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Scientists accidentally created an enzyme that eats plastic and it could be the answer to our waste crisis

Josh Gabbatiss

April 16, 2018 |

The Independent |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Japan

Plastic is a leading cause of much of the world's pollution problem. But thanks to a discovery in a Japanese recycling center, scientists believe they may have identified a substance that can drastically reduce the amount.

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Can we fix it? The repair cafes waging war on throwaway culture

Kate Lyons

March 15, 2018 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Scotland, Edinburgh

Instead of throwing broken items away, what if those items could be repaired? The Edinburgh Remakery and the Reading Repair Cafe are attempting just that. Different remake shops have different approaches: some rely on volunteers and provide repair services for free, others charge a fee to make the company more sustainable. What they all have in common is a passion for remaking what is old into what is new again and helping the planet at the same time.

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The chewing gum you don't mind stuck to your shoe

Dougal Shaw

March 06, 2018 |

BBC |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Winchester, Greater London

Did you know that the main ingredient in most chewing gum is a synthetic rubber, which resembles a close relationship to plastic? "It's called polyisobutylene," explains Anna Bullus, a British designer, "the same stuff you find in the inner tube of bicycle wheels." After realizing this, Anna decided to embark on a mission to recycle used chewing gum as a means of cleaning up the streets. What resulted was a way to create everyday products that include at least 20% gum, while simultaneously saving institutions money on what otherwise would have gone toward cleanup efforts.

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Dutch Supermarket Introduces Plastic-Free Aisle

Christopher F. Schuetze

February 28, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Amsterdam

As part of a global initiative to reduce the use of plastic, a supermarket in Amsterdam has implemented a plastic-free aisle that houses approximately 700 items packaged in compostable materials, glass, metal or cardboard. “There is absolutely no logic in wrapping something as fleeting as food in something as indestructible as plastic," explains Sian Sutherland, the co-founder of advocacy group A Plastic Planet. Although the first of its kind in Amsterdam, similar efforts are simultaneously underway in other parts of the world.

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It turns out vodka and icy roads can be a good mix

Matt Rocheleau

January 30, 2018 |

The Boston Globe |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Although alcohol and driving don't typically go hand-in-hand, researchers found one way to successfully and safely combine the two. By taking the by-products of the distilling process and combining them with the typical road salt that is used to help melt snow during winter conditions, these researchers created a super mixture which enhances the capabilities of melting the ice.

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Bioeconomy: A global trend?

Vijay Shankar Balakrishnan

January 22, 2018 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Finland

Bioeconomy is the practice of using biological processes and organic materials to reduce waste, and it's gaining traction as a means of business. Finland is home to one of the largest bioproduct mills, where "a whole ecosystem of companies" work together on projects such as converting sustainably logged wood into pulp before selling it to Europe and Asia and producing solid biofuels which will eventually create electricity.

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These women in the Philippines scour a dump site for trash to turn into 'something beautiful'

Rina Diane Caballar

December 11, 2017 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Philippines

After a typhoon hit Dumaguete City in the Philippines’ Central Visayas region, Whitney Fleming began to work with local women “ to create jewelry from materials found in the local dump site.” Eventually their collaboration led to the creation of Lumago Designs, a social enterprise. The jewelry is made from found reusable items and the local women are paid fair wages.

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An Argentine startup that makes shoes from discarded tire scraps and employs single mothers

Lucy Sheriff

December 08, 2017 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Argentina

In Argentina, a trio of friends wanted to curb tire pollution, while simultaneously create financial opportunities for single mothers. That’s exactly what they did. Xinca, is a shoe company that uses rubber from old tires. So far 20,000 kilograms of tires have been recycled, and 25 women from rural areas have been hired. “This opportunity is very good because you are not just learning, you are meeting incredible people in the job and earning money at the same time.”

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In Cremona, ideas to make the ‘circular economy' real for cities

Simone D'Antonio

November 29, 2017 |

Citiscope |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Italy, Cremona

Cremona is dedicated to decreasing the amount of waste it produces and educating its residents in the process. It intends on creating a 'circular economy' where products are recycled, waste is costly, training programs educate the public on decreasing waste and other methods that are now also reaching all around Europe as well.

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Abandoned at Burning Man, bicycles now head for Houston and the Caribbean

Jessica Lussenhop

September 25, 2017 |

BBC |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Black Rock City, Nevada

Many argue that the Burning Man festival has become an exclusive and wasteful indulgence for the wealthy - an opinion that was exacerbated this year when thousands of perfectly good bicycles were left among the debris in the desert. But a few enterprising individuals and organizations saw an opportunity to aid the victims of hurricanes Irma and Maria by rescuing, fixing, and transporting the abandoned bikes to communities where many people had lost all other forms of transportation, stifling their recovery efforts. Now hope is being restored for some, two wheels at a time.

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