Collaborate Disseminate
Conventional breeding of trees takes time, but CRISPR gene editing should help speed things up. Now, scientists at North Carolina State University have used CRISPR to adjust the genomes of poplar trees to make them easier to turn into paper products.Co… Continue reading CRISPR tweaks tree genetics to make paper more suastainably
Despite its many advantages, glass has one major Achilles’ heel – it’s brittle. Now, engineers at Penn State have developed LionGlass, a new type of the material that’s not only 10 times more damage resistant, but requires significantly less energy to … Continue reading LionGlass boasts 10x the strength of regular glass, greener production
Traffic is among the biggest sources of air pollution, but what if the very roads they drive on could help clear the air? Engineers in Korea have now demonstrated that photocatalytic concrete can help reduce pollution in tunnels.Continue ReadingCategor… Continue reading Light-activated concrete scrubs air pollution out of traffic tunnels
Knocking down a wall – or walls – to create an open-plan living space can be expensive and not very environmentally friendly. With the development of moveable wooden partition walls that can be positioned right where you want them, ‘knocking through’ m… Continue reading Flexible, moveable wooden walls mean no more ‘knocking through’
Concrete is one of the most common materials on Earth, thanks to its high strength and low cost – but it’s also one of the largest single sources of carbon dioxide emissions. Engineers at Washington State University (WSU) have developed a new method fo… Continue reading New recipe makes concrete that absorbs more CO2 than it emits
Even though glass is praised for being fully recyclable, the US Environmental Protection Agency states that only about a third of discarded glass items actually get recycled. With that problem in mind, scientists have developed a new type of glass whic… Continue reading Experimental biodegradable glass breaks down when composted
Solar stills provide a clever and simple means of purifying dirty or salty water, but they work at a rather slow rate. A new material has been shown to boost their performance, and it’s made from fruit waste which would otherwise be discarded.Continue … Continue reading Simple process converts fruit waste into water-purifying material
Plastics are made to last, which is great while they’re being used but not so great after they’re discarded. Now chemists at the University of Konstanz have developed a new kind of plastic that has all the durability of regular plastic, but biodegrades… Continue reading Chemical “breaking points” let new type of plastic biodegrade in days
Engineers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have developed a device that can efficiently convert captured carbon dioxide into ethylene, a plastic precursor material. When run using renewable energy, the technique could make for net negative e… Continue reading “Net negative” system converts captured CO2 into plastic precursor
Single-use, single-serve coffee “pods” are definitely not eco-friendly, which is why refillable pods have been created. Swiss company CoffeeB is taking a different approach, however, with its fully compostable Coffee Balls.Continue ReadingCategory: Aro… Continue reading Single-serve Coffee Balls touted as compostable alternative to pods