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Sustainability

All articles tagged with #sustainability

From plastic to protein: edible cookies aim to tackle hunger and pollution
technology1 day ago

From plastic to protein: edible cookies aim to tackle hunger and pollution

Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale turn PET plastic into edible cookies called μBites by first breaking down plastic into a carbon-rich liquid through oxidative hydrothermal dissolution, then feeding it to engineered yeasts that synthesize proteins, fats, vitamins, and flavorings in a 32-step process. The dough is 3D-printed, can be microwaved, and the team envisions μBites helping address plastic pollution and global hunger (with potential space-food applications). However, taste tests are not yet performed, public acceptance remains a hurdle, and a consumer rollout is not imminent.

via Mashable|
#edible-food#engineered-yeast#food-technology
Plastic-to-cookie: Microbes bake vanilla cookies from PET bottles
science1 day ago

Plastic-to-cookie: Microbes bake vanilla cookies from PET bottles

Researchers at Southern Illinois University converted plastic bottles’ PET into edible μBites by breaking PET down with biomass and using engineered yeasts to turn plastic-derived molecules into proteins, vitamins, and flavors, then forming cookie-shaped dough via 3D printing. Aimed at disaster or deep-space food, the approach requires taste-testing approval and currently costs about $60 per kilogram, with ongoing work to add vanilla flavoring and beta-carotene while public acceptance remains a hurdle.

via Gizmodo|
#bioengineering#pet#plastics-recycling
NASA-Backed Microbes Turn Plastic Waste Into Edible Space Cookies
technology2 days ago

NASA-Backed Microbes Turn Plastic Waste Into Edible Space Cookies

Researchers funded by NASA have developed a method to convert PET plastic and agricultural waste into edible proteins, fats, and flavors using engineered yeasts, which are then shaped into 3D-printed cookies. Human testing awaits regulatory approval, but the team envisions such upcycled nutrition aiding astronauts on long missions and offering a future solution for plastic waste in extreme environments. Current production costs are around $60 per kilogram, with potential reductions as efficiency improves and production scales up.

via The Guardian|
#biotechnology#nasa#plastic-upcycling
Riot Games ends 2XKO development, refunds players after a short run
technology4 days ago

Riot Games ends 2XKO development, refunds players after a short run

Riot Games will halt active development on 2XKO in December after less than a year since its January launch; a final patch arrives in October, and all purchases made before August 20 will be refunded by November while servers stay online. Upcoming additions like Lux and Samira will still be released, all characters will be unlocked when development ends, and a large cosmetics bundle remains available for $39.99; ranked lobbies will be disabled while casual matchmaking continues. The decision underscores sustainability challenges in the free-to-play fighting game space, following earlier layoffs and mixed reception.

via Eurogamer|
#2xko#fighting-games#refunds
Fairphone Debuts Repairable Gen 6+ in the US for $650
technology8 days ago

Fairphone Debuts Repairable Gen 6+ in the US for $650

Fairphone is finally selling its repairable, modular Android phone Gen 6+ in the US for $650 (via Amazon and Fairphone.com), backed by a 10/10 iFixit repairability score, a 5-year warranty and software updates through 2033. The device emphasizes sustainability (more than 50% fair-trade or recycled materials, e-waste neutral) with affordable DIY parts (screen $90, USB‑C port $20, battery $40) and 12 swappable modules; it’s certified for T-Mobile and AT&T, with carrier/MVNO partnerships pursued, and offers an optional Murena OS version for $699. Brand expansion includes US market growth and ongoing two‑year device cadences.

via WIRED|
#fairphone#modular-design#repairable-smartphone
Cup of Coffee, Ocean of Water: The Hidden Footprint Behind Every Sip
environment8 days ago

Cup of Coffee, Ocean of Water: The Hidden Footprint Behind Every Sip

A standard cup of coffee is said to require about 140 litres of water—mostly to grow the beans (green water)—while the water you pour into the kettle is only a few hundred millilitres; the 140‑litre figure blends green, blue and gray water and can obscure where and how water stress occurs, so the real takeaway is to consider upstream farming context and sourcing when judging coffee’s environmental impact.

via Space Daily|
#agriculture#coffee#environment
Eco-friendly breakthrough from a 28-year-old could reshape the rare earths market
technology12 days ago

Eco-friendly breakthrough from a 28-year-old could reshape the rare earths market

Marie Perrin, 28, developed a selective, single-step method to extract europium from waste such as broken lamps, reducing chemical waste and energy use versus traditional ore-based methods. She started the startup Reecover to scale the process and has earned a place on the European Patent Office’s Young Inventors list, signaling potential to disrupt the global rare earths supply chain.

via Futura, le média qui explore le monde|
#europium#rare-earths#recycling
AI Data Centers Accelerate GPU Wear, Pushing Costs for Consumers
technology16 days ago

AI Data Centers Accelerate GPU Wear, Pushing Costs for Consumers

AI data centers run GPUs nearly 24/7 in hot, high-use conditions, cutting their lifespans to about 1–3 years (up to 5 with lower load), far shorter than gaming GPUs. In gigawatt-scale centers with hundreds of thousands of GPUs, replacement cycles contribute to supplier shortages and price pressures for consumer GPUs. Google’s TPUs are cited as longer-lasting at 7–8 years under heavy use, and cooling innovations like Nvidia’s liquid cooling aim to extend uptime, offering a path to stabilize prices as data-center hardware improves.

via bgr.com|
#ai#data-centers#gpus
Inside KEH: The Vast Used-Gear Empire Keeping Cameras in Circulation
technology24 days ago

Inside KEH: The Vast Used-Gear Empire Keeping Cameras in Circulation

A detailed tour of KEH’s Atlanta operation shows a high-volume, collaborative, end-to-end system: a public front shop, a mammoth warehouse, and a Sony-authorized repair lab where technicians service and calibrate gear from dozens of brands. KEH processes hundreds of thousands of items weekly, uses in-house parts sourcing and manufacturing partnerships to minimize downtime, and relies on a deep culture of mentorship and knowledge sharing to identify, grade, and restore equipment. With over 60,000 pieces on hand and a vast parts library, KEH can back every sale with a warranty, turning used gear into reliable, affordable tools for photographers while emphasizing sustainability and waste reduction.

via PetaPixel|
#cameras#keh#repair
EU ban on destroying unsold goods tightens luxury brands' inventories
business1 month ago

EU ban on destroying unsold goods tightens luxury brands' inventories

From July, EU rules bar the destruction of unsold fashion items, forcing luxury groups to rethink stock and pricing since destruction has been a key scarcity tool. Brands such as Chanel, Prada, LVMH and Inditex face higher inventory costs or expanded discount channels, and must balance donation and repair options with tighter production. The changes could boost real-time inventory planning, drive new resale pathways, and increase demand for smarter stock management while preserving brand value.

via Financial Times|
#business#circular-economy#european-union
Seaweed-based additive makes earthen 3D-printed buildings stronger and faster
innovation2 months ago

Seaweed-based additive makes earthen 3D-printed buildings stronger and faster

Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and Columbia University found that adding a tiny amount (0.12%) of the seaweed-derived biopolymer sodium alginate to local clay and sand dramatically improves 3D printability and strength of earthen structures, enabling 33% faster printing and 25% higher load resistance. The approach allows onsite soil recycling, reduces reliance on concrete, and could spur discovery of other natural polymers to boost durability of 3D-printed earthen walls.

via Interesting Engineering|
#3d-printing#biopolymer#clay