Modern society generates millions of tons of waste each year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills or scattered across oceans and countryside. Concerns about the health of the planet have sparked a number of new companies that use waste materials as a resource. Creative minds and innovative technology are being employed to solve the problems of waste and pollution. These industries are helping to make industry more sustainable, while continuing to improve life for millions of people around the world.
Farm Waste Becomes Packing Material
Growing the food that feeds the world in itself generates significant amounts of waste products. This agricultural waste is now being tuned into more eco-friendly packing, taking the place of single-use plastics that have become an environmental problem. The leftover plant material is processed into a fiber that can then be pressed into easily biodegradable forms to hold vegetables, fruits and other products.
Recovered Marine Plastics Into Yarns
The issue of plastic waste in marine environments has received increased attention. This large amount of plastic waste is now being used as raw material for a number of new industries. Shoes, backpacks and furniture are now being manufactured with this waste. Yarns made from recovered plastics found in the ocean and other waterways offers increased durability and better abrasion resistance and can be combined with traditional yarn materials, such as BionicYarn.
Yard Waste Into Biofuel
The thousands of pounds of lawn and yard waste that is generated from residential and commercial properties across the nation are being processed into their component cellulose. This elemental material can then be turned into cellulosic ethanol to run factories and farms. This new industry is drawing particular interest in areas of the country with heavy rainfalls and long growing seasons, such as Florida, Texas and the West Coast.
New Uses for Recycled Cardboard
The cardboard used to ship items ordered on the internet has created a problem with waste and increased use of timber. Companies are now finding ways to implement this widely-used material to make corrugated panels, soundproof tiles, housings for electronic equipment and displays stands for products in a variety of consumer environments.
Sustainable living has become a necessity more than a choice for industrialized nations around the world. Developing ways to recycle waste products has sparked new research and new industries, as the world looks for ways for better ways to use resources and prevent pollution of the planet. These methods will see greater refinement in the future, to make modern living more efficient.