Climate Briefs: March 16, 2024

Recycling Day

Global Recycling Day is on Monday, March 18. The first day was established in 2018 by the Bureau of International Recycling [BIR], a non-profit organisation representing the global recycling industry. BIR, set up in 1948, is the oldest international trade federation in the recycling industry. Global Recycling Day aims to increase awareness about the benefits of recycling and encourage individuals, governments, and businesses to take action to reduce waste. The day is celebrated worldwide with various events and activities, including educational programmes, community clean-up efforts, and recycling drives. Recycling dates back to ancient times when people used to reuse materials to make new products, but it was not until the early 20th century that the modern recycling industry began to develop. Today, recycling is essential to sustainability efforts, helping conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent pollution. The recycling industry is projected to save a billion tons of CO2 emissions by 2030. Over 50 per cent of the aluminium cans are currently recycled.

Unlikely collaborators

In a pioneering breakthrough, researchers have unveiled an innovative technique to solve pollution and plastic waste by making bioplastics from water hyacinth, which is endemic to South America and was introduced to North America and the rest of the world as an ornamental plant. However, once in the environment, it is infamous for choking waterways, causing damage to ecosystems, and causing over $100 million in annual control costs in the US alone. Now, a research team at the University of California, Riverside, has discovered a way to harness the potential of this invasive plant. Their technique involves using water hyacinth to absorb and break down pollutants from wastewater, addressing excessive nutrient pollution, and then converting the biomass into valuable bioplastics and fertilizer.