In 2023, Virginia Tech researchers turned plastic bags and food containers into soap-making surfactants; the products could be worth about $3,550 a ton in a lab-scale processScientists at Virginia Tech have pioneered an innovative method to convert plastic waste into valuable soap compounds. By breaking down eve...
06 Sep, 2026, 01.40 PM IST
In 1972, Illinois built a highway embankment with 246,000 cubic yards of coal ash. It’s still holding up even after 50 yearsIn 1972, a groundbreaking highway project in Illinois incorporated coal fly ash as a structural fill, challenging traditional practices. Th...
04 Sep, 2026, 09.46 PM IST
In 2011, CEQ, EPA and GSA launched a national electronics plan. 15 years later, 2.4 billion EPEAT products generated $24.6 billion in savings for buyers nationwide2011 strategy emerged at a time when computers, monitors, printers, mobile devices and other electronics were becoming increasingly importa...
03 Sep, 2026, 08.02 PM IST
In 2011, Lovell FHCC joined a green federal challenge with 3 focus areas. 3 years later, LED retrofits cut electricity 15%, saving $500,000 and 7.4 million pounds of CO2Lovell FHCC lighting project remains a useful example of how sustainability goals can produce measurable results when they are connected to...
03 Sep, 2026, 04.13 AM IST
In 2014, Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago cold-composted 320 tons of grass clippings across 120 acres, lifting waste diversion from 18% to 39% overallThe scale of Lovell’s campus made the strategy particularly significant. The facility occupied approximately 120 acres and included a full ...
03 Sep, 2026, 03.33 AM IST
In 2022, Hawaii used 195,000 plastic bottles to rebuild a road. Engineers found an alternative use for recycling plastic waste, but there's a catchHawaii's officials have embarked on an innovative experiment to blend recycled plastic into road asphalt, effectively repurposing nearly 20...
02 Sep, 2026, 03.22 PM IST
A PhD student used shredded baby diapers in a prototype Indonesian house; 27% of its non-structural concrete blocks contained diaper waste, totaling about 3,700 poundsAn extraordinary house in Indonesia has creatively utilized nearly 3,700 pounds of discarded diapers. This unique construction method incor...
02 Sep, 2026, 01.40 PM IST
In 2024, South Dakota State University researchers turned banana peels into biodegradable film; it reached 31.3 MPa tensile strength and lost more than half its weight in moist soil within three weeksScientists at South Dakota State University have transformed banana peels into a plastic-like film that is biodegradable and breaks down in...
02 Sep, 2026, 01.20 PM IST
This North Carolina student built a science project exploring how dirty water could be turned into a source of power for tiny batteriesPrakhar Purohit created tiny batteries using dirty water for a science project. His innovative idea earned him the 2026 North Carolina Stat...
01 Sep, 2026, 11.36 PM IST
In 2007, Capannori rejected a new incinerator and embraced zero waste. 19 years later, its door-to-door system helped push recycling above 80% and inspire Italy’s movementCapannori, a town near Lucca in Tuscany, developed a Zero Waste approach after residents opposed a proposed incinerator. Rossano Ercolini a...
01 Sep, 2026, 11.21 PM IST
In 2012, Chicago’s Railroad Retirement Board found new life for 3,200 pounds of electronics through reuse and recycling; the effort lifted waste diversion nearly 10%The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board successfully recycled over 3,200 pounds of electronic waste. This achievement was driven by federal prog...
01 Sep, 2026, 10.30 PM IST
In 1960, Marlon Brando discovered Tetiaroa while filming 'Mutiny on the Bounty'. 66 years later, his 35-villa refuge now combines luxury with conservation and clean energyMore than 66 years after Marlon Brando first discovered Tetiaroa, the island's most enduring legacy may be the idea that paradise is someth...
01 Sep, 2026, 09.41 PM IST
In 2021, NREL fermented food waste into volatile fatty acids and catalytically upgraded them to jet fuel; the SAF was estimated to cut net carbon emissions by up to 165% when landfill disposal was assumedA groundbreaking approach has been created by scientists to transform food waste into eco-friendly aviation fuel. This cutting-edge techniq...
01 Sep, 2026, 07.40 PM IST
In 2022, Maryland engineers turned crab-shell chitosan into a zinc-battery electrolyte; after more than 1,000 cycles, the zinc anode still delivered 99.7% coulombic efficiencyInnovative researchers are turning leftover crab shells into essential components for batteries. Packed with chitosan, these shells can cre...
01 Sep, 2026, 07.20 PM IST
California’s CR&R digester can process 334,000 tons of food and green waste yearly, yielding 4 million diesel-gallon equivalents of RNG and 250,000 tons of fertilizerIn California, a remarkable facility is transforming food waste into renewable natural gas fuel, effectively capturing harmful methane emis...
01 Sep, 2026, 02.30 PM IST
In 1993, Taiwan collected 70% of its trash while recycling virtually none. 33 years later, paid bags, musical trucks and sorting helped drive recycling to 55% nationwideTaiwan’s experience therefore challenges the idea that recycling depends mainly on individual environmental enthusiasm. People certainly ne...
01 Sep, 2026, 04.13 AM IST
How a student turned waste glass into an ‘oyster home’ and won Rs 1.2 lakh awardA Florida high school student, Delaney Peterson, has explored an unusual way to support oyster reef restoration, by turning discarded glass...
30 Aug, 2026, 01.37 PM IST