What birds can teach us about repurposing waste

A process called “exaptation” places repurposing resources and adaptations at the heart of evolution; what if our homes were designed on the same basis?

David Farrier, Professor of Literature and the Environment, University of Edinburgh • conversation
June 2, 2025 • ~6 min

Solar-powered device captures carbon dioxide from air to make sustainable fuel

Researchers have developed a reactor that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel, using sunlight as the power source.

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Feb. 13, 2025 • ~5 min

How to get on board with secondhand shopping this Christmas

Recent research has found several ways in which buying pre-loved beats traditional retail.

Stephanie Schreven, Senior Lecturer Management and Marketing, University of Dundee • conversation
Dec. 9, 2024 • ~6 min

Time is running out for a treaty to end plastic pollution – here’s why it matters

Global action has always been the missing piece of the picture, as the plastics economy transcends national boundaries. A new treaty could change that.

Steve Fletcher, Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Nov. 21, 2024 • ~7 min

Meet the microbes that transform toxic carbon monoxide into valuable biofuel

The world is full of microbes, and many of them like the taste of waste. Some carbon monoxide-loving microbes can be harnessed to transform waste into valuable biofuel.

Maximilienne Toetie Allaart, Postdoctoral Researcher in Gut Microbiome Research, University of Tübingen • conversation
Oct. 7, 2024 • ~6 min

Craft cider is surprisingly good for the environment

The round fruit at the heart of a circular economy.

Ufuk Alpsahin Cullen, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Research Fellow, Edge Hill University • conversation
July 25, 2024 • ~5 min

One-and-a-half billion tyres wasted annually – there's a better way to recycle them

New technique could drastically improve the recyclability of rubber tyres.

James Robert Innes, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Sustainable Polymer Materials, University of Bradford • conversation
Jan. 11, 2024 • ~7 min

Wind turbine blades: inside the battle to overcome their waste problem

Wind farm owners are keeping old turbines in service to capitalise on high electricity prices.

Paul Leahy, Lecturer in Wind Energy, University College Cork • conversation
Nov. 28, 2023 • ~8 min

Pumpkin waste: three ways to stop your leftover lantern becoming a Halloween horror story

About half of our Halloween pumpkins go entirely uneaten.

Ebru Surucu-Balci, Assistant Professor in Circular Supply Chains, University of Bradford • conversation
Oct. 26, 2023 • ~5 min

Recycling: what you can and can't recycle and why it's so confusing

Confusion about what should and shouldn’t be recycled? You’re not alone – and it’s causing some people to ignore recycling altogether.

Matthew Derry, Lecturer in Chemistry, Aston University • conversation
May 31, 2023 • ~7 min

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