recycling
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Chemistry
New research leads to executable solutions for recycling polycotton fiber waste.
Polycotton’s sample (left) and (right) processing (right) and after (right) (right). The sample on the right is transparent because all cotton is removed. Only polyester remains. Credit: HIMS / AVANTIUM In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers in the Sustainable Chemical Group at the University of Amsterdam (UVA) offer a solution to the difficult recycling of polycotton fabric waste.…
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Environment
The first step to integrating ocean plastic into urban recycling
From left: Amaia Mendoza, Gardar Cortaveria, Cristina Peña. Credit: Gorka Estrada. UPV/EHU. The need to address the millions of tonnes of marine debris (mostly plastic) floating in our oceans and effectively manage this waste has never been more urgent. Faced with this reality, the Materials + Technology Research Group at UPV/EHU decided to take the first step. “We evaluated the…
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Science
Add visible light energy to your carbon dioxide recycling process and you get a two-for-one deal
New research from the University of Illinois captures energy from the visible light spectrum to enhance carbon dioxide recycling. Credit: National Science Foundation By combining visible light and electrochemistry, researchers accelerated the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable products and stumbled upon a surprising discovery. The research team shows that visible light significantly improves an important chemical property called selectivity,…
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Environment
Poor countries are recycling far more imported plastic than previously thought, but it’s not enough
Total import volume, trade value, and average unit price of plastic waste paid by the top 22 importers from 2013 to 2022. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51923-4 Countries like Malaysia import tons of plastic waste from Europe every year, paying pennies per kilogram. This may seem strange, but Kai Li says it makes sense. “Residents in the Netherlands pay…
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Biology
Researchers identify a novel endocytic recycling mechanism via ‘kiss-and-run’ membrane fusion
Identification of intracellular clathrin-associated carriers that transiently visit the plasma membrane. Credit: Nature Cell Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01499-4 Endocytosis and recycling control the uptake and retrieval of a variety of materials in eukaryotic cells. Mammalian cells have developed several recycling pathways, including the “fast” and “slow” tubular vesicle recycling pathways, which have been relatively extensively studied. However, endocytic recycling pathways…
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