One of the world’s most widely used materials, concrete is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. To find more sustainable alternatives, researchers often look to other resources and, in this case, have turned to old rubber tires. A new study from scientists at the University of South Australia and Melbourne’s RMIT University used crumb rubber concrete—concrete made by grinding used tires into crumb-like pieces—as …
Founded by Greg Croteau, the Massachusetts-based, non-profit UTEC aims to rescue young adults facing gang violence, with criminal records or in poverty, while simultaneously recycling mattresses. To do this, UTEC recruits a youth workforce (where 83% have a criminal record, 76% were in a gang and 68% don’t have high school degrees) to break down mattresses and salvage reusable raw materials to give to hotels, …
The city of Boise, Idaho partnered up with ByFusion—an LA-based processor that uses steam and compression to squeeze plastic into blocks—to find a new way to reuse plastics that can’t be recycled. These blocks, dubbed ByBlocks, are the same dimensions as concrete blocks (eight by eight by 16 inches) as well as the same R-Value. Unlike concrete, however, ByBlocks are 10 pounds lighter, have Lego-like …
