Tag: plastics
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France Puts Plastic Packaging Ban Into Effect
France enacted a plastic packaging ban beginning on Jan. 1, 2022, making it the first European country to do so. The law prohibits single-use plastics on many items, including fruits and vegetables like carrots, apples, and bananas. The bill also included lemons, potatoes, cucumbers, pears, kiwis, peppers, and leeks. Thirty varieties of produce sold in…
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Nigerians Build Earthquake-Proof Homes from Plastic Bottles
With all the plastic waste in our world, some people have decided to repurpose it into something amazing. In Nigeria, companies have begun using plastic bottles to build homes. Called “bottle brick” technology, the building materials can easily withstand powerful earthquakes. Nigeria’s first home constructed from recycled plastic bottles sits in the village of Yelwa.…
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Researchers Make an Enzyme to Break Down Plastic in Just a Few Days
Scientists have recently created a “super enzyme” that can break down plastic in a matter of days. In fact, it breaks down plastic up to six times faster than an enzyme they’d created previously. The team of scientists from the University of Portsmouth re-engineered a plastic-eating enzyme called PETase. To speed up the plastic-eating process,…
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Mexico City Joins Other Cities in Banning Single-use Plastics
Mexico City recently enacted a ban on single-use plastics, joining dozens of other cities around the world. This expands upon the restriction of plastic bags, which the city banned last January. The broad ban on plastics includes items like straws, forks, containers, and balloons. After more than a year of preparation, the ban took effect…
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Innovative Kenyan Woman Turns Plastic Waste into Building Materials
An innovative engineer from Kenya transformed plastic headed for landfills into durable building materials. Nzambi Matee, an entrepreneur and materials engineer, felt inspired to reduce plastic pollution in her country. Gjenge Makers turns plastic waste from commercial facilities into bricks that can hold twice the weight threshold of concrete. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, the innovative company…