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Danish City First To Test Return System For Reusable Coffee Cups

Posted on February 7, 2024 by dishanth

The Danish city of Aarhus launched a three-year trial program to curve down the number of disposable coffee cups where locals can use a deposit system for reusable takeaway packages.

Like in other Nordic and Central European countries, in Denmark deposit system where one receives back money one pays when purchasing a plastic bottles or cans is already in place

The project that focused on eliminating disposable cups trash is the result of a collaboration between the Municipality of Aarhus and the recycling company TOMRA which already provides other waste collection services to the city.

For a year and a half in 2022, the company All In On Green’s robotic arm SeaProtectorOne deployed in the water, collected over 100,000 disposable glasses from the city’s river Å – from which the city derived its name – demonstrating a huge level of plastic pollution in the city.

”Aarhus must be greener and more sustainable, and Aarhus must be a city where we have the courage to test new solutions.” said Nicolaj Bang, Aarhus’ councillor for technology and environment in a press release. “We use enormous amounts of takeaway packaging in Denmark, and consumption is increasing. Therefore, it really matters if we can make it easier for both consumers and businesses to choose a more sustainable alternative to disposable packaging,” he stated.

Aarhus is the second biggest city in Denmark, counting around 336,000 inhabitants – and potential disposable cup users. The trial has been set as voluntary, but so far already 44 cafés and bars in the center of the city got interested in the project – perhaps even some frequented by King Frederik X, when he used to study at the city’s university.

Initially, 40,000 cups in two designs will be produced and around 25 deposit machines will be established in the city so that citizens can return their cups, and cash back some Danish kroner. Geir Sæther, senior vice president for circular economy at TOMRA said the company expects ‘to be able to expand the system to other types of packaging in the near future’, so to facilitate the transition from single-use to reusable packaging.

The return fee for a reused cup is just over 70 dollar cents (DKK 5) , but it is not for the money that citizens should start returning their cups: ”Recycling saves the earth’s resources and our emission of CO2. More recycling means that there is less waste that ends up as rubbish in our city and our nature,” said Bang.

This is the first city in Denmark, and the world, to carry out such city experiments, although Copenhagen had previously trialed an experimental system where pizza containers, sushi trays and coffee cups should be able to be returned in the hip area of Kødbyen, situated in a central neighborhood. Currently, Danish startup Kleen hub is experimenting in the capital with its third-generation return system based on a single bank card tap.

TOMRA’s ceo Tove Andersen said in a press release that “Aarhus shows the way to one more sustainable future, and we hope that many more cities will be inspired to do the same,”.

Cities and regional authorities have so far acted upon consumer behaviors to decrease different kinds of pollution in their cities: “These policies are quietly working because local governments are addressing climate change with communities long-term together with other challenges that people care about, like healthy diets and supporting local businesses,” said Olivier de Schutter, co-chair of the sustainable food system expert team IPES-Food.

Source Forbes

Table Salt in Plastic Recycling

Posted on January 23, 2024 by dishanth

As far back as 6050 BC, salt has been used for various purposes, including religious offerings and valuable trades. The word “salary” was derived from the word salt because it was highly valued, and production was legally restricted in ancient times, so it was historically used as a method of trade and currency.

Table salt is an important and inexpensive kitchen staple today and is used for various uses, including seasoning, food preservation, food texture, cleaning, and boiling water. We even use salt in healthcare (such as for cleaning wounds) and for deicing roads and sidewalks. But now table salt is entering a new domain: plastic recycling.

Researchers from Michigan State University are proving that salt in plastic recycling has the properties to outperform much more expensive materials that are being explored to help recycle plastics. The MSU team uses pyrolysis to break down the plastics into a mixture of simpler carbon-based compounds, including gas, liquid oil, and solid wax. Pyrolysis is the process of heating an organic material in the absence of oxygen.

One of the challenges of plastic recycling has always been an undesirable wax byproduct, which accounts for over half of the pyrolysis output. The wax obtained from the pyrolysis of waste plastic is generally regarded as a low-value product that requires further treatment in a refinery for it to be considered valuable as chemicals, diesel, petroleum, and gasoline.

Salt in plastic recycling is used as a catalyst to pyrolyze polyolefins (the family of thermoplastics that include polyethylene and polypropylene); the MSU team produced mostly liquid oil that contains hydrocarbon molecules similar to what is found in diesel fuel, which is not suitable for producing new polymers. There was no undesirable wax; over 50% is generally seen when platinum on carbon or aluminum is used as a catalyst. In this experiment, the result was 86% liquid form and 14% gas.

