India’s e-waste offers $6 billion economic opportunity: Report

Bengaluru, (IANS): There is an estimated economic potential of $6 billion from recoverable materials through metal extraction as India’s e-waste holds a great economic opportunity, a report said on Friday.India is now the world’s third-largest e-waste producer, after China and the US. The country’s e-waste has doubled from 2 million metric tonnes (MMT) in FY14 to 3.8 MMT in FY24, fuelled by urbanisation and rising incomes, said the report by Redseer Strategy Consultants.Predominantly generated by households and businesses, the consumer segment contributes nearly 70 per cent of total e-waste in FY24.A significant trend in e-waste generation is the shift in material intensity. While appliances are becoming more compact and lightweight, the sheer volume of discarded items is increasing, necessitating efficient recycling strategies.“The volume of e-waste is expected to rise in the coming years. The rising value of metals in e-waste presents a major opportunity for India to enhance recovery efficiency and establish itself as a leader in sustainable metal extraction,” said Jasbir S. Juneja, Partner at Redseer Strategy Consultants.Currently, only 16 per cent of consumer e-waste in India is processed by formal recyclers. Despite projections of a 17 per cent CAGR growth in the formal recycling sector by FY35, it is expected to handle just...

Read More........→February 20, 2025

Oklo demonstrates fuel recycling process

Engineers in Argonne’s Chemical and Fuel Cycle Technologies division (Image: Argonne National Laboratory)California-based liquid metal fast reactor developer Oklo Inc, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory, has successfully completed the first end-to-end demonstration of the key stages of its advanced fuel recycling process.Oklo said the completion of the demonstration "marks a significant step forward in Oklo's efforts to scale up its fuel recycling capabilities and deploy a commercial-scale recycling facility to increase advanced reactor fuel supplies, and enhance fuel cost effectiveness".Supported by a USD5 million cost-share award from the US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) under the Optimizing Nuclear Waste and Advanced Reactor Disposal Systems (ONWARDS) Program, this project aims to facilitate the deployment of a commercial-scale advanced fuel recycling facility.Oklo's fuel recycling technology is engineered to extract more than 90% of the remaining potential energy from used fuel, which is expected to be utilised in Oklo powerhouses to generate clean energy. It incorporates unique proliferation-resistant features, including maintaining the consolidation of transuranic materials.The company said the introduction of commercial fuel recycling...

Read More........→July 24, 2024

Extract energy from used nuclear fuel, says environmental group : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News

Report author Mark Lynas and RePlanet's Campaigns Coordinator Joel Scott-Halkes hug a canister of nuclear used fuel at the UK's Sizewell nuclear power plant (Image: RePlanet)If existing inventories of used nuclear fuel were recycled and repurposed as fuel for advanced fast reactors, it could generate zero-carbon electricity for Europe for up to 1000 years, according to international environmental campaign group RePlanet.In its new report - What a waste: How fast-fission power can provide clean energy from nuclear waste - RePlanet says Europe's nuclear power reactors "have a long history of safe use, and have provided prodigious quantities of clean electricity for decades". However, it notes that they use less than 1% of the actual energy potential in the natural uranium used to make their fuel and irradiated fuel assemblies removed from reactors are considered 'nuclear waste'."While this nuclear 'waste' is not a serious environmental or health threat - it occupies trivial volumes compared to waste produced by other industries, and does not harm anyone if properly shielded and safeguarded - it does provide a political challenge, and is among the most oft-cited reasons for continued opposition to carbon-free nuclear power," the report says.RePlanet says using this used fuel in a new generation of fast-neutron reactors would "eliminate...

Read More........→June 05, 2024

France sets out long-term nuclear recycling plans

Minister for the Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Bruno Le Maire announced the decision to continue with France's treatment-recycling strategy for used nuclear fuel beyond 2040, with plans to extend the life of existing recycling plants and to launch studies for a new MOX fuel fabrication plant and a new used fuel processing plant.Lescure (second from left) and Le Maire (centre) pictured with La Hague Site Director Stéphanie Gaiffe (far left) and Orano CEO Nicolas Maes (on the right) during the visit (Image: Orano)The announcement was made during a visit by Le Maire and Minister Delegate for Industry and Energy Roland Lescure to Orano's La Hague recycling site, days after France's Nuclear Policy Council (Conseil de Politique Nucléaire) said on 26 February that the country would continue with its closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy.Le Maire announced three measures that will be taken towards this goal: a sustainability/resilience programme extending the life of the La Hague and Melox recycling plants beyond 2040; the launch of studies for a new MOX fuel fabrication plant at the La Hague site; and the launch of studies for a new used fuel processing plant, also at La Hague, by 2045-2050."A new page in French nuclear history is about to open. The time for large-scale national projects has returned and the nuclear...

