Here's a print-tastic news!
This could be a game changer in the solar industry
Today at a glance👇🏽
World's first fully printable solar cell offers a cheaper alternative to silicon
An alternative to single-use plastic made from waste fish
These co-founders are weaving a better future for the planet
Some good news
Can I help you?
☀️ World's first fully printable solar cell offers a cheaper alternative to silicon
The future's so bright, we'll perovskite!
Kicking this edition off with a piece of great news!
Researchers have recently developed the world's first fully printable solar cell made from perovskite.
This material is actually cheaper to produce than silicon, which is amazing!
Perovskite solar cells can be printed using special inks and wrapped around uneven surfaces, making them more flexible than traditional silicon solar cells.
Although the efficiency of perovskite solar cells still needs improvement to match that of silicon solar cells, the potential for cheaper solar cells on a much greater scale than ever before is very exciting.
This development could also help address the issue of running out of materials to make silicon solar cells by 2050.
🐟 An alternative to single-use plastic made from waste fish
Tons of trash…So, every year, the fishing industry produces a whopping 50 million tonnes of waste, which mostly ends up in landfills. And don't get me started on the plastic waste! We use plastic for just a few hours or days and then toss it away like it's nothing. But guess what? It takes centuries for it to decompose and in the meantime, it's just sitting there in our landfills or oceans, making everything worse for the planet, humans, and other creatures.
From trash to splash…MarinaTex is tackling these issues head-on! It’s taking fish waste and turning it into a substitute for plastic. It's a super versatile material made from fish skins and scales and is stronger than those flimsy plastic bags.
Plus, it breaks down naturally in just 4-6 weeks.
Also, it won't even release any harmful chemicals!
So if it somehow ends up getting eaten, it won't do any harm to humans or animals.
Making waves sustainably…The cool thing about this material is that it's pretty low-tech, so it doesn't need a ton of energy to make. They keep the whole production process below 100 degrees, which is pretty sweet. And get this - they use the waste from the fishing industry to make it, which helps the whole circular design thing. Love it!
👖 These co-founders are weaving a better future for the planet
Fashion's fabric folly…Did you know that the fashion industry makes a crazy 150 billion items every year? That's like twice the amount that actually gets sold. So even if we stopped making clothes for the next 50 years, we'd still have enough to cover everyone up. But here's the thing, most clothes are made from plastic-derived materials, which come from fossil fuels. It's not surprising that fashion is one of the most polluting industries out there.
Textile waste turnaround…Re-Fresh Global aims to address the issue of textile waste. Their proposal is to establish circular textile microfactories, create a franchise model based on this concept, and replicate it globally. Textile waste would be collected from local communities situated close to the microfactory. An automated system would be used to sort and separate the waste, supervised by individuals hired from the same local communities. The textile waste would then be either-
Reused- sold again through retailers
Recycled- new fabric is constructed out of old ones, using
Upcycled- turn textile waste into industrial and consumer products
Re-Fresh's Revolution…Re-Fresh has developed technology for recycling and upcycling, and is standardizing the processes in microfactories so that they can be replicated worldwide. Currently, less than 1% of textile waste is recycled; Re-Fresh aims to increase this figure to 98%.
😹 Some Good News
Ray of Hope- Off-grid solar brings light, time and income to remotest villages
Tirevolution- This device dramatically reduces harmful pollution released by car tyres
Goal on Rails- Barcelona Soccer Stars Ditch Private Jet, ‘Take the Train to Work’
🌎 Can I help you?
Apart from sharing climate-positive stories, I also work as a freelance content writer for planet-friendly brands.
Here’s some of the work that I’ve done in the recent past-
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Have a great weekend and see you next week😊
An interesting collection this week. Also, I really want to scratch Dash's tummy. Is that a bad idea? Some cats pretend they want you to but actually want to eat your hand. One of mine does that.