We?re rapidly heading toward an era of all-digital shopping transactions. By the end of January 2018, 125 Walmart locations in the US will feature "Scan & Go" technology, which enables shoppers to scan items and pay for their purchases directly from their phones while in-store. Kroger's "Scan, Bag, Go" technology will be rolled out to 400 stores this year, and Amazon's Go is also expanding,. https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-lets-shoppers-check-out-without-cashiers-at-more-stores-2018-1
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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