Cali’s first river interceptor prevents trash from ever reaching the oceans
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The ocean is increasingly full of trash so companies are exploring new ways to capture it before it ever gets there. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote,...
These new plastic batteries could make low cost grid scale storage possible
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Renewable energy technologies don’t generate electricity all the time – yet – so it has to be stored, and when it comes to grid scale storage cost is king. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University,...
An AI just invented a new enzyme that breaks down plastics in weeks
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Firstly AI creating new enzymes is a game changer that accelerates new product development, and secondly plastic is a scourge, so this breakthrough has a double whammy. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about...
Ocean Cleanup ships could be powered with the plastic they recover from the ocean
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF It would be rather ironic if plastic helped fuel the ships that are collecting plastic from the oceans but that’s possible … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch...
Ship based reactor could convert ocean based plastic into diesel fuel
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF There are lots of ways to create carbon neutral fuels, and this is another example of one that solves two problems at once… Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, ...
Bacteria manage to recycle plastic into vanilla flavouring in weird world first
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF If you think plastics can only be recycled to make new plastics you’d be wrong. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. I see many weird things – such as molecular assemblers and...
David Attenborough backs new technology that can recycle all plastics
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Plastic is a great material, but it’s also a curse that needs a cure … this is the first time a single technology has been able to recycle every kind of plastic. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with...
Scientists breakthrough turns common garbage into miracle material Graphene
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Graphene is an amazing material that could transform almost every industry on Earth, from communications and computing, to energy and transportation, but manufacturing it has been problematic so far. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. I cover hundreds...
Scientists develop the world’s first infinitely recyclable plastic
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today’s plastics can’t be recycled forever because of the way they’re made and the way recycling systems today work, but a new breakthrough solves both these issues. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Recycling sounds great in principle,...
Artificial Photosynthesis breakthrough turns Carbon Dioxide into plastic
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today plastics are made from harmful fossil fuels, but this new process eliminates them from the manufacturing process. Interested in the future and want to experience even more?! eXplore More. From fuels, to foam mattresses, to high performance carbon fibers and carbon capturing self-healing materials, scientists are...
The project to rid the world’s oceans of plastic has begun
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Plastic waste is a menace at sea and on land, but an ambitious project hopes to clean up 90% of the oceans plastic waste within a decade. Plastic waste has become a growing issue over the past decade or so which is why more...
Scientists make biodegradable plastic from sugar and carbon dioxide
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Plastic has turned into the scourge of the environment, and companies are tripling their efforts to find viable environmentally friendly alternatives. Society is producing more waste plastic than ever before and it’s polluting our oceans and contaminating our drinking water. By all accounts by...
Biodegradable plastics made from “Tree glue” could hit the shelves in five years
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today plastics are the scourge of the environment so now companies around the world are racing to create environmentally friendly alternatives, and plastics made from true glue could be near the top of the list. Plastic’s fall from grace in the past couple of...
One in a billion enzyme that breaks down plastic found in Japanese dump
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF When they were developed plastics were a wonder material, but their environmental legacy is proving devastating, now a fluke discovery is giving people hope that today’s plastic scourge can efficiently be broken down and recycled. We’re increasingly being told that plastic is a horrible,...
