Sustainability
New biodegradable straws are made by bacteria
New biodegradable straws developed in China are as cheap as plastic, stronger than paper, and made from edible materials.
Cities are using beets to deice streets this winter
Cities across the U.S. are exploring less damaging rock salt alternatives — and beet juice is one of the most promising.
Earthships: The sustainable buildings made from trash
Interest in Earthships, a type of off-the-grid home built from old tires, is picking up as people look for ways to live more sustainably.
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Just Might Work
Inside the lab inventing “coffee” without beans to save the planet
Almost all of the last wild forests will have to be destroyed to support the growth of coffee.
Solar powered cars could soon hit the streets — but can they be efficient enough to go mainstream?
If they work, solar-powered cars could be great for the environment. Here's the startups working to make that happen.
Inside the world’s most advanced cultivated meat facility
UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) is offering consumers tours of “the world’s most advanced cultivated meat production facility.”
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Just Might Work
Fast fashion is killing the planet. These chemists are fighting back
Your clothes are mostly plastic. These chemists have figured out how to recycle them.
Students get $5 million from Elon Musk for carbon-removal ideas
An Elon Musk-funded XPrize competition has given teams of students $5 million to develop ideas for carbon removal systems.
Are mini reactors the future of clean energy?
The U.K is giving Rolls-Royce nearly $300 million to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) to increase its supply of clean energy.
You can repair this sustainable phone yourself
Fairphone’s sustainable phone is easy to repair and contains ethically sourced materials — two major departures from the industry standard.