The pallet industry is reported to consume around 40% of global timber production, a serious environmental issue. Australian company, Range International, has developed an alternative plastic product at around the same price and 100% recyclable. At the end of their life it?s planned that their pallets can be placed back into the production process to produce new ones. This idea was ranked no 1 at a boardroom lunch hosted by Ashurst Sydney in July 2016. www.RangeInternational.com
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