Made from bamboo, pig hair and yogurt pots: can eco-toothbrushes take off?
There are greener alternatives to the billions of plastic toothbrushes discarded annually – but consumers may not be ready to biteIt’s one of the first things we do in the morning and one of the last...
View ArticleWhat do you do with your old running shoes?
Got some old kicks in need of a new home - or proper recycling? Runner’s Need have a new campaign that might help. It’s a commonly asked question - when your running shoes have lost their spring, and...
View Article'Hell on earth': the great urban scandal of family life lived on a rubbish dump
Countless communities around the world scavenge on open dumps – with terrible health consequences. As the UN convenes city leaders for a global summit, what can be done to improve the lives of the...
View ArticleCan an upcycling expert transform my junk?
Max McMurdo has made a career out of turning household tat into chic new forms. But can his creations match his talk? We put him to the testMax McMurdo stands on the doorstep surrounded by toolboxes,...
View ArticleBritish households fail to recycle a 'staggering' 16m plastic bottles a day
Almost half of all plastic bottles used in the home end up in landfill sites, research shows, with huge impacts on marine lifeBritish households are failing to recycle as many as 16m plastic bottles...
View ArticleWaste disposal firm Biffa cuts flotation price amid Brexit jitters
Britain’s second biggest recyler of waste relaunches IPO at reduced price after failing to drum up sufficient investor interestBiffa, the waste management company, has cut the price of its flotation...
View ArticleSustainable cities: how can we develop the urban circular economy? – live chat
Join us on this page on Wednesday 19 October, 1-2pm (BST), to debate the potential of cities to foster the circular economy5.37pm BSTMany thanks to everyone who joined us for our circular cities live...
View ArticleGoing Dutch on recycling pays off | Letter
Michael Marks (Letters, 17 October) said that the plastic bag charge needs to be followed by one for plastic bottles in order to cut the huge number not recycled. We lived for six years in the...
View ArticleRetro-electric: making petrol-guzzling cars eco-friendly
An estimated 30,000 old petrol cars have been given a new lease of life by small businesses and amateurs around the worldBig breakthroughs in battery technology have raised hopes the electric car can...
View ArticleFlotsam and fashion: recycler of 'ghost' fishing nets makes marine litter trendy
Last year a company set up by an Italian former scuba recycled more than 5,000 tons of discarded nets into nylon for apparel brands including SpeedoThe oceans are choked with discarded fishing nets, or...
View ArticleWhy charity shops don’t take magazines | Letters
I am sorry that Patrick Russell (Letters, 22 October) was upset that his local Oxfam shop would not take his National Geographic magazines. After 10 years in an Oxfam bookshop I can tell him that this...
View ArticleThe Kolkata dump that's permanently on fire: 'Most people die by 50'
Thousands of people live on and around the Dhapa landfill in India, where 4,000 tonnes of waste are dumped each day. Many make a living processing the city’s rubbish amid severe pollution, fires – and...
View ArticleA world without waste: the rise of urban mining
Commercial properties could become the mines of the future, providing materials for reuse and cutting costs and landfill wasteOut with the old, in with the new: that’s the basic template for office...
View ArticleFly-tipping in your city: share your photos and stories
As figures show illegal dumping of waste is on the rise in England, share your photos and stories of fly-tipping happening in your city with GuardianWitnessFly-tipping – the illegal dumping of waste –...
View ArticleForget diamonds … how about clothes and boots that last forever
A market is emerging for brands that offer lifetime guarantees to customers, from shirts to socks – and even underwearA winter coat, a pair of jeans, a shirt for work, boots and a pair of socks –...
View Article'Life is hard': the refugee family picking through waste to survive – in...
Syrian refugee Firas el Jasmin struggled to find work in Turkey because of his disability, so took to the streets with his son to collect recyclable material which he sells on to support his...
View ArticleWhich is the world’s most wasteful city?
Mumbai produces 11,000 tonnes of trash per day, Cairo feeds garbage to pigs and China’s waste is growing twice as fast as its population – but it’s the wealthiest cities that throw the most awayNew...
View ArticleCould 3D printing help tackle poverty and plastic waste?
Startups are turning plastic waste in developing countries into filament for 3D printers while employing local waste pickersWhen Sidhant Pai visited a local rubbish dump in his home city of Pune,...
View ArticleDon’t cry over spilt milk, make loo roll out of it
German manufacturer Qmilk is making use of Germany’s two million tonnes of waste milk by turning some of it into toilet rollA premium-priced toilet roll made from waste milk will be hitting Italian...
View ArticleTrash to treasure: the social enterprises transforming recycling
Often led by women, companies such as Green Collect are turning urban waste into employment for disadvantaged peopleConvincing companies to buy back their own rubbish sounds like an unlikely business...
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