How to make every day recycling day

(Family Features) With so many mixed messages, recycling can feel confusing, but the truth is simpler than you might think. Recycling isn’t just for today – it’s a year-round commitment to a healthier planet.

In honor of National Recycling Day, consider these facts about recycling from the experts and tips to make a difference.

Recycling Is Real
Americans recycle more than 6 billion pounds of plastic every year. Among the plastics recycled, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) remains a responsible material choice. PET is the world’s most recycled plastic, with more than 1.8 billion pounds of PET bottles and containers recovered in the U.S. annually. Since PET bottles can be made from 100% post-consumer recycled content, each recycled bottle contributes to a circular economy where materials are continuously reused instead of wasted.

Recycling PET Plastic is Better for the Environment
Countless others from academics, researchers and industry experts show plastics, such as PET specifically, often have a lower environmental impact. In fact, glass bottles produce three times the greenhouse gas emissions compared to PET bottles, and making an aluminum can produces twice the emissions, according to Life Cycle Assessment studies. Producing PET also uses less energy and water and lowers acid rain and smog potential. Using and recycling PET is a more responsible, more eco-friendly choice than banning plastic outright.

Recycling Saves Energy
Recycling PET bottles requires less energy than producing new glass bottles or aluminum cans. Every PET bottle you recycle helps conserve resources and supports a more responsible production cycle.

Not All Plastics are Created Equal
PET is a superstar among plastics because it can be recycled repeatedly without losing strength or quality. It’s also an inexpensive, lightweight and shatter-resistant package that preserves and protects the food and medicine people place in their bodies.

Recycling Can be Easy
Recycling services can be accessible, with many communities across the U.S. offering easy ways to recycle. Today more than 73% of all U.S. households have access to recycling, according to The Recycling Partnership.

By staying informed, choosing packaging that’s easily recyclable and recycling consistently, you can help build a more sustainable future every day. Visit recyclecheck.org to find out where you can recycle in your community.

5 Recycling Tips

1. Know your plastics. Look for the No. 1 recycling symbol – inside three arrows forming a triangular shape – to identify polyethylene terephthalate (PET), helping ensure your recycling efforts are impactful.
2. Recycle PET plastic packaging over bans. Choose products packaged in PET bottles where possible, as recycling PET reduces reliance on resource-heavy materials and greenhouse gas emissions.
3. See recycling as energy conservation. PET bottle recycling uses significantly less energy compared to producing new glass bottles or aluminum cans.
4. Think of recycling as an investment. Every PET container you recycle contributes to a circular economy and more sustainable world.
5. Get involved within your community. Connect with local recycling programs and stay updated on your area’s recycling guidelines by visiting recyclecheck.org.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:
Amcor Rigid Packaging

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

Please leave this field empty

Want more stories
“Your morning jolt of Inspiring & Interesting Stories!”

Sign up to receive awesome articles directly to your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Advertisement

Please check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Mahshid Ahmadi, University of Tennessee

Many human activities release pollutants into the air, water and soil. These harmful chemicals threaten the health of both people and the ecosystem. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an estimated 4.2 million deaths annually.

Scientists are looking into solutions, and one potential avenue is a class of materials called photocatalysts. When triggered by light, these materials undergo chemical reactions that initial studies have shown can break down common toxic pollutants.

I am a materials science and engineering researcher at the University of Tennessee. With the help of robots and artificial intelligence, my colleagues and I are making and testing new photocatalysts with the goal of mitigating air pollution.

Breaking down pollutants

The photocatalysts work by generating charged carriers in the presence of light. These charged carriers are tiny particles that can move around and cause chemical reactions. When they come into contact with water and oxygen in the environment, they produce substances called reactive oxygen species. These highly active reactive oxygen species can bond to parts of the pollutants and then either decompose the pollutants or turn them into harmless – or even useful – products.

But some materials used in the photocatalytic process have limitations. For example, they can’t start the reaction unless the light has enough energy – infrared rays with lower energy light, or visible light, won’t trigger the reaction.

Another problem is that the charged particles involved in the reaction can recombine too quickly, which means they join back together before finishing the job. In these cases, the pollutants either do not decompose completely or the process takes a long time to accomplish.

Additionally, the surface of these photocatalysts can sometimes change during or after the photocatalytic reaction, which affects how they work and how efficient they are.

To overcome these limitations, scientists on my team are trying to develop new photocatalytic materials that work efficiently to break down pollutants. We also focus on making sure these materials are nontoxic so that our pollution-cleaning materials aren’t causing further pollution.

Advertisement

Teeny tiny crystals

Scientists on my team use automated experimentation and artificial intelligence to figure out which photocatalytic materials could be the best candidates to quickly break down pollutants. We’re making and testing materials called hybrid perovskites, which are tiny crystals – they’re about a 10th the thickness of a strand of hair.

These nanocrystals are made of a blend of organic (carbon-based) and inorganic (non-carbon-based) components.

They have a few unique qualities, like their excellent light-absorbing properties, which come from how they’re structured at the atomic level. They’re tiny, but mighty. Optically, they’re amazing too – they interact with light in fascinating ways to generate a large number of tiny charge carriers and trigger photocatalytic reactions.

These materials efficiently transport electrical charges, which allows them to transport light energy and drive the chemical reactions. They’re also used to make solar panels more efficient and in LED lights, which create the vibrant displays you see on TV screens.

There are thousands of potential types of hybrid nanocrystals. So, my team wanted to figure out how to make and test as many as we can quickly, to see which are the best candidates for cleaning up toxic pollutants.

Bringing in robots

Instead of making and testing samples by hand – which takes weeks or months – we’re using smart robots, which can produce and test at least 100 different materials within an hour. These small liquid-handling robots can precisely move, mix and transfer tiny amounts of liquid from one place to another. They’re controlled by a computer that guides their acceleration and accuracy.

We also use machine learning to guide this process. Machine learning algorithms can analyze test data quickly and then learn from that data for the next set of experiments executed by the robots. These machine learning algorithms can quickly identify patterns and insights in collected data that would normally take much longer for a human eye to catch.

Our approach aims to simplify and better understand complex photocatalytic systems, helping to create new strategies and materials. By using automated experimentation guided by machine learning, we can now make these systems easier to analyze and interpret, overcoming challenges that were difficult with traditional methods.

Mahshid Ahmadi, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee

Advertisement

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The science section of our news blog STM Daily News provides readers with captivating and up-to-date information on the latest scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and innovations across various fields. We offer engaging and accessible content, ensuring that readers with different levels of scientific knowledge can stay informed. Whether it’s exploring advancements in medicine, astronomy, technology, or environmental sciences, our science section strives to shed light on the intriguing world of scientific exploration and its profound impact on our daily lives. From thought-provoking articles to informative interviews with experts in the field, STM Daily News Science offers a harmonious blend of factual reporting, analysis, and exploration, making it a go-to source for science enthusiasts and curious minds alike. https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/

(Family Features) When diesel school bus fleets are converted to cleaner energy options – like propane – the significant economic and environmental benefits are clear, making decarbonization more achievable and offering near-zero emissions without compromising the financial sustainability of school districts. In fact, through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program to replace existing diesel school buses with zero- and low-emission models, $1 billion would fund 31,119 propane buses. The enhanced fleet would reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions by 8,284 metric tons per year and carbon dioxide emissions 164,730 metric tons per year, all significant increases versus using the same amount of funding for electric school buses. Learn more at BetterOurBuses.com.

SOURCE:
Propane Education & Research Council

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.