Too many lithium-ion batteries are not recycled, wasting valuable materials that could make electric vehicles more sustainable and affordable. There is strong potential for the battery recycling market to grow and supply a large portion of current market needs. The private sector must jumpstart battery recycling at scale by investing in innovation.
‘Wishcycling’ is contaminating the recycling system. Our well-intentioned acts of recycling may actually be slowing the move to a circular economy. More than half of people in the US believe that “most types of items” can be recycled. Every year, staggering amounts of recyclable waste are exported by wealthy countries to the developing world. The World Economic Forum is backing ...
A circular economy that reduces, reuses or recycles waste can cut the world’s growing municipal waste volumes, finds a new United Nations report. Here’s how.
A lack of programmes and services is the top barrier to greater recycling uptake, a global sustainability survey shows. Globally, 64% of people feel personally responsible for acting on climate change. But many said recycling was either inconvenient, or they lacked trust in recycling programmes. People around the world think choosing products with reusable packaging is the most adoptable zero ...
Digital connectivity shapes our daily lives, with the demand for vast data centres to process information reaching unprecedented levels. However, data centre operations come with an environmental cost, particularly regarding materials, energy and water usage. Integrating circular water management principles can help ensure data centres can support future technological advancements.
Our waste is overwhelming the planet and without action, our oceans will be filled with more pieces of plastic than fish by 2050. To avoid the worst case scenario, we need to embrace the circular economy of "repair, redesign, reuse" to reach net zero. Innovation, structural changes and financing are needed to see real change and embed the circular economy into supply chains.
Black plastic is recyclable, but waste sorting systems can’t recognize black pigments. Even if black plastic is separated, it often ends up in landfill. Major UK supermarkets have pledged to stop using black plastic for their own product ranges.
Recycling plastic is not enough to beat the global waste crisis - we need more new ways to make food packaging, including using more compostable materials.
Despite global progress, recycling in Latin America and the Caribbean remains low, requiring more citizen engagement and startup energy to turn the tide.
This World Environment Day, discover 8 groundbreaking innovations tackling plastic pollution—from AI-powered recycling to river waste capture and biodegradable plastics.
