Eco Cycle towers have been installed in Japan and the UK. There are two models, with one providing storage for up to 204 bikes and a smaller version that can store up to 58 bikes. Both models resemble small towers and can be installed either above or below ground. Once you have swiped your Eco Cycle Card to retrieve your bike, it is returned to you at ground level within 13 seconds. http://newatlas.com/eco-cycle-automated-cycle-storage/40496/
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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Jonathan Chrimes