Home is anchored to the earth, hovers over the landscape

The Orcas House on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands is an intergenerational family home under construction designed by Seattle firm Allied8. The home explores how construction material use can reduce global emissions. The site was the challenge that started the project. Orcas House is located on a small lot on a ridgeline the previous owner could not figure out how to build on as it is extremely steep and half bedrock.

Allied8 Cofounder Leah Martin purchased the land and had another go at making it a buildable site. The land’s steep slope created a challenge to locate even enough level ground to support a foundation platform. The property has views to the south toward Eastsound, views to the north of the Salish Sea, Sucia Island and downtown Vancouver B.C. And so, Allied8 set themselves the challenge to create a cabin on a building site that could barely touch the ground.

Related: It’s a carbon negative and zero energy sustainable home

As a result, Allied8 decided not to create a foundation at all. The Orcas House is anchored to the earth in six spots on a steel moment frame that hovers over the landscape on three sides. The house cantilevers over one end, preserving the moss and natural landscape beneath it and anchoring the house to the ground via steel pillars.

At least 8% of global emissions from humans come from the cement industry, which means eliminating concrete in a house’s foundation helps significantly to lower the construction carbon footprint. Allied8 decided to use steel instead of concrete on the base in order to make the home more sustainable. Designers for Orcas House also sourced 100% recycled U.S. steel to further curb carbon emissions.

Thereby, the first step of the design was to figure out where the windows should be placed to allow forest, sky and water views to be taken in all at once. The rest of the cabin design fell around the window placements.

The house was kept small at 1,300 square feet to keep the surrounding forest intact. Designers carefully had to fit in storage, mechanical rooms and extra sleep space for kids and guests. A loft space up in the trusses was used to maximize extra storage and sleep space. It’s a small home, but one that is beautiful and functional and located in a spot where most people wouldn’t even attempt to build. The house will be completed in spring 2023.

+ Allied8

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Nuclear fusion is the newest advancement in clean energy

When one thinks of nuclear power, thoughts often include nuclear fission weapons (AKA atomic bombs) and their dangerous consequences. However, new research in sustainable energy production indicates that another type of nuclear energy could be an infinitely-abundant energy resource for the planet. It’s called fusion. Though challenging to produce, fusion’s high-energy yield and limited by-products make it an important resource to consider for the future.

What is fusion?

Nuclear fission is when a heavy atom, such as uranium, breaks down into smaller parts. This process releases significant energy and creates long-lived radioactive waste, which is harmful to living organisms. On the other hand, nuclear fusion is the opposite of fission. It is when two lightweight atoms such as hydrogen, collide to form a heavier atom, such as helium. This process releases enormous amounts of energy, which can be used to power cities efficiently and sustainably.

Related: Hydropower sparks debate as New York fights for clean energy

Unlike nuclear fission, fusion produces no long-term radioactive waste and yields much more energy. Though scientists have already produced fission reactions, fusion reactions are much more challenging to produce. Proficiency of nuclear fusion reactions would allow us to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and could consequently prevent the exacerbation of climate change.

Stars, such as the sun, create energy through nuclear fusion, which takes place in the star’s core. Stars are fusion factories that consist of giant balls of burning plasma. This is the fourth state of matter and is like a gas that is electrically charged. Its freely moving electrons give it unique properties that allow it to drift between solid, liquid and gaseous states. Plasma is the state of matter at which nuclear fusion reactions can take place.

Nuclear fusion also requires extensive amounts of energy to carry out and control. This is because particles have to be heated to extreme temperatures so that despite their extremely repulsive electrostatic forces, they can be forced to fuse together. Every second, our sun uses these extreme conditions to fuse hundreds of tons of hydrogen into helium. Up until recently, it was unknown if these conditions were replicable on Earth.

Emulating the stars

To mimic the process that takes place in stars, scientists use a donut-shaped machine called a tokamak. Tokamaks, such as the one at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France, use giant magnets to create strong magnetic fields that bottle up the intense heat produced by the reaction. These machines need to contain extreme temperatures, reaching over 150 million degrees celsius.