Read More........→May 20, 2024

Indian researchers show how COVID-19 PPE can be converted to biofuel

Plastic from used personal protective equipment (PPE) can and should be transformed into renewable liquid fuels, according to Indian researchers. The study, published in the journal Biofuels, suggested a strategy that could help to mitigate the problem of dumped PPE - currently being disposed of at unprecedented levels due to the current COVID-19 pandemic - becoming a significant threat to the environment. The research from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) in Uttarakhand shows how billions of items of disposable PPE can be converted from its polypropylene (plastic) state into biofuels - which is known to be at par with standard fossil fuels. "The transformation into biocrude, a type of synthetic fuel, will not just prevent the severe aftereffects to humankind and the environment but also produce a source of energy," said study lead author Dr Sapna Jain from UPES. There is high production and utilisation of PPE to protect the community of health workers and other frontline workers of COVID-19. The disposal of PPE is a concern owing to its material i.e. non-woven polypropylene. "The proposed strategy is a suggestive measure addressing the anticipated problem of disposal of PPE," Jain said. During the current COVID-19 pandemic specifically, PPE is being designed for single-use followed by disposal....

Read More........→August 09, 2020

The secrets behind Sao Paulo’s extraordinary recycling rates

The figures are breathtaking, to the point of being on the verge of miraculous. ABAL, the Brazilian Aluminium Association’s 2011 figures show that for the tenth (yes, 10th) year running Brazil has the highest rate of aluminium canrecycling in the world reaching a new world record of 98,3%. In other words, over 98 of every 100 cans produced in Brazil make their way to the recycling plant before hitting the rubbish heap. Brazil is a vast country so that equates to 2million cans recycled per hour and in São Paulo the system is of such efficiency that the same metal you drink out of today will have a 98% chance of being back on a shelf somewhere in the city within 33 days. To put that in context, the next highest recycler of aluminium cans is Japan at 92,6%, a highly developed and procedure-focused country. The average for Europe is a shameful 66,7% which in turn is still slightly higher than the rate of 54,1% in the US. The can recycling business indirectly saves energy due to a recycled can being 20 times more energy efficient to produce than a new one and as a sector injects over R$ 600million into the Brazilian economy per year. Impressive figures but how is that achieved. Whilst the ABAL and the politicians may point to educational programs, social initiatives, environmental awareness, technlogy and processing Recycling bins,...

Read More........→March 19, 2014

Dynamic Tape: Heal Quicker

Credit: 180 Communications There are different kinds of athletic tape but Dynamic Tape is different as its elastic recoil helps reduce the load on the tendons. Ryan Kendrick, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist and the founder of Dynamic Tape describes using it like a bungee cord, this is of course elastic and absorbs shock. This means athletes aren't putting such a strain on certain muscles particularly any that may be injured. It does this without restricting any movements, which is also important when you are doing a sport or exercising. "Once clinicians understand the principles of Dynamic Tape and what it is capable of, they can integrate it into a variety of treatment approaches," says Kendrick. With an injury, "being able to modify the load can reduce pain early on and allow for quicker rehab and recovery." For some athletes, the tape is applied in a way that mimics the action of an injured muscle or tendon. It is placed on the body with the muscle Credit: 180 Communications or joint in the shortened position and with stretch on the tape. As the muscle or joint lengthens, the tape is stretched further and absorbs the load. This reduces the work of the muscles. What is really interesting is that Dynamic Tape is now being used with children who have cerebral palsy and other problems. Cerebral palsy...

