The discovery of plastic eating enzymes in 2016 held great promise. Work on enzymatic solutions has since focused on speed, scalability & cost of the process, especially for some PET  requiring energy-intensive pre-treatment. By using AI, researchers have identified new enzymes able to digest PET without pre-treatment. At scale, this could mean recycled PET could be broken down and re-made more cheaply than virgin PET made from petroleum. https://www.nrel.gov/news/features/2022/scientists-discover-enzymes-cheaper-to-recycle-waste-polyester-textiles-and-bottles-than-making-from-petroleum.html

The idea of putting solar panels on ancient ruins, like those in Pompeii, would alarm most people. But an innovative Italian company (Dyaqua) is using a polymer to create realistic "terracotta" roof tiles. These tiles look and function like roof tiles, are installed in a fairly similar manner, but include a layer of PV cells under a protective polymer layer. The polymer aids photon absorption, thus not obstructing the PV cells.https://techxplore.com/news/2022-12-disguising-solar-panels-ancient-roman.html

A low-energy desalination–electrolysis system that can produce green hydrogen directly from seawater has been developed by a team in China. https://newatlas.com/energy/hydrogen-electrolysis-seawater/

Typical commercial white paints reject  80%-90% of visible light, but still absorbs ultraviolet light. So it still warms up. Researchers have developed an ultra-white paint which can reject 98% of sunlight, including ultraviolet light. It also releases infrared light, which effectively means the paint can cool itself below surrounding temperatures. The inventors hope it can provide a low-cost, scalable replacement to air conditioning. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2021/Q2/the-whitest-paint-is-here-and-its-the-coolest.-literally..html

According to an article by Future Market Insights, 20% of the world's shipping containers return empty. These same containers might also sit in a port or intermodal for many weeks taking up valuable space. Given the probability that similar occurrences are evident in rail freight, the need for a more economical solution is clear. Enter the world's first world’s first automated collapsible shipping container. https://spectainer.com/products/collapsecon/

UN Women notes 65% of men (globally) report having an account at a formal financial institution, only 58% of women do. In part, a lack of financial literacy can also contribute to women being less likely to start their own businesses or to hold senior leadership positions in organisations. On a much darker note, a lack of financial independence can mean a lack of options, trapping women in desperate situations. This podcast aims to inspire parents, women, and of course, girls themselves to think early about the importance of financial independence and basic financial literacy. https://bankingongirls.com/