Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent those of any individual or organisation mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Aduro’s NGP Pilot Plant Enters Operating Campaigns

When a pre-revenue cleantech company transitions from construction milestones to live operating data, the investment thesis either holds or collapses. For Aduro Clean Technologies (NASDAQ: ADUR | CSE: ACT | FSE: 9D5), February 2026 marked a decisive shift. The company’s Next Generation Process (NGP) Pilot Plant in London, Ontario, has officially moved into initial operating campaigns, generating the kind of structured, repeatable data that separates laboratory promise from commercial viability.

Installations at the facility were completed in December 2025, and the plant is now functioning as an integrated process unit designed for continuous operation rather than isolated test runs. Aduro has expanded its operations and technical teams, completed formal training programmes for all pilot plant operators, and is running the facility with the kind of procedural discipline expected of infrastructure meant to inform the design of a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) demonstration facility.

The campaigns themselves serve a specific purpose: optimising process conditions through repeated, structured test operations, generating the data package required for commercial scale-up and FOAK facility engineering, qualifying real-world feedstocks sourced from customer engagement programmes rather than controlled laboratory samples, and supporting ongoing partner discussions with live operating data.

For investors tracking the chemical recycling sector, this milestone carries particular weight. Yazan Al Homsi, a cross-border venture capitalist and CFA charterholder who operates between Vancouver and Dubai through Founders Round Capital and Catalyst Communications DMCC, has held an investment position in Aduro as part of a broader thesis on AI-enhanced waste management and circular economy technologies. The transition from construction to operational data represents exactly the kind of inflection point that validates early-stage positioning in capital-intensive cleantech.

CFO Deploys Six Figures of Personal Capital

Adding to the operational milestone is a quieter but equally telling signal from inside the company. SEDI insider filings show that Aduro’s CFO, Mena Beshay, has been steadily exercising stock options over the past year, deploying six figures of personal capital into increasing his direct ownership of company shares. The pattern through early 2026 reflects consistent accumulation rather than a one-off transaction. An independent analysis of the insider buying pattern highlights the significance of this sustained capital deployment.

This is not new behaviour for Beshay. When he joined Aduro as CFO in May 2022, he immediately subscribed for $105,000 in a private placement, backing the company with his own money on his first day. That he has continued to increase his personal stake throughout the company’s development phase, right through to the pilot plant going live, speaks to a level of conviction that extends well beyond standard executive compensation.

CFOs occupy a unique vantage point within any company. They see every cash flow model, every contract, and every expenditure. They understand the burn rate, the runway, and the realistic timeline for milestones. When a CFO is deploying significant personal capital into option exercises across an extended period, it represents an informed bet by the person with the most complete financial picture of the business.

A Global Conference Blitz Signals Commercial Intent

The pilot plant milestone is not happening in isolation. Aduro has announced participation in six events across four continents between March and April 2026, each supporting the commercialisation of its patented Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT). The breadth and specificity of these engagements tells a story about where the company sees its commercial trajectory heading.

At Residuos Expo in Mexico City (March 3 to 5), Aduro representatives alongside ECOCE will showcase a joint programme on chemical recycling of post-consumer films and flexible packaging. At AMI Chemical Recycling North America in Houston (March 10 to 11), the company will present on carbon efficiency in polyolefin recycling and how its Hydrochemolytic Oil is designed for steam cracker integration, including the processing of multilayer feedstocks.

Alberta Circular Plastics Day in Calgary (March 11) will feature Aduro on a panel discussing the scaling of chemistry-based recycling. A government-supported Cleantech Mission to South Korea (March 23), hosted at the Canadian Embassy in Seoul, will see the company in pre-arranged business-to-business meetings focused on Asia-Pacific partnership development.

In Europe, the GO CIRCULAR Globuc Summit in Mannheim (March 25 to 26) will advance FOAK facility planning and commercialisation discussions around offtake, integration, and partnerships. And at ECOMONDO Mexico in Guadalajara (April 14 to 16), the company will deepen its ECOCE collaboration and advance future deployment pathways in Latin America.

