Paper Packaging! Vodka Be Better?
Absolut Vodka has begun a 3-month trial of its first commercially available single-mould, paper-based bottle. Trial – 22 Tesco Stores In Greater Manchester As part of what it describes as its “journey to create a fully bio-based bottle”, Swedish vodka brand Absolut is holding a trial of the 500ml-sized single-mould paper bottles in 22 Tesco’s stores in […]
Wood-Based Satellites That Stop Atmospheric Pollution
Japan’s Kyoto University, working with Nasa and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), plan to launch wood (rather than metal-based) satellites into orbit from next year. LignoSat As part of the LignoSat Space Wood Project, which began in April 2020, as a collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, wood specimens have been tested with […]
Artificial Leaf Makes Petrol Alternative
University of Cambridge researchers have developed an ‘artificial leaf’ that uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into ethanol and propanol that could be used as a low-emissions petrol alternative to power car engines. Inspired By Photosynthesis The ‘leaf,’ made from thin-film metal oxides and materials known as perovskites and including multiple layers including […]
Low-Cost Underground Heating For 4,000 Homes
£22 million of the UK government’s £91 million Green Heat Network Fund will be used to build a geothermal heating network that could provide low-cost heating for nearly 4,000 homes in Cornwall. Drilling Near Truro The government-funded project by Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL), “The Langarth” at Langarth Garden Village (near Truro), Cornwall, will involve drilling […]
Solar Powered Aquatic Drone Cleans-Up Plastic Waste In Waterways
The ‘WasteShark’ solar powered aquatic drone from Dutch company RanMarine removes floating pollution like plastics, algae and biomass from lakes, ponds, waterways, and harbours. The WasteShark The WasteShark is a mini-robot that floats, navigates autonomously, and scours the surface of the water for plastic waste and other pollution, then collects the waste it in its […]
New Code To Reduce Software Emissions
Cloud-based CRM company Salesforce has announced the launch of its ‘Green Code,’ a new initiative which it says will help reduce carbon emissions associated with the software development lifecycle. The Software Development Lifecycle Carbon Emissions Problem The Green Code has been developed to tackle the environmental impact caused by the process of developing, deploying and […]
Pioneering Power: Solar Panels Float In The North Sea
Dutch start-up ‘Oceans of Energy’ has been awarded the contract for installing and operating an offshore solar farm inside the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco. World First Oceans of Energy says it will be the first offshore solar farm in the world to be connected, […]
UK’s First Co-Owned Solar Park
Ripple Energy has announced that it is creating the UK’s first co-owned solar park, allowing those who buy shares to benefit from green electricity and money-off bills, plus the feelgood factor of the climate/environmental benefits. Where? Ripple Energy says the new ‘Derril Water Solar Park’ will be on a 175-acre site in the Torridge district […]
Quantum Magnetic Material Discovery Could Deliver Ultrafast Sustainable Devices
The discovery of new quantum materials with magnetic properties could bring ultra-fast, more energy efficient, and sustainable computers and mobile devices. Quantum Breakthrough In Sweden A research team at team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have reported making a quantum breakthrough by being the first to make a device made of a two-dimensional […]
Could ‘ATES’ Be The Green Future For Heating and Cooling Buildings?
A new study has shown that using underground water to maintain comfortable temperatures could reduce consumption of natural gas and electricity in this sector by 40 per cent, thereby offering a green heating and cooling solution. The Issue With a massive 12 per cent of the total global energy demand coming from heating and cooling […]
Electric Roads Promise 70% Smaller Car Batteries
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden say that if an electric car charges while driving, the size of the battery can be reduced by up to 70 per cent. Aim Of The Study? The aim of the Chalmers University study was to discover what potential benefits there might be with a so-called electric […]
Waste Data Centre Energy Powers Rooftop Farm
Equinix, the largest global data centre and colocation provider for enterprise network and cloud computing, has installed a rooftop farm at one of its sites that uses waste datacentre power to grow fruit and veg. Paris Rooftop Greenhouse As part of its Corporate Sustainability programme, Equinix has already covered several of its data centre rooftop […]