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ORGANIC WASTE MATERIALS
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...
In Massachusetts, Bar-Way Farm digests 36,500 tons of food waste and 9,125 tons of manure every year, producing enough electricity for 900 homesIn Deerfield, Massachusetts, Bar-Way Farm is leading the charge in renewable energy by harnessing food waste and cow manure to create elect...
Earlier in 2026, WSU researchers heated and pressurized sewage sludge with oxygen, producing 200% more renewable gas. Now the process cuts treatment costs from $494 to $253 per tonWSU researchers treated sewage sludge under high temperature and pressure while introducing oxygen. Under those conditions, the relatively ...
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...
In 1991, Curitiba began exchanging recyclables for bus tokens and food. 35 years later, the city recycles 70% of its waste while creating jobs and supporting familiesIn Curitiba, Brazil, residents can exchange recyclable waste for fresh food. Other cities have found different uses for what people throw a...
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...
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...
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...
In 2013, Farmers RECC secured a $1 million USDA loan to capture landfill methane in Glasgow, Kentucky. 7 years later, the plant reached full capacity, powering 547 homesGlasgow landfill project ultimately offers a compelling lesson in how communities can rethink waste, energy and environmental responsibilit...
Researchers heated sewage sludge at 325°C for 30 minutes before centrifugation; the process converted 88% of the sludge and recovered bio-oil at up to 64%Researchers have pioneered an innovative method that transforms sewage sludge into valuable bio-oil using hydrothermal liquefaction techniq...
In 2019, RMIT researchers fired clay bricks mixed with treated sewage sludge; a 25% biosolids batch cut firing energy by 48.6% while passing strength testsResearchers are exploring ways to recycle sewage sludge into building materials. Mixing biosolids into clay significantly cuts the energy n...
Miami researchers tested concrete that replaced sand with leaded CRT glass; a biopolymer helped limit lead leaching before durability damage raised concernsResearchers explored using toxic CRT glass in concrete mixtures. This hazardous waste contains significant amounts of lead, posing environm...
OIL Green Energy signs MoUs with Haryana for 5,000 TPD waste-to-clean-energy projectsOil India Limited's subsidiary signed MoUs with four Haryana municipalities. These agreements aim to develop integrated Compressed Biogas a...
Why just one scrap of microplastic can cause high cholesterol and kidney damage in young seabirdsTiny microplastics infiltrate even the most isolated ecosystems around the globe, posing serious threats to wildlife health. These minuscul...
In 1962, NASA packed 22,900 gallons of water into a Saturn I rocket and deliberately released it 65 miles above Earth to see how water behaved in the upper atmosphereNASA scientists have long explored recycling resources for extended space travel. Plants and microorganisms could help regenerate vital sup...
Nobel-winning chemist born to Palestinian refugees grew up with 9 siblings in one room without running water or electricity; after moving to the US in 1980, he developed technology to harvest water from dry desert air without electricityOmar M. Yaghi, a distinguished Nobel laureate, grew up in Jordan, where he faced the harsh reality of water scarcity. This early challenge ...
A Tennessee company is recycling wind turbine blades and recovering glass fibre reported to be 99.9% pure for reuse in manufacturingA Knoxville company, Carbon Rivers, is recycling old wind turbine blades. Their process uses heat to separate glass fibre from resin materi...
World’s biggest citrus waste-to-energy plant is being built in Brazil: 2.1-million-square-foot facility to turn orange juice waste into 1.77 million cubic feet of biogas every dayBrazil is building the world’s biggest citrus waste-to-energy plant, a 2.1-million-square-foot facility designed to transform orange juice ...
In 2011, Kiel University researchers began studying CAU-10-H for water harvesting, a project that lasted over a decade. 15 years later, they produced 66 pounds of the material, opening a path to harvest freshwater from air as dry as 18% humidityResearchers at Kiel University in Germany have spent more than a decade studying CAU-10-H, a porous material capable of capturing water vap...
In 1998, over 1,000 truckloads of orange peels were dumped in a barren Costa Rica pasture, 15 years later it turned into a dense forestIn a groundbreaking initiative in Costa Rica, researchers turned orange waste into a remarkable tool for land restoration. This organic byp...