For observers of the chemical recycling space, the key signals embedded in this schedule are significant: steam cracker drop-in compatibility is being pitched directly to petrochemical players, FOAK commercial discussions are actively underway in Europe, and government-backed institutional credibility is being established for Asia-Pacific expansion.

What the Convergence Means for the Investment Landscape

Yazan Al Homsi has previously articulated an investment philosophy centred on companies with strong intellectual property moats operating in markets with large total addressable markets. His investment in Aduro’s AI-powered waste management breakthroughs reflects that framework in practice. Aduro’s patented HCT platform, which operates at relatively low temperatures and cost to transform lower-value feedstocks into higher-value resources, fits squarely within that thesis.

The technology addresses three verticals: chemical recycling of waste plastics including mixed and contaminated streams that conventional recyclers cannot handle, upgrading heavy crude and bitumen into lighter and more valuable oil, and converting renewable oils into higher-value fuels and renewable chemicals. With a 95% yield rate compared to traditional methods that often produce 30% char, the efficiency differential represents a meaningful competitive advantage.

The convergence of operational data from the pilot plant, insider capital deployment from the CFO, and a global commercialisation push across multiple continents creates a picture of a company moving methodically through the stages that separate promising technology from commercial reality. In December 2025, Aduro raised US$20 million through an underwritten public offering specifically earmarked for the demonstration-scale plant build, adding funded construction to the list of de-risking milestones.

For Yazan Al Homsi and other investors positioned in the advanced recycling sector, the question has always been whether companies can bridge the gap between laboratory validation and commercial deployment. Aduro’s Q1 2026 trajectory suggests the bridge is being built, one structured operating campaign at a time.

The post From Pilot Plant to Global Stage: How Aduro Clean Technologies’ 2026 Expansion Signals a Turning Point for Chemical Recycling Investors Like Yazan Al Homsi appeared first on Green Prophet.

I remember the day in 2007 as a young environment and cleantech reporter when I went to my first clean tech conference. I was expecting solar panels and robots, new wind turbines to turn wind into washing machines, and hightech greenhouses that grows food on water. The reality was different: most cleantech companies in the business and making money (not just promising dreams) are industrial builds, companies that pull in pipes, valves, software and cables, sometimes linked together by software. There weren’t any golden bullet solutions that could change the world but rather they were companies that assembled solutions like the telecom industry.

The cleantech industry in all areas of reuse, new fabrics and materials, and in energy are not glamorous companies with runway models. They are factories and tools that help us make the most from least. And that’s why the most exciting cleantech companies we are seeing today look like Torus (improves the grid with a wheelwheel); BioProcessH20 (cleans effluent from food waste) and Regenx (which pulls minerals from catalytic converters) are the ones to watch.

Recycling or upcycling, I learn from my dad (a scrapper and water witch) metals is like finding free money. He was an avid metals recycler and could make a few thousand dollars at the scrap yard with every haul –– much of the metals found on the side of the road. When you take metals recycling as an industry, it’s literally like free money from garbage, and this is the business model of an AI-powered Tennessee company that is recycling aluminum. The company just raised $45 million USD to expand its operations. The solution poltentially diverts millions of tons of metals waste to other countries and keeps it local to the US economy. The metals will be earmarked for the automotive industry.

The deal was advised by by T. Rowe Price Associates and VXI Capital, with participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Overlay Capital; with an additional equipment funding from Trinity Capital. This funding fuels Sortera’s next phase of growth as a major domestic supplier of metals upcycled from waste.

In addition to the funding, Sortera is announcing plans for a second aluminum processing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. This expansion—driven by overwhelming demand and success at the flagship Markle, Indiana facility—will bring Sortera’s innovative recycling solutions closer to its growing customer base.