To fuse the atoms, the tokamak is supplied with fuel and the giant magnets are activated to create plasma. The temperature inside the machine is then raised by over 100 million degrees and the hydrogen fuel particles are forced to bond. In doing so, this creates helium gas and free-floating neutrons. The neutrons can escape the plasma and hit the walls of the tokamak, where their kinetic energy transfers as heat. This heat can be used to boil water and create steam, which can power turbines for electricity. The energy can also be used to run more fusion reactions in the future.

In February 2022, scientists in Culham, near Oxford, England, announced an extraordinary breakthrough. They were able to generate and sustain 59 megajoules of fusion energy for five seconds. This was only enough to power a single house for a day and more energy had gone into its production than was actually extracted. However, it proved that fusion is indeed possible on Earth.

A future energy alternative to fossil fuels

Once nuclear fusion energy production is mastered, its efficiency will be too good to pass up. One gram of hydrogen fuel can produce the same amount of energy as eight million grams of oil. ITER’s objective is to develop fusion processes to such an extent that they can be utilized commercially on a global scale. This way, nuclear energy prices will drop and fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas can be phased out. By transitioning to resources that do not emit greenhouse gases, we can avert the irreversible effects of climate change.

Alongside its incredible efficiency, energy from nuclear fusion does not produce harmful by-products. These include greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which retain heat in the atmosphere. In fact, the main by-product of the process is helium gas, which is non-toxic and inert. The radioactive waste produced by the reaction is also short-lived. Materials exposed to fusion can be recycled within 100 years, unlike the long-lived radioactive waste produced by fission. This is key as long-term and/or high exposure to radioactive materials can alter DNA in the cells of living organisms, leading to health and reproductive issues.

Since fusion does not require the use of fissile elements, the material in fusion reactors cannot be misused for nuclear weaponry. Additionally, since maintaining the precise conditions to carry out fusion requires meticulous care, nuclear accidents are not possible in tokamaks. If any disruption occurs, the plasma will cool instantly and the reaction will not take place.

Nuclear fusion is also very sustainable in the long run. Hydrogen fuels, such as deuterium and tritium are found in nature. Deuterium is easily available and plentiful. It can be distilled from fresh and seawater, providing enough fuel to sustain human activity for millions of years. Tritium, though rare, can also be produced synthetically and used alongside deuterium in nuclear reactions. In fact, the deuterium from 500 milliliters of water and a small amount of tritium could power a house for an entire year.

Looking to the future

Because of its impressive qualities, the possibility of using nuclear fusion was discussed by the United Nations in their dialogues at the COP26 Climate Summit 2021. By further developing this clean energy production process, the current over-reliance on fossil fuels could shift to more efficient, eco-friendly energy sources. Though the transition may come with its own challenges, including managing short-lived radioactive waste and tritium production costs, it could be one of several resources used to generate electricity. Consequently, fusion could help alleviate the effects of large-scale environmental degradation and the ongoing climate crisis.

via CNN, CommercialWaste, ITER and TWI

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A home that incorporates recycled materials from the jobsite

Located in the coastal town of Alibaug, near Mumbai, the House of Concrete Experiments is a residential project. The home was built for a client who attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and showed a willingness to experiment with the designs presented by Lead Architect Samira Rathod. 

Set on the foothills of Deotalai in Zirad, the home and the owner speak to nature through the surroundings, including a mango orchard. In fact, the home was built around the existing trees and plants in order to avoid removing them. This natural footprint guided the finished footprint of the house.

Related: Eco-concrete blocks are used to protect sea life 

The surrounding landscape also provided a natural dip in the land. It was converted into a sunken courtyard in front of the house. Trees surround the home, blurring the lines between outdoors and indoors. Inside, the home embraces a minimalist design, only placing walls where structurally required. The space otherwise resembles a studio, with a single bedroom for the occupants and two more bedrooms for guests in a second structure outside the home. 

