Foams used in car seats and mattresses are hard to recycle – we made a plant-based version that avoids polyurethane's health risks, too

Polyurethane foams are the world’s sixth-most-produced plastic yet among the least recycled materials.

James Sternberg, Research Assistant Professor of Automotive Engineering, Clemson University • conversation
Jan. 5, 2023 • ~5 min

Waste pickers risk their lives to stop plastic pollution – now they could help shape global recycling policies

Waste pickers want a say in how policies are designed and implemented.

Lucia Fernandez, Waste Pickers Global Coordinator, WIEGO & Lecturer in Architecture, Design and Urbanism, Universidad de la República Uruguay • conversation
Nov. 29, 2022 • ~6 min

Why the UK needs to stop exporting plastic waste

Many countries export their plastic waste abroad – but the mismanagement of this plastic waste is one of the leading causes of plastic pollution in nature.

Steve Fletcher, Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Nov. 25, 2022 • ~7 min

Recycled wastewater makes the cleanest drinking water

Treated wastewater can be more dependable and less toxic than common tap water sources, according to new research.

Stanford • futurity
Nov. 17, 2022 • ~9 min

MIT PhD students shed light on important water and food research

J-WAFS Fellows discuss their inspiration for pursuing challenges in water and food systems.

Carolyn Blais | Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab • mit
Nov. 10, 2022 • ~9 min

Dung beetle mothers protect their offspring from a warming world by digging deeper

Everyone is feeling the heat these days – even species that develop underground.

Kimberly S. Sheldon, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Nov. 9, 2022 • ~9 min

Method turns plastic into resin for 3D printing

A new method converts polylactic acid, used in tableware and food packaging, into a high-quality resin. The plastic can take up to 100 years to decompose.

Tina Hilding-Washington State • futurity
Aug. 31, 2022 • ~5 min

The plastic crisis has deep corporate roots: to protect our planet, they need to be exposed

The plastic industry uses powerful tactics to convince us it’s not that bad, but in reality many of their green solutions aren’t working.

Alice Mah, Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick • conversation
Aug. 4, 2022 • ~8 min

Plastic from old trucks becomes graphene for new cars

Flash Joule heating can turn plastic from end-of-life trucks into graphene for new vehicles, say researchers.

Mike Williams-Rice • futurity
June 13, 2022 • ~8 min

‘Superworms’ that gobble plastics are like tiny recycling plants

A "superworm" with a taste for polystyrene could act as a secret weapon that could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass scale.

Dominic Jarvis-Queensland • futurity
June 10, 2022 • ~3 min

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