Using artificial intelligence and advanced sensors, the company sorts mixed aluminum scrap into specific alloys that can replace imported primary aluminum. Sortera brings new life to old metal. Since launching operations at its 200,000 sq. ft. Markle facility in Q1 2023, Sortera has experienced significant customer demand for its high-quality recycled aluminum alloys.

For those in the metals business Sortera is now the only company producing end-of-life recycled aluminum products, including 380, 356, 319, and wrought (3105 and others) aluminum. Each product is specifically designed to match the chemistry of common casting and rolling alloys.

The Markle facility demonstrates Sortera’s technological success at transforming mixed alloy scrap—historically downgraded or shipped overseas—into high-value materials for critical applications in the automotive, construction, and aerospace industries.

“The performance of our Markle facility and the enthusiastic response from our customers have made it clear: the domestic market is hungry for sustainable, high-quality recycled aluminum,” said Michael Siemer, CEO of Sortera Technologies. This expansion allows us to significantly increase our capacity and establish a presence closer to many of our key customers—particularly in the automotive sector—further streamlining supply chains and enhancing our service capabilities.”

Their process diverts billions of pounds of material from going overseas and dramatically reduces the energy required for aluminum production by approximately 95% compared to manufacturing from virgin materials. This translates into a substantial reduction in CO₂ footprint for Sortera’s customers, supporting their ambitious sustainability and circular production goals.

When we interviewed a company in this space called Regenx, they called themselves “urban miners.”

The investment in Sortera is to create a new facility to increase the company’s annual production capacity to ~240 million pounds. This will ultimately help manufacturers lower costs and pollution while strengthening the domestic supply chain.

Sortera expects that the new facility will be operational by the summer of 2026, and further details regarding the specifics will be communicated in the coming months.

Notable investors include RA Capital Management-Planetary Health, certain funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., the Mineral Resources Group, a part of Mitsubishi Corporation’s Business Incubation Unit, Macquarie GIG Energy Transition Solutions (“MGETS”), Assembly Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Chrysalix.

Sortera was founded in 2020 by Nalin Kumar (listed as Founder & Chief Innovation Officer) and Manuel Garcia (listed as Co-Founder & Vice President of Applied Science). Michael Siemer is the President and Chief Executive Officer.

::Sortera

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We talk a lot about renewable energy, electric cars, and ocean cleanup projects when we talk about sustainability. But the fight for a greener planet often starts closer to home — behind the supermarket, in the back of a hotel, or inside a city recycling depot. Waste management doesn’t usually grab headlines, yet it’s one of the most immediate ways to cut emissions, save resources, and make sustainability practical instead of theoretical. Enter the unsung hero of modern recycling: the humble trash baler.

For decades, managing waste has meant hauling it away and hoping someone else deals with it. Trucks burn fuel, bins overflow, and recyclables get contaminated long before they reach a processing plant. But that model doesn’t really work anymore. As landfills fill up and the global waste stream keeps growing, cities and businesses are realizing they need to handle more of the problem right where it starts. The trash baler is part of that shift — a simple, industrial tool helping to reshape how we think about sustainability.

Rethinking Waste From the Ground Up

The old take–make–dispose model has been under pressure for years. Urban centers from Dubai to Los Angeles are wrestling with the logistics of waste that just won’t stop coming. Every delivery, every product, every plastic wrapper adds to a growing mountain of materials that, ironically, could have been reused if only they were managed better.

That’s where trash baler come in. By compacting waste — especially recyclable materials like cardboard, plastic, and paper — balers make it possible to keep materials clean and organized at the source. Instead of sending dozens of half-empty bins to a landfill, businesses can store compressed bales for recycling, reducing both transport costs and carbon emissions. It’s a simple fix, but it’s quietly powerful.

Small Machines, Big Change

A trash baler doesn’t look revolutionary. It’s a vertical machine that presses waste into neat, stackable cubes. But the ripple effects are huge. Less volume means fewer trucks, less fuel burned, and less air pollution. For small businesses or apartment complexes, that’s a direct line between everyday operations and measurable sustainability progress.

