The kids are alright!
3 teens invented a salt-powered #refrigerator that doesn't need #electricity. They're building 200 of them for #hospitals to use. https://buff.ly/O2SMoIP
The next-generation #SolarCell is fully #recyclable
12 February 2025
Anders Törneholm
"In a study published in Nature, researchers at Linköping University have developed a method to recycle all parts of a solar cell repeatedly without environmentally hazardous #solvents. The recycled solar cell has the same efficiency as the original one. The solar cell is made of #perovskite and the main solvent is water."
Read more:
https://liu.se/en/news-item/nasta-generations-solcell-ar-helt-atervinningsbar
#SolarEnergy #SolarCells #sustainability #recycling #SolarPunkSunday #SolarPanels
Ultra-light, low-speed, short-range #MicroEVs should not be built with carbon fiber composites—which are not and never will be #sustainable, by their very nature, despite their strength/weight ratio.
They should be built with 100% #recyclable #steel and #aluminium #bicycle (or at most #motorcycle) #technology, with #replaceable, #biodegradeable plastics where it makes sense (like body shells), and #natural #materials where possible (like #textiles).
#Copper is 100% #recyclable without loss of quality, but only about one-third of global demand is met through recycling. Recycling copper saves up to 85-90% of the energy required for mining & refining virgin ore, making it a more sustainable alternative.
6/n
I was feeling #sick today so I came home early for a #sickday and made myself a cup of #chamomile #tea and of course added it to my tea #journal 
My sinus has been feeling swollen and I think it is draining blood into my throat so I've felt queasy and my head feels a lot of pressure. I think tea is exactly what I need!
#journaling #chamomiletea #honey
Of course I'm using my #reusable #recyclable #starbucks cup 
More of this, please...!
This #eBike Doesn’t Need a Battery
A French inventor has created an e-bike that runs on a #supercapacitor rather than a #LithiumBattery.
By Micah Ling
Published: Dec 07, 2023
"#AdrienLelièvre, has recently engineered a sustainable solution to power the e-bike boom. According to Euronews, Lelièvre 'designed and patented an e-bike called #PiPop, which doesn’t use lithium batteries but supercapacitors.'
"Lelièvre told Euronews, 'The system gets charged when the ride is easy and when the bike brakes—thanks to engine braking—the energy is given back when needed.'
"So, what exactly is a supercapacitor?
"A supercapacitor essentially stocks up energy in the form of a slow-moving charge, which can be released when needed. A battery stocks up energy as a chemical reaction. This means that the bike is constantly stocking up energy when ridden on easier terrain, and then using that energy when going uphill, in the form of an assist.
"According to TS2, 'Supercapacitors, which have been around since the late 1970s, offer several advantages over lithium batteries. Rather than relying on the consumption of natural resources like #lithium or #RareEarthElements, supercapacitors store energy through electrostatic means. This allows them to stock and release energy quickly, providing instant assistance to riders when needed.'
"Unlike many other e-bike manufacturers, Pi-Pop also uses #recyclable materials such as #carbon, conducting polymer, #aluminum foils, and pulp, thus avoiding the need for rare earth elements in its production.
"#TS2 reports that 'the longevity of the Pi-Pop sets it apart from traditional e-bikes. While lithium batteries typically last five to six years, the supercapacitors in the Pi-Pop are projected to have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. This prolongs the bike’s usability, reducing waste and minimizing the environmental impact associated with battery disposal.'
"Another perk to the Pi-Pop bike is that there’s never a need to charge it when it’s stationary. You’ll never hop on the bike and realize you forgot to charge it up.
"Euronews reports that according to Lelièvre, 'We can’t innovate if we lose control of production. When we talk about sustainable development, ecological transition, and energy transition, we need to provide the jobs.' Lelièvre’s company employs 25 people.
"Pi-Pop currently produces 100 bikes per month. And moving forward the company aims to produce at least 1,000 bikes per month in 2024."
Source:
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a46064993/this-e-bike-doesnt-need-a-battery/
#Bicycles #BikePower #NoLithiumMining
"The #study also finds people tend to guess whether #foodpackaging is #recyclable from how the packet feels, rather than studying the container to determine whether it is recyclable and accepted by their local council due to confusion around #packaginglabels and symbols."
#Research into UK's use of #plasticpackaging finds households 'wishcycle' rather than #recycle
Bonta also suggested the fund could produce a “re-education” campaign to help consumers understand what #plastics are—and, just as crucially, which are not #recyclable.
The suit also calls for a substantial shift in communication from #ExxonMobil. The suit calls for “the end of the deceptive statements that have misled” the public.
Two years after announcing a world-first decision to give #nature a legal seat on their board of directors, Faith In Nature has launched the world’s first line of #haircare and #bodycare actively developed with representatives of nature.
Nature has been appointed two legal guardians to represent it – Brontie Ansell of Lawyers For Nature and Dr. Juliet Rose of the Eden Project.
As a result, the new products are in 100% #recycled and “infinitely #recyclable aluminium bottles” and Faith In Nature has increased the percentage of natural-origin ingredients in all its products from 99 to 99.5% while reformulating to contain even more active naturals.
Faith in Nature also makes solid shampoo bars which cut down on packaging and resources.
https://climatejustice.social/@betterworld@ethicalrevolution.co.uk/112988013836741041
From #ProPublica’s series, Selling a Mirage: The Deception Behind #Plastic #Recycling
When Is “Recyclable” Not Really #Recyclable? When the #Plastics Industry Gets to Define What the Word Means.
Companies whose futures depend on plastic production are trying to persuade the federal govt to allow them to put the label “recyclable” on plastic shopping bags & other items virtually guaranteed to end up in #landfills & #incinerators.
#ClimateCrisis #climate
https://www.propublica.org/article/plastics-industry-redefine-recyclable-ftc-grocery-bags
Fun tip:
(almost) Everything on #boxes.py (https://www.festi.info/boxes.py/) an be cut from cardboard. And even the humblest cheap diode #lasercutter can cut cardboard packaging.
I've used this to good effect with some of the 'hinged box' designs for presents and gifts.
But this is more practical, a sorting tray that took an hour from thinking about it to fully assembled. So tight it doesn't need glue, and fully #recyclable once it gets manky or superseded.
️
