Swarms of iron-clad algae have been built to sweep through bodies of water to collect elusive bits of micro- and nanoplastics.
Testing the limits of mechanical plastic recycling
A new study looked at the extent to which plastics can be recycled using mechanical methods, finding good and bad news.
Are sulfate-free shampoos really better?
The sulfate-free movement in beauty products has been gaining popularity, but this isn’t based in science, say experts.
Finally, an anti-fizzing paper straw that doesn’t get soggy
Soggy, limp paper straws have for too long been the only option to minimize plastic waste, but a new, improved design will remedy this.
Learning from a robotic octopus swimmer
A robotic swimmer that mimics the movement of octopuses could help researchers better monitor aquatic environments remotely and in real time.
Color-changing microrobots help monitor the environment
Using stimuli-responsive hydrogels with regularly arranged colloidal particles, researchers create color-changing microrobots that can freely explore and gather information.
Tourism and climate change threaten Lake Baikal, a unique global treasure
Mass tourism has grown exponentially across the last decade, bringing nearly 2 million tourists to Baikal’s sparsely populated shores.
Bottlebrush polymers create a rainbow of structural colors
Researchers create a new and elegant way of producing nanostructured microparticles, yielding a vibrant palette of colors from a single polymer brush.
War on plastic is distracting from more urgent threats to environment, experts warn
While plastic waste is an issue, its prominence in the general public’s concern for the environment is overshadowing greater threats.
Microrobots against harmful polymers in water bodies
Czech researchers developed self-propelled microrobots that decompose complex solid pollutants, such as single use and disposable textile fibers.