Companies like Bramidan USA have refined this technology to make it even more efficient and easy to use. Their vertical balers are designed for shops, restaurants, and warehouses that want to handle recycling in-house. The result is cleaner waste streams, less mess, and a lot less waste ending up where it shouldn’t.

It’s worth noting that many businesses adopt these machines not because they have to, but because they want to. They’re tired of paying for overflowing dumpsters and unreliable waste pickups. When people see that sustainability can save them time and money, it stops being a buzzword and starts being common sense.

Why Local Waste Management Matters

If you’ve ever watched a recycling truck weaving through city streets, you’ve seen the problem firsthand. Most of what we call “recycling” still depends on long-distance transportation and centralized sorting facilities. Those systems are energy-intensive and prone to contamination — the dreaded mix of wet food, plastic wrap, and paper that renders recyclables useless.

When businesses use balers, they can separate and compress materials on-site. That means cleaner recyclables and fewer rejected loads. The material that leaves the premises is ready for reprocessing, not another round of sorting. Multiply that across thousands of small operations, and suddenly local waste management becomes a genuine climate solution.

It’s not glamorous work, but it’s exactly what sustainability needs more of: everyday, scalable efficiency. You don’t have to overhaul an entire supply chain or build a new power grid to make a difference. Sometimes you just need to manage your trash better.

From Waste to Resource

In the circular economy, waste doesn’t really exist — it’s just material waiting for its next use. Compacted bales of cardboard and plastic have value. They’re easier to sell, ship, and recycle. Instead of paying to throw waste away, businesses can often make money by selling these materials back into the recycling market.

That small economic incentive turns sustainability from a burden into a business case. When you can quantify the savings — fewer pickups, lower disposal fees, extra revenue — it changes how organizations think about environmental responsibility. Sustainability stops being a side project and becomes part of daily operations.

The Human Side of Waste

There’s something almost poetic about it. The more we automate and globalize, the more sustainability comes back to something simple: caring about what we leave behind. Waste management might not feel as exciting as solar panels or carbon capture, but it’s deeply human. It’s about cleaning up after ourselves and doing it a little better every year.

That’s why machines like the trash baler are quietly revolutionary. They give power back to people and businesses to handle their own waste responsibly. They make recycling visible and tangible. And they remind us that progress isn’t always about new inventions — sometimes it’s about using old ideas more intelligently.

Making Sustainability Practical

Sustainability can sometimes sound like a lofty ideal, something reserved for big corporations or government programs. But in reality, it’s built on small, repeatable actions. Every time a store compacts its cardboard instead of throwing it away, every time a logistics center reduces its trash pickups, the planet benefits.

That’s what makes the story of the trash baler worth telling. It’s proof that practical, everyday choices can scale into real environmental progress. Machines like these are redefining what sustainability looks like — not as an abstract goal, but as something you can switch on, load up, and actually see working.

The post Waste Reform from the Ground Up: How Trash Balers Are Helping Cities Rethink Sustainability appeared first on Green Prophet.

Recent studies in the US show that most plastics are never recycled. The numbers probably fare worse for other countries in the world. In a significant step forward for sustainable materials science, a new American study has unveiled a breakthrough in the enzymatic recycling of PET — the world’s most common plastic, used in everything from water bottles to food packaging and clothing fibers.

The process, developed by a coalition of U.S. and U.K. researchers, offers a cleaner, cheaper, and more circular approach to handling plastic waste, potentially tipping the balance in favor of large-scale, eco-friendly recycling. The work was led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Portsmouth in England.

The findings, published in Nature Chemical Engineering, focus on enzymatic depolymerization of PET — a technique that breaks plastic down into its building blocks, allowing it to be remade into new products. Historically, the process has been too expensive and chemically intensive to scale. But this new study that adds a new molecule as an enzyme to break down plastic offers a dramatic shift.

