#sustainability

Repair Cafés, free community events where volunteers fix broken items, are surging in popularity as anti-consumerism and inflation push people to repair rather than replace goods.

Researchers in China say a new textile coating forms an ultrathin protective water layer that helps prevent stains and microbes from sticking, potentially slashing laundry water and energy use.

Amazon Japan is using non-passenger space on Shinkansen routes to move parcels between regions faster while aiming to cut carbon emissions.

Researchers in Germany are developing a running shoe concept built almost entirely from a single material, aiming to make footwear more recyclable without abandoning performance-focused design.

Researchers at King's College London report that keratin extracted from wool supported bone regeneration in animal tests and produced tissue that more closely resembled healthy bone than collagen-based standards.

A new research effort describes a dynamic framework for monitoring tillage practices from space, aimed at improving visibility into no-till and reduced-till adoption across the Midwest.

FloWater is pitching refill-based drinking water systems as an alternative to single-use plastic bottles, arguing that purification and reuse can address both contamination concerns and plastic waste.

A new radiology study finds that ultrasound’s emissions profile looks different from other imaging tools, with linens and disposable supplies accounting for most of its carbon footprint rather than the equipment itself.

Korean researchers have created the world's first 4D printing technology using industrial sulfur waste, producing recyclable soft robots that autonomously move and change shape in response to heat, light, and magnetic fields.

Canada's most comprehensive real-world test of electric semi trucks has concluded, showing that fleets can realize nearly $160,000 in savings per truck over six years. The 12-month study compared diesel and electric Freightliner Cascadia trucks across 200,000 kilometers of Montreal-area driving.

A new initiative called Material Scale combines venture capital and project finance to help climate technology startups bridge the perilous gap between prototype and commercial production. The fund will initially target the apparel industry's sustainability challenges.

As the 2026 Milan Olympics lean on snow machines, researchers warn that snowmaking locks resorts into a costly path with an expiration date.

As climate change shrinks natural snowfall, ski resorts face a paradox. Artificial snowmaking sustains the industry but carries huge environmental costs.