Using salt in plastic recycling as a catalyst also means the salt can be reused simply by washing the liquid oil with water. The team also found that table salt helped in the pyrolisis of metalized plastic films commonly used in food packaging, such as potato chip bags, which currently aren’t being recycled.

Because table salt is relatively inexpensive, using salt in plastic recycling could drastically reduce the costs associated with these processes. The researchers found that table salt can offer a transformative approach toward an inexpensive (4 cents per kg) and efficient pyrolysis methodology for converting mixed plastics waste to useful hydrocarbon products.

The use of table salt in plastic recycling is a relatively new phenomenon. Traditionally, salt has not been used directly in plastic recycling processes. It has been used indirectly in cleaning and preparing plastic items. It can be used as an abrasive agent to help scrub any residues. It is also used to scrub off adhesive labels from plastic containers.

In recycling facilities, electrostatic separation processes are used to separate different types of plastic based on their electrostatic charges. Salt can affect the conductivity of plastics and help in the separation. Furthermore, the traditional recycling process typically involves mechanical methods such as shredding, melting, and extruding rather than chemical reactions that involve salt. This study can drastically change the way plastic is recycled.

The salt in plastic recycling study from Michigan State University is still in its initial phases. Still, if it catches on, it could be an important movement towards how we recycle plastics and can result in more plastic being recycled and repurposed. It’s fascinating that something so simple and abundant, like table salt, can be used to help tackle one of the world’s most pressing issues.

Source Happy Eco News

ECONYL Sustainable Nylon Alternative

Posted on November 14, 2023 by dishanth

Nylon is the stretchy material found in underwear, hosiery, activewear, swimwear, and even umbrellas. It was the first fabric to be made in a laboratory. Nylon is made out of crude oil and is very energy-intensive to produce. Producing nylon creates nitrous oxide, which is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Large amounts of water are needed to cool the fibres along with lubricants, which can become a source of contamination. Moreover, nylon is not biodegradable. If it makes its way into the oceans, it will degrade to thin fibres and small particles that wildlife can digest.

Many designers and fashion brands want to use a sustainable nylon alternative in their garments, but it is difficult to find them. One new sustainable nylon alternative is called ECONYL, a trademark of the Italian plastics company Aquafil. Sustainable nylon alternative ECONYL is made up of nylon waste, including fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring, and industrial plastic. The nylon waste is recovered and converted into new yarn. This regenerated nylon can be recycled, recreated, and remoulded repeatedly. ECONYL is chemically identical to nylon 6, which means it has the same characteristics as traditional nylon and can be used in the same ways.

The ECONYL Regenerative System happens in four steps.

They rescue waste like fishing nets, fabric scraps, and industrial plastic from all over the world. The waste is sorted and cleaned to recover all of the nylon possible.

Through radical regeneration and purification, the recovered nylon is recycled back to its original purity, allowing the quality of ECONYL to reflect that of fossil-based nylon.

The recycled nylon is processed into new yarns and polymers for fashion and industrial brands.

These brands can use ECONYL to create new products. Once the products containing ECONYL are no longer useful to customers, they can return and be regenerated again.

According to the ECONYL website, for every 10,000 tons of ECONYL raw material produced, they can save 70,000 barrels of cruise oils and over 65,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Switching to sustainable nylon alternative ECONYL also reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with the material from oil.

Using abandoned fishing nets to make ECONYL helps to clean up the oceans and helps reduce the risk of marine animals getting entangled by abandoned nets. ECNOYL has teamed up with many take-back organizations to collect the materials used in creating their regenerative nylon. They have two carpet facilities in the US where they collect nylon 6. They also work with the Healthy Seas Foundation to collect recovered fishing nets.

ECONYL has teamed up with over 100 brands (many are swimwear and activewear brands) to include this sustainable nylon alternative in their products. Gucci, for example, launched its own recycling program to convert textile scraps into new ECONYL yarn. Gucci has also used ECONYL to create sustainable nylon alternative handbags. In 2023, Stella McCartney launched its first-ever close-the-loop garment, a parka made from ECONYL that is designed to be returned and regenerated into new yarn at its end-of-life. Adidas has been known to incorporate ECONYL into some of their swimwear designs.

We are also seeing ECONYL used in interior brands like Pottery Barn to make rugs and car brands like BMW and Mercedez-Benz to produce their car floor mats. BMW also uses ECONYL in various interior trims, such as seat covers, door panels, and dashboard components.