By switching out one key chemical — sodium hydroxide — for ammonium hydroxide, the researchers unlocked a self-regenerating loop that dramatically slashes both emissions and cost.

“Sometimes the answer is as simple as rethinking a single molecule,” said Professor Andrew Pickford, Director of the Centre for Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth. “With ammonium hydroxide, we created a process that nearly eliminates the need for fresh acid and base chemicals.”

The switch to ammonium hydroxide allowed for the formation of diammonium terephthalate, which can be broken down through thermolysis — a heat-based reaction — to regenerate ammonia and produce pure terephthalic acid, one of the core ingredients in PET. The base can then be reused, over and over again.

The impact of this adjustment is notable:

• Chemical use drops by more than 99%
• Operating costs fall by 74%
• Energy use drops by 65%
• Carbon emissions are cut nearly in half

Critically, the minimum selling price for recycled PET using this method is estimated at $1.51/kg — well below the $1.87/kg cost of virgin PET, making this one of the first economically viable enzymatic PET recycling systems to date.

The research also tackled pre-treatment steps to improve plastic breakdown. Techniques like extrusion and rapid quenching allowed for full depolymerization in 50 hours. Recovery of ethylene glycol, another PET building block, was improved through a process known as fed-batch concentration.

Dr. Gregg Beckham of NREL, co-lead of the study, said that these combined innovations mark a turning point.

“Enzymatic recycling has long shown promise for mixed and hard-to-recycle PET waste streams, but it hasn’t been practical — until now. By integrating innovations across chemistry, biology, and process engineering, we’ve demonstrated a scalable and cost-effective solution.”

The broader implications are significant. Unlike mechanical recycling, which is limited by contamination and material degradation, enzymatic recycling could handle a wide range of PET waste — including colored plastics, polyester fabrics, and thermoformed containers — that currently end up in landfill or incinerators.

Professor John McGeehan, another key contributor now based at NREL, said the focus is now on moving from lab-scale to real-world application: “It’s about closing the loop — not just in the chemical sense, but in the lifecycle of the material.”

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used in over 50 million tonnes of plastic products annually. Yet less than one-third is recycled. The vast majority is downcycled, burned, or buried — contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and global microplastic pollution. Changing that trajectory has become a priority for environmental scientists, regulators, and industry leaders alike.

This new process doesn’t solve plastic pollution on its own. But it does offer a crucial tool: a method of turning used plastic back into high-quality new material, without relying on fossil fuels.

While enzymatic recycling offers hope for managing existing plastic waste, scientists and environmental advocates agree it must be paired with the development of bio-based plastics—materials made from renewable biological sources like corn starch, sugarcane, or algae. Unlike conventional plastics derived from fossil fuels, bio-based alternatives can dramatically reduce carbon emissions at the production stage and are often compatible with closed-loop recycling.

Leaders in this bioplastics space include NatureWorks (known for its Ingeo PLA plastic made from corn), TotalEnergies Corbion (a joint venture producing bio-based PLA), Novamont (an Italian firm specializing in compostable bioplastics), Danimer Scientific (working on PHA-based plastics from canola oil), and BASF (which offers certified compostable bio-based polymers under the ecovio brand). Developing these alternatives alongside advanced recycling could create a more circular, low-impact future for plastic use.

The post Scientists Crack the Code for Low-Cost, Low-Carbon Plastic Recycling appeared first on Green Prophet.

The event reinforced the role of organizations like SMART in shaping a sustainable future for fashion and materials recovery.

Steven Bethell, a globally recognized advocate for textile recycling and sustainable fashion, has been appointed to the board of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART). The announcement was made during the largest secondhand clothing and wiper conference ever held in Dubai, bringing together key industry leaders committed to driving sustainability in the textile sector.