Read More........→October 16, 2013

Next Yellowstone Caldera Super Eruption Predicted By Scientists

A thorough examination of tiny crystals of zircon, a mineral found in rhyolites, an igneous rock, from the Snake River Plain has solidified evidence for a new way of looking at the life cycle of super-volcanic eruptions in the long track of the Yellowstone hotspot, say University of Oregon scientists. The pattern emerging from new and previous research completed in the last five years under a National Science Foundation career award, said UO geologist Ilya N. Bindeman, is that another super-eruption from the still-alive Yellowstone volcanic field is less likely for the next few million years than previously thought (see related story, "Not in a million years, says Oregon geologist about Yellowstone eruption"). The last eruption 640,000 years ago created the Yellowstone Caldera and the Lava Creek Tuff in what is now Yellowstone National Park. University of Oregon geologist Ilya Bindeman, left, and graduate student Dana Drew, working in Bindeman's stable isotope laboratory say that the composition of zircon bits in igneous rocks in the Yellowstone hotspot track tell a new story on how super volcanoes recycle magma. Credit: University of Oregon The Yellowstone hotspot creates a conveyor belt style of volcanism because of the southwest migration of the North American plate at 2-4 centimeters (about .8 to 1.6 inches) annually...

Read More........→October 12, 2013

Another American High Frontier First: 3-D Manufacturing in Space

Image above: In August of 2011, Made In Space started its initial testing of the effects of microgravity on 3D printing. Image credit: Made in Space.  In preparation for a future where parts and tools can be printed on demand in space, NASA and Made in Space Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., have joined to launch equipment for the first 3-D microgravity printing experiment to the International Space Station. If successful, the 3-D Printing in Zero G Experiment (3-D Print) will be the first device to manufacture parts in space. 3-D Print will use extrusion additive manufacturing, which builds objects, layer by layer, out of polymers and other materials. The 3-D Print hardware is scheduled to be certified and ready for launch to the space station next year. "As NASA ventures further into space, whether redirecting an asteroid or sending humans to Mars, we'll need transformative technology to reduce cargo weight and volume," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said during a recent tour of the agency's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. "In the future, perhaps astronauts will be able to print the tools or components they need while in space." NASA is a government leader in 3-D printing for engineering applications. The technology holds tremendous potential for future space exploration. One day, 3-D printing may allow...

Read More........→June 03, 2013

Clothes of the future: where hi-tech meets high fashion

Photo: EPA It seems impossible to survive in the modern world without going either “smart” or digital, and clothes are no exception. The fashion industry is now working on technology to bring dressing habits to a completely new level. We're still in the stone age of nano-fibres and networked apparel but, in the not too distant future, you can count on having a coat which tells your mom where you are and having the Encyclopaedia Britannica embedded in your underwear! According to IMS Research, about 14m wearable tech devices were produced in 2011; by 2016, the global market could reach $6bn. Nancy Tilbury, designer to the stars and one of the creators of the futuristic Studio XO, predicts, “Generation Digital are constantly connected and live their lives digitally. Clothes are the next logical step”. Though thought of now as innovation, tampering with textiles and technology has been going on for over a thousand years. Artisans have been wrapping fine golden and silver foil around fabric threads since as early as the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. At the end of the 19th century, with the advent of electric appliances, designers and engineers sought to combine electricity with clothing and jewellery; the so-called Electric Girl Lighting Company hired out young ladies wearing light-adorned evening gowns to brighten up cocktail parties....

Read More........→May 21, 2013

Now, a solar-toilet to turn human waste into power

The researchers plan to collect the hydrogen in a fuel cell to power a light or possibly even a self-cleaning mechanism, New Scientist reported.(Reuters)  A scientist, who has been experimenting with solar-powered water treatment on a small scale, is now planning to incorporate the technology into a portable toilet. Michael Hoffmann at the California Institute of Technology found that sunlight powers an electrochemical reaction with human waste in water that generates microbe-killing oxidants and releases hydrogen gas. The researchers plan to collect the hydrogen in a fuel cell to power a light or possibly even a self-cleaning mechanism, New Scientist reported. Hoffmann received a grant this week from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to build a prototype. He says he can build one toilet for 2000 dollars and hopes to reduce the cost through design refinement and mass production.The grant is part of the Gates Foundation's latest global public health initiative to improve sanitation. Source: Indian Expres...

Read More........→March 30, 2013

New Technology was Discovered to Minimize the Carbondioxide from the air

evolution of carbondioxide Gas Scientists say they've found  a  better, cheaper  way  to  remove  carbon dioxide  from  smokestacks  and George A Olah other sources, including the atmosphere. Alain Goeppert, G K Surya Prakash, chemistry Nobel Laureate George A Olah and colleagues say their process achieves one of the highest carbon dioxide removal rates ever reported for real-world conditions where the air contains moisture. Existing methods tend to be energy intensive and inefficient. But, in research published by the American Chemical Society, the group's used solid materials based on polyethylenimine, a readily available and inexpensive polymeric material. After capturing the carbon dioxide, says the team, the materials give it up easily, so that the CO2can be used in making other substances, or permanently isolated from the environment. The capture material then can be recycled and reused many times over without losing efficiency, they say. The researchers suggest the materials could be useful in closed environments such as submarines, or could capture it at source in smokestacks. The process could also be used out in the open atmosphere, where they could clean up carbon dioxide pollution that comes from small point sources like cars or...

