or …read more Continue reading Printed Axial Generator is Turned By Hand
Plastic waste is one of the most pressing environmental problems of our time, and sorting different types makes recycling tricky. Now, engineers at MIT have developed an effective new catalyst that breaks down mixed plastics into propane, which can the… Continue reading Efficient new catalyst converts mixed plastic waste into propane
The search for new solutions to the growing problem of plastic pollution has led scientists to some interesting places that include the soils of a Japanese recycling center and the guts of superworms. These efforts have unearthed enzymes that can eat a… Continue reading Wax worm saliva shown to degrade plastic bags in just hours
In a bid to reduce the environmental burden associated with both the manufacturing and disposal of plastics, scientists have demonstrated a new upcycling technique that turns one common form of it into another. The team says they also have the means to… Continue reading Recycling breakthrough turns one common type of plastic into another
Metalworking might conjure images of large furnaces powered by coal, wood, or electricity, with molten metal sloshing around and visible in its crucible. But metalworking from home doesn’t need to …read more Continue reading Casting Metal With a Microwave and Vacuum Cleaner