“I am very passionate about the mission of this organization and keen to contribute to its growth and success,” said Bethell. “Used clothing is a force for good, and I am excited to help advance SMART’s vision for a more circular and responsible textile economy.”

SMART is a leading trade association representing the interests of the for-profit used clothing, wiping materials, and fiber recycling industries. The organization works to promote the environmental, economic, and social benefits of textile reuse and recycling while setting high industry standards. Its board comprises esteemed leaders dedicated to fostering innovation, sustainability, and ethical business practices within the sector.

Bethell joins a distinguished group of industry experts President: Brian London, Whitehouse & Schapiro.  Vice President: Drew Weinberg, OVASCO. Treasurer: Brian Rubin, Erie Cotton Products.  Immediate Past President: Steve Rees, Wipeco Industries. As well as others on the SMART board, including Gina Buty, Helene Carter, Harold Kalfus, Rick Wolf, Munir Hussain, Usman Kappaya, Marisa Adler all of whom bring valuable expertise and leadership to further the organization’s mission. With his extensive experience in the global secondhand clothing industry, Bethell’s appointment is expected to strengthen SMART’s initiatives in advocating for sustainable textile management practices worldwide.

The conference in Dubai underscored the growing momentum behind the second-hand clothing industry as a key player in the circular economy. By highlighting the importance of textile reuse and responsible recycling, the event reinforced the role of organizations like SMART in shaping a sustainable future for fashion and materials recovery.

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For Gaza to move beyond short-term recovery and embrace long-term resilience, sustainable technologies must be at the heart of US President Trump’s reconstruction efforts. If Donald Trump and a US administration were to spearhead rebuildng Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East, America could set a precedent for eco-friendly development in conflict zones and a dry Middle East.

Here are key technologies that could drive this transformation:

Renewable Energy Solutions

Solar Power: With abundant sunlight year-round, Gaza is an ideal candidate for large-scale solar farms and rooftop solar installations. Trump’s history with energy projects could support public-private partnerships to develop off-grid solar systems, reducing dependence on fragile power infrastructures.

Wind and Wave Energy: Coastal access makes wave and wind energy viable options, creating diversified renewable energy sources to ensure consistent power supply. Eco-Wave Power exists in the port of Jaffa as a pilot. This project could be replicated.

Water Desalination and Recycling

Advanced Desalination Plants: Israel is a leader in desalination technology. Utilizing energy-efficient reverse osmosis technologies, Gaza could turn seawater into potable water, addressing its severe water scarcity. Solar-powered desalination could make the process sustainable and cost-effective. Consider the waste ramifications and look to this American solution (OceanWell) of harvesting water from pods deep down under the water. 

Greywater Recycling Systems: Implementing decentralized water treatment facilities would allow communities to reuse household water for agriculture and sanitation, easing pressure on freshwater resources. Israel is a leader in greywater recycling, reusing this water for irrigating plants.

Green Construction Techniques

Modular and Prefabricated Housing: Quick-to-assemble, energy-efficient modular homes could provide immediate shelter while promoting sustainability. These structures minimize construction waste and can be designed for energy efficiency. Homes could be built with local sustainable materials. Or Binishells!

Eco-Friendly Building Materials: Using recycled materials, natural insulation like hempcrete, and energy-efficient glass can reduce the environmental impact of reconstruction.

Smart Infrastructure and Urban Planning

Smart Grids: Implementing smart electrical grids would optimize energy distribution, reduce outages, and integrate renewable energy sources seamlessly.

Sustainable Urban Design: Planning green spaces, walkable neighborhoods, and eco-friendly public transportation systems can enhance quality of life while minimizing carbon emissions.

Agricultural Innovation

Hydroponics and Vertical Farming: These soil-less farming techniques can maximize food production in limited spaces with minimal water use, crucial for Gaza’s food security. See Iryis (Red SeaFarms). 

Climate-Resilient Crops: Introducing genetically modified or naturally resilient crop varieties can help withstand extreme weather conditions, ensuring a stable food supply.