Read More........→February 27, 2013

World?s largest advanced gasification waste energy plant in the works

Air Products will build and operate the world’s largest renewable energy plant in the UK using advanced gasification energy-from-waste (EfW) technology. The Tees Valley plant, located at the New Energy and Technology Business Park, near Billingham, Teesside, will be the first of its kind in the UK, and the largest of its kind anywhere in the world with an approximate capacity of 50 MW. The plant is expected to produce enough reliable, controllable, and renewable electricity to power up to 50,000 homes. Situated in a location with good access and connectivity to the local and national electrical distribution infrastructure and in close proximity to landfill disposal facilities, it will divert up to 350,000 metric tons of non-recyclable waste from the landfill per year – helping to meet the UK’s waste diversion targets. The Westinghouse advanced gasification technology provided by AlterNRG, is a leading next generation of EfW technologies. It offers a more efficient, cleaner conversion of waste-to-power than traditional EfW technologies and has the potential to generate a wider range of useful products, including heat, hydrogen, chemicals and fuels, the company said. Longer term, the potential generation of renewable hydrogen could be deployed for commercial use, such as fuelling public transport. “Our...

Read More........→January 21, 2013

New biofuel process dramatically improves energy recovery

A new biofuel production process created by Michigan State University researchers produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods. The results, published in the current issue of Environmental Science and Technology, showcase a novel way to use microbes to produce biofuel and hydrogen, all while consuming agricultural wastes. Gemma Reguera, MSU microbiologist, has developed bioelectrochemical systems known as microbial electrolysis cells, or MECs, using bacteria to breakdown and ferment agricultural waste into ethanol. Reguera’s platform is unique because it employs a second bacterium, which, when added to the mix, removes all the waste fermentation byproducts or nonethanol materials while generating electricity. Similar microbial fuel cells have been investigated before. However, maximum energy recoveries from corn stover, a common feedstock for biofuels, hover around 3.5 percent. Reguera’s platform, despite the energy invested in chemical pretreatment of the corn stover, averaged 35 to 40 percent energy recovery just from the fermentation process, said Reguera, an AgBioResearch scientist who co-authored the paper with Allison Spears, MSU graduate student. “This is because the fermentative bacterium was carefully selected to degrade and ferment agricultural wastes into ethanol efficiently and to...

Read More........→December 17, 2012

High-impact visuals for large events

It's AV, but not as we know it. Pod Bluman, founder of production company Bluman Associates, talks to Anna Mitchell about being chased by the police, recycling the red carpet from the Harry Potter premier and staging an off-grid gig. Even if you haven’t heard of Pod Bluman, the chances are you’ve seen his work. Anyone who missed worldwide press coverage of a "No War on Iraq" message projected on the Houses of Parliament may have watched the Harry Potter premier at Leicester Square in London. And if both these events passed you by; you might have caught the Batman symbol on Battersea Power Station, a complete takeover of New York’s Times Square for a Nokia launch or gigs by the Arctic Monkeys, Faithless or Obital (to name but a few). In September 2004, Bluman started Bluman Associates after building up a strong reputation as a freelancer in the live events industry. "We’re a traditional production company in the range of services we offer," explains Bluman. "But, in terms of the niche we occupy we’re very specialised within the video industry and particularly in displaying content on large displays." The company provides services in every link of the visual display chain; from content creation and capture through to the display and dissemination of that content. "We don’t own any equipment," continues Bluman....

Read More........→November 02, 2012

New technology can produce 'petrol from air'

A small British firm claimed to have developed a revolutionary new technology that can produce petrol using just air and electricity. A company in the north of England has developed the "air capture" technology to create synthetic petrol which experts have hailed as a potential "game-changer" in the battle against climate change and a saviour for the world's energy crisis. The technology, presented to a London engineering conference this week, works by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, The Telegraph reported. The 'petrol from air' technology involves taking sodium hydroxide and mixing it with carbon dioxide before 'electrolysing' the sodium carbonate that it produces to form pure carbon dioxide. Hydrogen is then produced by electrolysing water vapour captured with a dehumidifier. The company, Air Fuel Syndication, uses the carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce methanol which in turn is passed through a gasoline fuel reactor, creating petrol. Company officials claimed to have produced five litres of petrol in less than three months from a small refinery in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside. The fuel that is produced can be used in any regular petrol tank and, if renewable energy is used to provide the electricity it could become "completely carbon neutral". The company hopes to build...