As more brands begin to use ECONYL in their designs, we may eventually see a phase-out of traditional, fossil-fuel nylon. This sustainable switch will help the design and fashion industries become greener, our oceans cleaner, and help to create bigger importance on recycling and regenerating used materials.

Source Happy Eco News

The Plastic-Eating Enzymes Used in Recycling Clothing

Posted on August 5, 2023August 5, 2023 by dishanth

Plastic eating enzymes have interested scientists looking for solutions to increasing plastic waste. Enzymes are important to living things because, as proteins, they allow biochemical reactions to happen faster than they would otherwise. They aid in everything from breathing to digestion. Enzymes are even used in food processing, paper industries, and detergents.

Because enzymes are so diverse in their uses, scientists have engineered a new enzyme to help us with our plastic program. These super plastic eating enzymes can break down plastic in a few days. Scientists believe this is a natural adaptation by the bacteria and might be a response to the increase of plastic in the environment.

The most common type of plastic that plastic eating enzymes can recycle is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is a type of plastic used in many common products, such as bottles, food packaging, and textiles.

Other types of plastic that can be recycled by enzymes include:
High-density polyethylene (HDPE): found in plastic bottles and children’s toys.
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE): found in plastic bags, shrink wrap and food packaging.
Polypropylene (PP): found in disposable medical devices, textiles and auto parts.
Polystyrene/styrofoam (PS): found in takeout food containers, consumer electronics packaging and packing peanuts.

As the enzyme breaks down plastic, the bacteria produce MHETase, by which the enzymes break the pieces down further. After this process, other bacteria can break down the products into CO2 and water. Unlike other recycling methods, they can break down plastic into its original components, which can be reused to create new products. Enzymes require less energy than traditional methods, such as mechanical recycling. But maybe best of all is that they can be used to recycle plastic that is difficult or impossible to recycle using traditional methods such as those mixed with fabric or other dissimilar materials.

These plastic eating enzymes are now making an appearance in the fashion industry. The fashion industry uses tons of plastic-derived fibres in many clothing products. What’s worse is that very few of these materials are recycled today. Fashion brands have been known to turn to mechanical recycling and approaches using solvents to repurpose textiles for reuse. The challenge with these approaches is that they involve virgin plastics and require a lot of energy. Using plastic eating enzymes will break down plastic more efficiently. They will turn the materials into monomers that act like virgin-quality materials.

Athletic apparel company Lulelemon has teamed up with Australian startup Samara Eco to help them break down old textiles so they can be turned into new ones. Samara Eco has optimized plastic eating enzymes found in nature to efficiently recycle PET and polyester plastics at scale so they can be made into new, virgin-grade plastic.

The plastic waste is sourced and prepared for recycling by cold washing. The enzymes revert the plastic waste from its complex state into its original form. The plastics are then separated from any other additives like colourants. The recycled monomers can then be used in the re-manufacturing of brand-new plastics.

Using this technology, Lululemon hopes to spin used nylon and polyester blends from pre-owner, damaged or discarded apparel into a form that can be used in new collections. The partnership is Lululemon’s first-ever minority investment in a recycling company and Samsara’s first partnership with a clothing manufacturer. The recycling company hopes to make breakthroughs into the mainstream fashion industry as well as work with partners in other spaces to meet its goal of recycling 1.5 million tonnes of textiles by 2030.

This partnership is also part of Lululemon’s Be Planet goals and a step toward a circular ecosystem by 2030. Samsara Eco’s infinite recycling helps to close the clothing loop by using apparel waste to create new recycled materials over and over.

The two companies will create new recycled nylon and polyester made from apparel waste. They will be able to show that recycling textiles and repurposing materials is possible and can be done sustainably. This partnership might be the move we need to change the fashion industry for the future of our planet.

Source Happy Eco News

New Plastic Recycling Rules in Australia

Posted on July 4, 2023July 4, 2023 by dishanth

The Background to the Decision

Since industrialization, humans have had a remarkable capacity to alter and change our environment on a large scale.

To facilitate the growth of industry, we have allowed companies and other organizations to pollute the environment indiscriminately with no regard for the people, creatures, and nature that have been impacted.

In most regards, we think of pollution as the toxic air spewed from industrial plants into our atmosphere. While that is a problem, make no mistake about it, there are other problems that rapid industrialization has had on our world.

One of those is plastic pollution, the byproduct of cheap disposable products wrapped in material that the environment cannot break down easily.

While some moves by industry have seen eco-friendly plastics being used in mass production, these examples are few and far between, to the dismay of eco-friendly citizens worldwide.

