Energy from waste and a circular economy: innovative ideas to solve the waste crisis

Nine out of ten consumers have never heard of the concept ‘circular economy’, a new survey has found. The results, collated by The Pull Agency, reported that 87% of UK consumers do not know the term for the economic system, which is aimed at eliminating waste, despite 88% claiming to look for sustainability credentials when shopping for beauty and personal care products. In addition, only 9% of respondents said they have sent a jar back to a manufacturer for refills and only 14% have used a refill service, even though 15% of shoppers want more in-store refill stations to reuse existing containers.

Soot particles from oil and wood heating systems as well as road traffic can pollute the air in Europe on a much larger scale than previously assumed. This is what researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) conclude from a measurement campaign in the Thuringian Forest in Germany. The evaluation of the sources showed that about half of the soot particles came from the surrounding area and the other half from long distances.

The IIT-Madras said its researchers have developed a sustainable antimicrobial wrapping material that can prevent packaged food contamination by bacteria as well as reduce the plastic waste.

Nearly 800 million people globally are considered undernourished, and over 2 billion lack year-round access to adequate food. Many well-intentioned companies have attempted to address this issue, designing and selling affordable, nutritious products in developing countries. But unfortunately, these companies often forget one factor that is key to achieving their impact goals: Nutritious food products must be consumed frequently and consistently in sufficient quantities to produce positive health impacts. This in turn requires food companies to create consumption routines for consumers, while ensuring constant product availability. While penetration (i.e., the percentage of potential consumers who actually consume their products) has always been a key metric for food companies, few of these businesses focus on ensuring high consumption frequency for their products – including the companies marketing nutritious foods.