Reusing and recycling waste materials could create 200,000 jobs
Report by Green Alliance shows treating discarded materials as resources to reuse and recycle boosts productivity and growth.More than 200,000 jobs could be created as the economy shifts to reusing...
View ArticleNew fabrics make recycling possible, but are they suitable for high street?
Fibre-based textiles claim to be highly recyclable, but fashion quality controls prevent them from going mainstreamAs clothing brands experiment with textile-to-textile recycling models, the emergence...
View ArticleHow to give children free books and help the environment
Re-Read, a Doncaster social enterprise, is rescuing books destined for landfill and distributing them to young readers. Its founder talks to Alison FloodJim McLaughlin measures books in tons, not...
View ArticleThe technology turning carpets into bikes
A New Zealand company has developed a way to recycle worn-out carpets into children’s bicyclesA bike may not not be the obvious product you’d think of if someone asked you what to do with worn-out...
View ArticleWe could end up with 'as much plastic in our oceans as fish'
The head of Ocean Conservancy says a burgeoning middle class and low recycling rates could lead to not-even-remotely-acceptable levels of trash washed out to seaA lonely fight: the biggest...
View ArticleWhat plastic can learn from steel in a circular economy
Virgin metal companies said steel recycling would never get very far. It did. So can plastic follow in its footsteps?The global plastics industry generates over 280m metric tons in waste every year...
View ArticleCircular economy could create half a million UK jobs
New report from Wrap and Green Alliance outlines employment opportunities from circular economy, particularly in the north-east and West MidlandsWe hear a lot about how we are running out of resources,...
View ArticleEthical fashion: saving South Africa’s clothing industry
Strong unions and a new generation of environmentally conscious designers may be the key to ending factory closuresCape Town’s long-established garment industry was severely damaged in the 1990s when...
View ArticleFuture of Europe’s circular economy mired in controversy
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker made a mistake in taking legislative package off the table, says architect of Europe’s circular economy strategyThe former European commissioner for...
View ArticleTake a look inside an eco-friendly home of the future
Wipe your feet on the doormat made from upcycled fishing rope and step inside. Rich McEachran takes us on a tour of a sustainable home of the future, complete with furniture made of urine and...
View ArticleRecycled fashion: how do we close the loop? - live chat
Join experts online to discuss the potential of a circular economy in the fashion industry on Wednesday 18 February, 1.30pm - 2.30pm GMTImagine the jumper you’re wearing now had skeletons in its...
View ArticleTurning our mountains of food waste into graphene
Scientists are trialling out new techniques for converting food waste into graphene and hydrogenBlended cocoa beans, rice, fruit skins, leeks and asparagus sounds like it should be a recipe for a...
View ArticleBodies into food and sewage into beer: you are the hot new thing in recycling
You can compost your corpse and brew wastewater into beer. Increasingly, environmentally-minded people are finding new ways to recycle everything – including themselvesRecycling is breaking the final...
View ArticleHow can I safely recycle my old PCs?
Leslie has several old PCs in his attic, and would like to remove any personal information before disposing of them, either for recycling or re-use. Jack Schofield explains how to do it…Like many...
View ArticleScotland could use oil price crash to kick-start CCS
Shell’s announcement that it is to decommission North Sea oil platform could open up an opportunity for carbon capture and storage (CCS)Such was the shock of the oil price’s precipitous decline in...
View ArticleThe future of waste: five things to look for by 2025
From turning waste into energy to charging consumers for the food they throw in the bin, here’s how our attitudes to rubbish are set to changeThe European Commission recently backtracked on an...
View ArticleWaste is so last season: recycling clothes in the fashion industry
Experts on textiles and fashion took questions on creating a more sustainable fashion industry. Here are eight key pointsRead the full conversation“The key differentiation is between ‘mechanical fibre...
View ArticlePoo: a dirty word, but useful ingredient
From horse manure to panda poo, animal waste can build our furniture and fuel our carsPoo. It’s a dirty word, and in some parts of the world, a taboo. But everyone does it – the average person alone...
View ArticleWaste not, want not: how the rubbish industry learned to look beyond landfill
With rise of incineration and heavy taxes, refuse management has evolved beyond mere dumps – but sector experts warn of complacency over recyclingA yellow monster truck pushes mounds of rubbish across...
View ArticleDon't throw it all into the blue bin: seven tips for smart Christmas recycling
After the gifts are unwrapped and the food is eaten, the holidays often leave us with a lot of trash. Here’s a guide to making sure it all ends up in the right placeShopping for good: nine gifts that...
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