Moby Store, launched by Wheelys, a Stockholm-headquartered startup, is now testing a model of a 24-hour store run entirely by technology that can be moved from one spot to the next. The Wheelys cofounders decided to test in China rather than Sweden in part because of China?s large population, but even more so because of the country?s near-ubiquitous adoption of paying with your phone. Purchases are made using an app to scan a barcode and paying over the phone. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608104/in-china-a-store-of-the-future-no-checkout-no-staff/?
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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