Japanese firm Euglena has been cultivating a type of algae, that's both a plant and an animal, for use in food and cosmetics and is now aiming to use it to produce energy. It aims to produce 33,000 gallons of jet fuel a year from Japan's first algae biofuel refinery, partnering with top Japanese airline ANA. http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/24/technology/japan-algae-euglena/
A 2023 start-up aiming to make recycling convenient and accessible to all is about to go national. The aim is to provide people with a home pick-up option for some of the "trickier" items the normal recycling bins can't handle - including soft plastics. https://wastemanagementreview.com.au/recyclesmart-goes-national/
A Kyushu University study (2021) estimated there were 24.4 trillion pieces of microplastics in the world's upper oceans or roughly 30 billion 500-ml plastic water bottles. Microplastics are tiny, toxic and very hard to remove from the environment. But researchers in the US have discovered that some Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) can attract and bind microplastics, making it easier to remove them from the environment. And the N in NADES is key - natural - in this instance, think extracts from plants. https://www.research.uky.edu/news/researchers-develop-eco-friendly-magnet-battle-microplastics
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