Waste-to-Energy Technologies

Biogas Production: Converting organic waste into biogas can provide clean energy while reducing landfill waste and methane emissions. See HomeBioGas.

Recycling Facilities: Advanced recycling systems can help manage plastic and electronic waste, creating jobs and promoting environmental health.

The post Trump’s Gaza should use hemp concrete, solar power and smart grids appeared first on Green Prophet.

Balena, which develops a soft recycled plastic that can be used for shoes and other fashion items, announces its release of our first material-made limited-edition handbag in collaboration with Lemon Jelly. The company has collaborated with companies such as Vivo Barefoot in the recent past.

The company first revealed a compostable shoe in 2022 and then went on to create or develop a B2B model where it offers the soft and flexible bioplastic to a range of companies in the fashion industry. It’s an antidote to fast fashion.

Balena and Lemon Jelly have created the NYSSA bag—crafted from BioCirflex, Balena’s proprietary biobased material—which is fully compostable or recyclable, creating a breakthrough in sustainable design and circular fashion. Let it go to waste in the compost bin or bring back into the cycle of plastics. They have circularity in the bag!

“Designed to be both durable and biodegradable,” says Balena, the company, “the NYSSA bag embodies circularity. It’s available exclusively online in deep black and amber yellow, with a sleek matte finish, launching worldwide at the end of November. This collaboration celebrates the strengths of both Balena’s material science innovation and Lemon Jelly’s commitment to responsible fashion.”

International materials science specialist Balena has also partnered with UK’s 3D-print label Variable Seams to showcase the “durability and wearability of Flextex3D, which enables the 3D printing of fabrics and garments.”

Earlier this year they partnered with Zulu Kuki, known for his boundary-pushing creativity and deep appreciation for cultural influences, and who has taken footwear design to a new level with this collaboration.

His design philosophy, inspired by automotive culture—specifically the sleek, functional lines of 70s racing cars like the Porsche 935—translates into a shoe that is both visually striking and functionally advanced. This shoe is more than a fashion statement; it’s a reflection of a future where innovation meets sustainability.

The Lemon Jelly bag costs 90 Euros and you can pre-order it in black or beige here.

Below are some images of shoes created with Kitty Shukman and Balena.

The post Does Balena and Lemon Jelly make the world’s first circular handbag? appeared first on Green Prophet.

After finishing reading your newspaper, have you ever wondered what to do with it? This is given that you are reading a print edition: Well, a Japanese publisher of The Mainichi Shimbusha newspaper has introduced a novel initiative called the ‘green’ newspaper, offering a unique solution: you can plant the newspaper once you’re done with it. It has seeds embedded in the paper.

Why was this concept developed? As a means of tidying up urban areas while also contributing to environmental efforts, the Green Newspaper by the Japanese Daily was conceived. it’s a way to also teach people about climate change and sustainability issues.

If you’re inspired by the innovative spirit behind Japan’s plantable newspaper, you might also explore how language and sustainability connect in your own career. For those fluent in Japanese, there are growing opportunities to find remote Japanese language jobs on Jooble. Whether you’re passionate about translation, teaching, or support roles, these positions allow you to leverage language skills while contributing to diverse fields.

First introduced on ‘Greenery Day’ on May 4th, 2016 in Japan this special edition was dedicated solely to environmental news and printed on 100% biodegradable paper with plant-based inks. Each page contained embedded seeds that, when planted, would sprout into flowers attracting butterflies and other pollinators.

Some copies even had seeds for growing herbs! Instructions were included for tearing used newspapers into smaller pieces and planting them in soil. With print advertising’s branding being 185% stronger than digital according to Newswoks’ report on Print vs Digital Advertising (2020), incorporating plantable pages adds an extra allure to the printed word.

Who came up with this idea? The concept originated from Dentsu Inc, one of Japan’s largest advertising agencies, collaborating with The Mainichi, publisher of The Japanese Daily.