Furthermore, concrete is used throughout the home. Concrete was poured to a thickness of 450 millimeters to 1000 millimeters for sound buffering and insulation that keeps the space cool. An ancient-style active system uses the thick walls to transport air around the home via small ducts carved into the concrete. Additional passive design elements such as cantilevered overhangs provide shading. 

Moreover, the concrete for the home incorporates a variety of recycled materials as aggregate for the mix. These include stone chips, broken bricks and large pieces of waste stone. This is where the experiment came in with varying finished textures throughout the space, including debris cast concrete, waterjet concrete and form finish concrete with pigments. For example, the guest portion of the home is embellished with pinkish blue concrete, tinted by brick powder. Similarly, the floors are formed from recycled stone pieces cast in concrete terrazzo. Additionally, black kadappa, white marble and pink marble are all used to contribute to the floor’s design. With the main home cast in concrete, skylights and windows were used to flood the space with natural light. 

According to a press release, “The House of Concrete Experiments is in fact an experiment in all its aspects, its planning, construction, structural design, material usage, the play of light and shadow and its services.” 

+ Samira Rathod Design Atelier

Photography by Niveditaa Gupta

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Big Ship's solutions for a flourishing Kenyan coastline

The densely-populated, low-income regions in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya often struggle to maintain a healthy living environment. Lack of waste-management facilities and extensive environmental degradation often exacerbate these problems. To alleviate poverty and prevent further harm to the environment, a group of conservation activists founded Big Ship in 2010. The organization is dedicated to providing community-focused solutions to local problems in Mombasa. By addressing these challenges, the organization targets several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those pertaining to socio-economic growth, environmental reestablishment and sustainable living.

Big Ship’s three pillars

Big Ship is founded on three pillars. The first is the Urban Resilience Pillar, which serves underprivileged urban populations in the city. Since Mombasa has a high population growth rate, its low-income settlements are also on the rise. In light of SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, the organization strives to strengthen the resilience of these marginalized groups. The team supports community members to boost their socio-economic status through training and mentorship.

Related: New seawall designs could help marine life thrive

The second pillar is Waste Resource Collection (RECO). Waste disposal facilities are not able to keep up with high volumes of trash. In fact, the city produces 19,000 tons of waste each month, 10% of which is plastic-based. This often results in trash piling up in illegal dumping sites. Over time, and especially during the rainy season, the rubbish makes its way into freshwater and marine ecosystems. Since Mombasa is highly dependent on marine resources for its economy, the city is becoming more vulnerable to environmental degradation caused by pollution.

The third pillar that Big Ship is built on is Mangrove Conservation. Mangrove forests are a key component of marine ecosystems. They shield the land from strong waves that can degrade coastlines, provide homes and sources of food for local communities and absorb pollutants from the air. In Mombasa, Tudor Creek is home to a large mangrove forest of various species, spanning 1,641 hectares (4,054 acres). Despite these Tudor Creek mangroves acting as the lungs of the city of Mombasa, human-related factors have severely damaged this ecosystem.

Urban resilience

To accomplish each of the organization’s goals, Big Ship carries out various projects throughout Mombasa. Following Big Ship’s first pillar, Urban Resilience, the team works to empower local communities with a focus on youth, women and other marginalized individuals.

One such example is the organization’s Boresha Jamii project. The Swahili phrase translates to “Improve Society” in English. This project addresses SDG 1, No Poverty, and SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. The Boresha Jamii Urban Resilience Program works in collaboration with Big Ship’s Volunteering, Internship and Mentorship Program (VIMP) to provide individuals with life skills and entrepreneurship training.

Thanks to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, marginalized communities in Mombasa have become even more vulnerable to the effects of poverty. Through VIMP, Big Ship supports individuals, especially youth and women, to develop their careers. Participants interact with experts in different fields and explore careers they are interested in. Thus, they build skills and enhance their knowledge in their field(s) of interest. Additionally, participants are mentored by industry experts, further enhancing their career trajectory.