In some countries, though, that appears to be shifting. Recently a coalition of governments has pushed through legislation for new plastic recycling rules in Australia, forcing companies to take serious measures to curb their output of non-biodegradable plastic products.

How do the new Plastic Recycling Rules in Australia work?

The decision to impose new plastic recycling rules in Australia was made at the first meeting of federal and state environmental ministers in Sydney on Friday, June 9th. Tanya Plibersek, the federal environment minister, said that the “historic agreement” meant packaging would be “subject to strict new government rules.”

The new rules include the following:

A ban on single-use plastic bags.
A ban on selling disposable coffee cups made from expanded polystyrene (EPS).
A requirement for all plastic packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2025.
A requirement for all plastic packaging to be labelled with clear information about its recyclability.

According to a communique released after the agreement, the new plastic recycling rules in Australia would shift the country towards a more circular economy, with the rules addressing three specific areas: packaging design, outlawing harmful chemicals and plastics, and harmonizing curbside plastic recycling.

These decisions were made in the backdrop of the goals Australia has set in regard to plastic recycling. The Australian government has said that the new rules will cost the economy $1.1 billion over the next ten years, but the benefits of reducing plastic waste outweigh the costs.

As per the voluntary model that Australia has right now, only 18% of plastic is recycled in the country, far short of the 70% goal by 2025 that it has set.

Many have come out supporting this move; the Boomerang Alliance, a coalition of 55 environment groups, stated that this was the first “substantial and meaningful step” to address plastic waste in over 20 years.

It’s not just environmentalists that are lauding this decision, as major companies such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Unilever have all come out in support.

For the People, by the People.

Serious change needs to be made in order to address the problem of plastic waste pollution worldwide. While it would be nice to believe that companies would willingly make the decision to cut back and recycle on their own, the reality is that it isn’t in their best interest to do so.

These programs cost money, and the incentive for shareholders is to increase profits no matter what. Government regulations will force these companies to accept the new way of doing things as simply a cost of doing business, thus ensuring that the people’s best interest is upheld as a primary objective.

Ultimately, this is what governments are for, and hopefully, with the example of these new plastic recycling rules in Australia, this action will spur other governments in other countries to make similar decisions.

Source Happy Eco News

Sir David Attenborough named Champion of the Earth by UN

Posted on April 25, 2022 by dishanth

Sir David Attenborough has been named a Champion of the Earth by the UN’s Environment Programme.

The prestigious award recognises the 95-year-old’s commitment to telling stories about the natural world and climate change.

Accepting the award, Sir David said the world must take action now to protect nature and the planet.

His celebrated documentaries include The Green Planet and A Plastic Ocean.

Sir David said that environmental success stories should give us hope that change is possible.

“Fifty years ago, whales were on the very edge of extinction worldwide. Then people got together and now there are more whales in the sea than any living human being has ever seen,” he suggested.

“We know what the problems are and we know how to solve them. All we lack is unified action.”

UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson said that the UN chose to recognise Sir David because of his devotion to broadcasting the natural world.

“If we stand a chance of averting climate and biodiversity breakdowns and cleaning up polluted ecosystems, it’s because millions of us fell in love with the planet that he captured on film and writing, in his voice,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.

Sir David began working on natural history programmes in the 1950s, and his programmes filmed in far-flung parts of the world became immensely popular. In the past four years, his warnings about the damage that climate change is causing the planet and humans have become more stark.

Sir David is particularly popular with children and teenagers worried about climate change. Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has said that meeting the broadcaster was “indescribable” and that everyone should strive to be like him.

Asked about Sir David, children visiting the London aquarium told BBC News they love watching him on TV and even have books about him.

“He does loads of things to support our planet and the animals. On his show, he tells us the natural world might be in danger if we don’t make a difference,” explains 10-year-old Raya.

She worries about the planet, saying she’s learned that “we need to stop using plastic, start using more electric cars, and we should plant more trees instead of cutting them down.”

Benjamin, 13, said watching Sir David’s programmes has inspired him to become a marine biologist. But they’ve also taught him about the danger we face from climate change and biodiversity loss.

“I want to be able to have a family and I want them to live a nice world. But if we start trying very hard, we can save the natural world,” he explained.

Sir David’s emphasis on success stories like bringing back whales from the point of extinction is important, Prof Rick Stafford, marine biologist at Bournemouth university, told BBC News.

“He really brought climate change and biodiversity loss to the forefront. Optimism is important but the major problems to be solved are not scientific – they are economic and political,” he explained.

Source BBC