Read More........→October 29, 2012

Ferrari recalling 200 cars worldwide

Ferrari is recalling certain 458 Italia and California models around the world due to a problem with the crankshaft. Roughly 13,000 examples of these cars are currently roaming the streets, and 206 are affected by this problem. According to Autocar, the recall has been issued due to an incorrect finish on the vehicles' crankshafts. The British magazine states that the problem "causes unwanted vibrations which can damage the engine if it is not changed." "We are writing to all clients affected now, asking them to return the car to a dealer for the work to be done," a Ferrari spokesperson told Autocar. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to issue a formal recall notice about the affected vehicles. Ferrari recalling 200 cars worldwide originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.New gio gonzalez blog: Source: Articl...

Read More........→October 11, 2012

New cavity-filling material reverses decay and regenerates tooth structure

The Ultimate Update: A new composite material, which is made up of silver and calcium nanoparticles, could work as a dental filling that kills remaining bacteria so that patients don’t have to make a return trip to the dentist. Dental fillings replace the part of the tooth drilled out inorder to remove decay. But if any bacteria remains, the cavity can grow right under the filling, Discovery News reported. The new material, developed by researchers at theUniversity of Maryland, also rebuilds any structure affected by decay, essentially getting rid of the cavity altogether. Due to their small size, the silver nanoparticles can invade the cellular structureof bacteria and other microorganisms and kill them. Calcium phosphate, also included in the composite, is responsible for building the tooth back up. There have been questions raised about implementing these materials into toothpaste or mouthwash, but the scientific community isn’t ready to get on board with that just yet. There is a lot of concern coming from scientists and researchers about the possible harmful affects of human consumption of the particles. Further testing will be conducted on volunteers to sort through the health concerns. Source: The Ultimate Updat...

Read More........→September 22, 2012

Baldness can be cured using stem cells

Are you bald and having trouble facing people? If yes your worries are over as Japanese researchers have successfully grown hair on hairless mice by implanting follicles created from stem cells, they announced Wednesday, sparking new hopes of a cure for baldness.Led by Professor Takashi Tsuji from Tokyo University of Science, the team bioengineered hair follicles and transplanted them into the skin of hairless mice. The creatures eventually grew hair, which continued regenerating in normal growth cycles after old hairs fell out. When stem cells are grown into tissues or organs, they usually need to be extracted from embryos, but Tsuji and his researchers found hair follicles can be grown with adult stem cells, the study said. Baldness can now be cured “Our current study thus demonstrates the potential for not only hair regeneration therapy but also the realization of bioengineered organ replacement using adult somatic stem cells,” it said. The combination of the new and existing technologies is expected to improve treatment for baldness, possibly allowing people to use their own cells for implants that will give them their hair back. “We would like to start clinical research within three to five years, so that an actual treatment to general patients can start within a decade,” said researcher Koh-ei Toyoshima.The Ultimate...

Read More........→August 16, 2012

Honda to recycle rare earths to be green

TOKYO — Honda Motor Co said Wednesday it will start recycling rare earths and other key materials in hybrid auto batteries this year—a key innovation in the Japanese automaker’s effort to be green. Japan is dependent on imports, mostly from China, for rare earth elements, which are essential for making high-tech products, but a steady supply has been periodically threatened over political disputes with China. Honda officials said the company was targeting September or October to begin recycling of rare earths. They said it would be a first for the auto industry. Honda President Takanobu Ito said: “In the long term, we hope to move to renewable energy sources that won’t harm the environment.” Ito outlined Honda’s efforts to reduce pollution and global warming, including experimental projects to combine solar with its fuel-cell cars—what he called the Honda “dream” to derive energy solely from nature and emit just water. Fuel cells are powered by the energy created when hydrogen combines with oxygen to produce water. They are still too expensive for commercial use and remain experimental. Ito said Honda’s roots lie in its determination to develop a fuel-efficient gasoline engine to clear U.S. pollution-control regulations of the 1970s. Honda’s CVCC engine was the first in the world to clear...

Read More........→July 28, 2012