Waste management and resource collection

Big Ship’s second pillar, Waste Resource Collection, is one that was more of a challenge for Big Ship to work towards. Because of commonly-held mindsets regarding the handling of waste, the region has faced extensive problems, including improper waste disposal and a lack of recycling systems. In turn, has resulted in long-term effects on the society and surrounding ecology. To combat this, Big Ship put together the Resource Collection Project (RECO).

RECO has two main objectives: to enhance awareness about waste-management practices and facilitate capacity-building to recover resources. These initiatives create a circular economy by maximizing resources that would typically be thrown away.

To raise awareness, Big Ship targets the youth. They are taught about the organization’s Attitude and Behavior Change (ABC) concept. Through this, youth are encouraged to change their mindsets about waste management and resource recovery. Additionally, resource collectors are employed to gather and transfer resources that can be reused or recycled, activating waste recovery options. Over the past few years, this effort has slashed plastics at the main dumping site by 60%.

Mangrove restoration

Big Ship’s flagship project, #BringBackTudorCreek, is the main initiative that works to fulfill their third objective. The mangrove restoration works to conserve and re-establish deforested and/or degraded mangrove ecosystems. Since Mombasa attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year for its gorgeous beaches, ensuring that the coastline is well-maintained is key.

Currently, 80% of the mangrove forest in Tudor Creek has been depleted. This is due to unsustainable extensive pollution and deforestation. This not only causes harm to the environment, but also to the marginalized communities living near Tudor Creek who depend on the ecosystem for income through tourism, food sources and energy needs.

Using the 10,000 plastic yogurt containers collected through RECO initiatives each year, Big Ship plants mangrove seedlings along the creek. These yogurt pots can be used to propagate seedlings up to 50 times each, unlike common polythene bags which can only be used once. Through the reforestation drive, Big Ship planted over 300,000 mangroves on 200 hectares (494 acres) of coastline in Tudor Creek. The seedlings have a 95% survival rate and are rebuilding the marine ecosystem, allowing aquatic life to thrive once more.

To further sustain the project, Big Ship assisted community members to start up their own beekeeping practices in the newly reforested areas. This helps safeguard the mangroves from clear-cutting and prevents the space being used as a dumping ground. As a result, the creek is flourishing and is no longer threatened by harmful resource exploitation, including mangroves being used for construction and charcoal.

Big Ship’s community-focused solutions are key to tackling local challenges in Mombasa. By empowering the community to manage waste and maintain the coastline, socio-economic development grows in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner.

+ Big Ship

via Al Jazeera

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Asahi Kasei AKXY2 concept car is electrifying the future

Asahi Kasei is celebrating its centennial by releasing a new concept car called AKXY2, an exploration of how values for sustainability, satisfaction and society influence future mobility. Asahi Kasei is a Japanese multinational company that works in multiple industries. The company’s new concept car looks at how the need for sustainability paired with the needs of society and drivers shape how we drive in a society that is moving toward automation and electrification.

The AKXY2 concept (pronounced “ax-ee”) is packed with Asahi technological innovations from the material industry that have contributed to present and future mobility projects.

Related: NASA contracts Canoo to design new EV for Artemis astronauts

“Aside from advancements in legislation, evolving demands from customers are causing OEMs to tear down existing processes in favor of safer, more comfortable and more sustainable vehicles, answering the needs of diverse end users,” said Heiko Rother, general manager of automotive business development at AsahiKasei Europe.

Moreover, materials used in the car help shape the driving experience as well as offer more sustainable ways to build vehicles. AKXY2 shows how the company that made it has expertise across multiple aspects of the vehicle creation value chain. This is from raw materials and production technologies to the expert usage of recycled and recyclable materials. In fact, pretty much everything you can see or touch in the AKXY2 concept car was manufactured or co-developed by Asahi Kasei, something rarely seen in the auto industry.

Throughout the car, Asahi Kasei materials are used such as textiles and elastomers that contribute to a lower carbon footprint. Interior surfaces are covered in a material called Dinamica microfiber suede that is made partially from recycled polyester. Sage Automotive Interiors sustainable fabrics also line the cabin. These fabrics are made from recycled PET, bio-based PET, ocean waste and natural fibers. Vehicle seat cushions were made from Cubit, a PET and bio-based PPT material made into a 3D mesh.

