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Researchers at Cambridge University have discovered that the larvae of the moth which eats wax in bee hives can also degrade plastic. Experiments show the insect can break down the chemical bonds of plastic in a similar way to digesting bee’s wax. A waxworm, the larvae of the greater wax moth will be the hero of Earth’s plastic story defeating the villain! The researchers were particularly interested in how this caterpillar, together with the microorganisms in its gut — its microbiome

Bio-plastic is a biodegradable material that come from renewable sources and can be used to reduce the problem of plastic waste that is suffocating the planet and polluting the environment. They are 100% degradable, equally resistant and versatile and already used in agriculture, textile industry, medicine and, over all in the container and packaging market.  Biopolymers are already becoming popular in cities throughout Europe and the United States for ecological reasons: they are known as PHA. A newly published report from information

The food and beverage industries along with their packaging and supply chain partners are termed essential during the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. Recycled bottles and cans, similar to raw materials and other inputs are part of this supply chain for food and beverage packaging. Leaders within the aluminium, glass and plastic industries have joined together over the past month to emphasize the critical role that bottles and cans redeemed and returned through beverage container deposit programs play in the

World Earth day is celebrated every year on 22nd April since 1970 to demonstrate support towards environment protection. Usually people go out for awareness drives on this day which is not possible this year because of the COVID pandemic. This year digital platforms are being used for the same. The theme for 2020 is ‘Climate change’. The proliferation of single-use plastic around the world is accelerating climate change and should be urgently halted, a report warns. Plastic production is expanding worldwide contributing to

Lubrizol together with NIKE is helping protect front-line medical workers fighting against COVID-19. To support Nike’s effort to develop and donate full-face shields and powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses to hospitals across several U.S. cities, Lubrizol donated thermoplastic Polyurethane polymers which is an important element in both pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE). The Lubrizol Corporation is a provider of speciality chemicals for the transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These products include additives for – engine oils, other transportation-related fluids, industrial

The transportation sector accounted for 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is more than any other sector including electricity generation (27%) and industry (22%). As such, reducing carbon dioxide discharges from this sector are seen as critical if global targets are to be met. Belgium’s EconCore, a developer of lightweight thermoplastic honeycomb core technology already employed it in transport applications. The company’s latest offering is a honeycomb based on recycled polyethylene

David Attenborough, an English broadcaster with BBC describes a sequence in which an albatross arrives at its nest to feed its young. “And what comes out of the mouth?” he says. “Not fish, and not squid – which is what they mostly eat. Plastic.” Attenborough calls this sight heart-breaking. It’s also strange. Albatrosses forage over thousands of kilometers in search of their preferred prey, which they pluck from the water with ease. How can such capable birds be so easily fooled, and

Shortly before 6pm on Wednesday 12 July 2017, Ricardo Nascimento, a homeless man in Brazil who made a living by collecting and recycling waste got into a heated discussion with two military police officers outside a pizzeria. Nascimento was holding a piece of wood and when he refused to drop it, the officers shot him twice in the chest. The 39-year-old died instantly. Seven days later, a celebratory mass was held in Nascimento’s name at one of the biggest church in

Bats are not always a favorite mammal to humans. We often consider them an omen and relate them to disease outbreaks. One bat can host many different viruses without getting sick. They are the natural reservoir for the Marburg virus, Nipah virus and Hendra viruses, which have caused human disease and outbreaks in Africa, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Australia. They are thought to be the natural reservoir for the Ebola virus. They also carry the rabies virus, but in that case