Has it been effective? The Green Newspaper is not the first environmental initiative undertaken by The Japanese Daily. They’ve earned a reputation through previous campaigns, such as water donation drives for populations facing drought and unsafe drinking water.

Their eco-friendly newspaper has seen significant success, with a daily circulation exceeding four million copies nationwide and revenues surpassing eighty million yen, equivalent to over £500,000.

The initiative has involved schools, educating children and raising awareness about current environmental issues, thereby instilling the importance of recycling in the next generation.

The Japanese Daily isn’t alone in embracing sustainable planting initiatives. With Europe boasting a recycling rate of 74%, innovative recycling methods are gaining popularity. Plantable greeting cards are increasingly common in stationary shops and supermarkets. Businesses are also adopting eco-friendly promotional materials like seed sticks and plantable papers for business cards, leaflets, and flyers. Plus, you can make them at home. Or make seed bombs which also fun.

How is seed paper made?

Seed paper isn’t a novel concept but rather a slow-growing trend. It’s a simple mixture of recycled paper, water, and small flower or herb seeds. You can even make it at home. Here are the steps:

1. Tear up your old paper of choice and put it in a blender.
2. Fill blender with warm water.
3. Blend until there are no visible paper chunks.
4. Stir in the seeds. Choose tiny seeds like parsley, lettuce, or za’atar –  or flowers.
5. Strain the mixture to remove excess water. Very important.
6. Spread the pulp thinly to dry.
7. Once dry, use it for various purposes like cards or tags, knowing that wherever it ends up, it will eventually bloom into flowers.

So, next time you’re done with a newspaper or come across one during your travels, consider recycling it into something new. And for special occasions, opt for plantable cards, knowing you’re contributing to the planet’s well-being, one page at a time. Oh and kids love making paper. It’s the number one activity we have done with kids over the years. Consider turning your paper into greeting cards, birthday cards or Ramadan cards.

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A new study suggests a naturally-occurring material is an effective disinfectant for contact lenses, worn by millions of people worldwide. Microbial keratitis is one of the most serious potential complications for contact lens wearers. It’s an infection of the cornea that is caused by bacteria; the most common being Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Previous studies have found that existing disinfecting solutions are not effective for preventing biofilm, which are clusters of bacteria that attach to the surface of lenses.

Hydroquinine, an organic compound found in the bark of some trees, is known to have bacterial killing activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and several other clinically important germs, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The team behind the discovery, from the University of Portsmouth in England and Naresuan and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat universities in Thailand, has now explored the potential use of multipurpose formulas containing hydroquinine as a disinfectant for contact lenses.

They examined the antibacterial, anti-adhesion, and anti-biofilm properties of hydroquinine-formulated multi-purpose solutions (MPSs), and then compared it to two commercial MPSs; Opti-free Replenish and Q-eye. The natural compound killed 99.9 per cent of bacteria at the time of disinfection.

The paper, published in Antibiotics, says these findings may aid in the development of novel disinfectants aimed at combating the P. aeruginosa bacteria.

Dr Robert Baldock from the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Commercially available disinfecting solutions, which are made up of a number of chemicals, can sometimes cause reactions with painful side-effects.

“We hoped to demonstrate that new agents made from natural products may be an excellent option to limit or reduce the risk of contact lens contamination.

“It is exciting to see how this research has progressed; from discovery to exploring potential applications.”

Hydroquinine is already known to be an effective agent against malaria in humans, and it is also being used in the Netherlands to treat nocturnal muscle cramps. Until now, there has been little investigation into its drug-resistant properties.

About being more sustainable? With awareness on plastic straws covered, it’s time to switch to recycling contact lenses. Some opticians in Canada have started accepting used lenses, a compounding problem if you wear dailies. If you can’t do that, put them in the garbage not down the drain. Some companies like LEXX offer recyclable packaging which is a start. And Acuvue lenses are made with renewable energy.

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