Even the tires were made from bio-based butadiene. They are low-rolling resistance tires to improve fuel and energy efficiency and reduces microplastic. Antimicrobial fabrics were used to prevent spread of pathogens in the cabin, and CO2 sensors monitor air quality while reducing energy usage.

Additionally, AKXY2 features open/close touch buttons for the doors and the overhead transparent canopy that takes the place of a normal roof. Don’t expect to see a car come to market with a fully transparent roof yet. The pillars that hold up the roof are a key component to crash and rollover safety, but we love the concept and expect materials science will get us to transparent vehicle roofs at some point coming in the not too distant future.

You can see the AKXY2 concept car at K Show in Dusseldorf in October of 2022, or at CES 2023 in January 2023 in Las Vegas.

+ Asahi Kasei

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The benefits of adaptive reusing old buildings into new

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s a phrase we’ve all become accustomed to hearing. Some products and materials are commonly recycled with little thought, such as beverage containers in states with a deposit law or plastic grocery bags returned to the receptacle at the supermarket. Metal, glass and cardboard are other examples. Now think bigger. Think urban. Think entire buildings being converted into a completely new space. 

The practice is known as adaptive reuse, and it’s gaining momentum in the face of ever-growing environmental challenges. Through adaptive reuse, old buildings are given new life, and the process brings a host of benefits to the community, inhabitants and environment. 

Related: Stockholm offices repurposed into apartments with green roof

Better for the community

Reusing buildings already taking up space in the city keeps the building from being torn down, helping to maintain the roots of the community. Plus, existing real estate is less expensive than new builds, providing community members more affordable options in their own neighborhood. 

Existing buildings already have the surrounding infrastructure too. Therefore, the new owner has fewer obstacles in regards to parking and street access. An established location also often means surrounding residential and commercial buildings that offer a premade community. Creating an urban center of accessible services means people are more likely to walk or bike, leaving cars and their toxic emissions off the road. 

Better for the environment

Embodied carbon is a massive problem for our environment. Every time we source virgin materials, we release carbon into the air through extraction, processing, manufacturing, packaging and transport. This is before the material is even used in construction. The more we can reuse what’s already onsite, the less of an impact the build has on the environment. Plus, reusing materials significantly decreases the amount of waste associated with tearing down buildings. 

In addition, avoiding new builds helps keep the land intact, since there’s no need to clear plants and trees or otherwise prepare the land. As we know, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release the oxygen we breathe. They also sequester that carbon deep in the soil, which is released when we break ground on new construction. 

Ava Alltmont, AIA, LEED AP, Associate and New Orleans Studio Director at Cushing Terrell, a multi-discipline design studio, recently put together a paper on the topic titled, “Land (Re) Use and Climate Change: Breathing New Life into Old Buildings.” She explained the concept is more applicable than ever with shops shuddering and storefronts sitting empty as a result of the pandemic and economic downturn.

“When buildings are adapted for reuse, this can benefit both the companies and the communities involved by way of reducing environmental impacts, improving quality of life and maintaining a sense of place,” Alltmont said.

Fortunately, many examples of this strategy are being seen in neighborhoods across the country. You’ve likely seen an old building being converted into a music venue, offbeat bar, notable restaurant, antique mall or loft apartment. Alltmont says adaptive reuse might be referred to as a “renovation, modernization, historic preservation, infrastructure reuse and additions, to name a few. And within those categories are even more varieties of adaptive reuse.”

More than just reusing materials

Adaptive reuse isn’t without challenges. In most cases, the building is decades or even centuries old. Systems need to be updated and working within the existing framework can be complicated. However, the benefits of a good location combined with the significantly lower carbon footprint makes adaptive reuse an effort that pays in fresh air, lower pollution, cultural rejuvenation and waste reduction. 

