The Cure for Disposable Plastic Crap Is Here—and It’s Loony
Stretchy seaweed, reverse vending machines, QR-coded take-out boxes: They’re how we can break society’s absurd addiction to single-use plastics......»»
Biodegradable microplastics study helps quantify their climate change and ecotoxicity impacts
Over 20 million tons of plastic are estimated to end up in the environment every year, with much of it breaking down into microplastics that are harmful to the health of humans and wildlife. Biodegradable and bio-based plastics made from organic mate.....»»
Dolphins Are Exhaling Microplastics
New research highlights how extensive plastic pollution is—and how nonhuman species, including dolphins, are exposed......»»
Mangrove microbes show potential for breaking down plastics
A way to select a suite of mangrove bacteria that can transform plastic has been developed that potentially offers a new strategy in the global toolkit of plastic waste cleanup. Researchers have assessed the impact of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).....»»
Wildlife, climate and plastic: how three summits aim to repair a growing rift with nature
By the end of 2024, nearly 200 nations will have met at three conferences to address three problems: biodiversity loss, climate change and plastic pollution......»»
A $2,000 plastic Apple Vision could be an upgrade, not a downgrade [Poll]
Mark Gurman didn’t sound overly excited when he reported his expectation that a lower-priced Apple Vision product would launch as early as next year, but it might well be the model to have me press the button. Gurman said that Apple is expecting.....»»
A Giant Lyte Bryte Makes Its Way Up The California Coast!
I bet you didn’t know that you could build a GIANT Lyte Bryte (yes, that kind of Lyte Bryte) with some pretty LEDs, some cleverly designed 3D printed holders, food coloring, and a whole bunch of plastic PET water bottles. That is exactly what.....»»
Saturday Citations: All that sparkles is plastic; woke tree diversity; the gravitational basin in which we reside
This week, astronomers considered whether dark energy varies over cosmic timescales. Via neutron analysis, physicists revealed that some Early Iron Age swords were altered recently by swindlers in order to be more historically exciting. And a profess.....»»
New plant-based glitter shows no harm to soil organisms
Plastic pollution is everywhere. Each year, over 368 million metric tons of plastics are produced with over 13 million metric tons of it ending up in the soil where it can be toxic to wildlife......»»
Nobel chemistry winner sees engineered proteins solving tough problems
Whether it's battling tumors or breaking down plastic, American scientist David Baker, co-recipient of this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has an answer: engineering proteins that don't naturally exist—a concept once dismissed as "crazy.".....»»
Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products
Researchers have developed a way to make one type of plastic material more durable and less likely to shed dangerous microplastics. Their study has identified a secure way to attach chemical additives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The work is publishe.....»»
Inside the Anti-Vax Facebook Group Pushing a Bogus Cure for Autism
Parents of newborns are reporting symptoms including diarrhea, twitching, and “complete toddler meltdowns” after giving them Pure Body Extra detox treatment......»»
Wastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food, yielding new possibilities for cleaning up plastic waste
Researchers have long observed that a common family of environmental bacteria, Comamonadacae, grow on plastics littered throughout urban rivers and wastewater systems. But exactly what these Comamonas bacteria are doing has remained a mystery......»»
Bacteria-derived enzyme shows potential for polyethylene biodegradation
Every year, 400 million tons of plastic products are produced worldwide, half of which are single-use items discarded within a year. In particular, non-biodegradable plastic waste, which takes over 500 years to decompose naturally, is mostly treated.....»»
Scientists Figured Out How to Recycle Plastic by Vaporizing It
A new technique could prevent tons of waste in the future—if it can scale......»»
Why plastic bottles in the EU now have their caps attached
You may have bought a drink recently and noticed something odd: the once removable cap is now tethered to the bottle by a small strip of plastic......»»
Poor countries recycle far more imported plastic than previously thought—but it"s not enough
Countries like Malaysia import many metric tons of plastic waste from Europe each year, paying a few pennies per kilo. This might seem strange, but according to Kai Li, it makes sense......»»
AI digests repetitive scatological document into profound “poop” podcast
What happens when you ask an AI model to summarize a bunch of crap? Imagine you're a podcaster who regularly does quick 10- to 12-minute summary reviews of written works. Now imag.....»»
AI digests repetitive scatological document into profound “poop” podcast
What happens when you ask an AI model to summarize a bunch of crap? Enlarge / This AI prompt stinks... or does it? (credit: Aurich Lawson) Imagine you're a podcaster who regularly does quick 10- to 12-minute summary revi.....»»
Scientists explore microbial diversity in sourdough starters
When millions of people went into lockdown during the pandemic, they went in search of new at-home hobbies to help cure their boredom. Among them was making sourdough bread. In addition to being sustainable for its use of natural ingredients and trad.....»»
Exxon Mobil says advanced recycling is the answer to plastic waste: But is it really?
When California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suit against Exxon Mobil and accused the oil giant of misleading the public about the effectiveness of plastic recycling, many of the allegations surrounded the company's marketing of a process called.....»»