With the global zeitgeist aimed at recognizing the effects of climate change, adaptive reuse should garner the same attention as other forms of recycling. With a post-pandemic focus on wellness, the increase in work-from-home opportunities, a limited amount of available land to build on and empty buildings blanketing the landscape, it’s a perfect time for individuals and businesses to invest in the idea.

A movement of community

In summary, the idea of adaptive reuse adds up to more than just reusing building materials. It’s a movement that cements the history and culture of an area, ties communities together, directs away from urban sprawl (and the traffic that comes with it) and provides more affordable real estate options. 

“If we look back at the cyclical nature of recycling, it’s easy to see the business imperative in adaptive reuse,” Alltmont concluded. “If opting to reimagine an existing building is good for the environment, quality of life and a community’s sense of place, then it will attract more talent, residents and visitors to the city, thus improving the local economy. It’s a case of reduce, reuse, recycle — and revitalize.”

Via ModernCities and Ava Alltmont from Cushing Terrell

Images via Cushing Terrell 

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Flipflopi turns plastic waste into beautiful Kenyan boats

In recent years, coastal regions have been increasingly littered with waste washed up on the shores. This is a result of over-dependence on single-use items, especially those made of plastic, as well as inadequate waste-management systems. The Flipflopi Project seeks to address these challenges by empowering local communities to harness solutions that upcycle single-use plastic waste.

Lamu’s waste management challenges

In 2015, Ben Morison founded the Flipflopi Project as a way to tackle plastic waste washed up on the shores of the Lamu archipelago in Kenya. Since the main island of Lamu is disconnected from large-scale waste management and recycling systems on the Kenyan mainland, there is only one waste disposal site for a population of 30,000. Consequently, waste often piles up around the island and is burned out in the open, emitting toxic fumes. Other waste gets blown into the ocean, some of which is washed ashore.

Related: The little pirates saving South Africa from plastic waste

Each year, 35 to 40 tons of single-use plastic waste wash up on Lamu’s gorgeous sandy beaches. The plastic waste ranges from beverage bottles to flip flops, the most prevalent form of plastic waste washed ashore in 2015. From this, Morison coined the name “Flipflopi” for his initiative.

Frustrated by the copious amount of littered waste, Morison partnered with Ali Skanda, a local dhow builder. Dhows are traditional East African sailboats that transport goods from East Africa to spice-trading regions like India and the Middle East. They are still used today for transportation purposes, especially in more traditional towns like Lamu. To pay homage to the local heritage and maximize recycled plastic waste, Skanda and Morison set out to construct the world’s first dhow made from recycled single-use plastic. In doing so, they hoped to inspire others to devise innovative solutions that creatively utilize discarded plastic, thus creating a circular economy.

Building a dhow from plastic waste

The Flipflopi Project began with “Flipflopi Ndogo” or “Little Flipflopi” in Swahili. To create this 10-meter long vessel, seven tons of plastic were collected from the beaches, then crushed and cleaned. Finally, they were melted and poured into molds to form the boat’s structure. The dhow also features a sail made of 1,500 plastic bottles and a patterned hull made from 30,000 flip-flops.

Traditionally, dhows are made from hardwood, which is extremely costly to build and maintain. For the majority of the population in Lamu, these expenses are unsustainable. By using plastic waste as a raw material to build dhows, these costs could be slashed. This would simultaneously provide boaters with sturdy vessels and have a positive impact on the marine ecosystem.

Flipflopi’s initiatives in 2022

Flipflopi Ndogo was the prototype for “Flipflopi Kubwa” or the “Big Flipflopi” dhow, which Morison and Skanda plan on sailing around the world. Currently, Flipflopi Kubwa is under construction. The research and development team is working to improve the vessel’s structural integrity. This dhow will be their biggest project yet. It will span 24 meters, weigh approximately 60 tons and will be covered in a patchwork of over 285,000 flip-flops.

Earlier this year, the team carried out a three-month research study examining plastic pollution within a 300-kilometer radius of the Lamu archipelago. The study found that even in the more remote islands, the state of the mangrove forests and coastlines were worse than expected. Much of the macro-litter collected was plastic, with bottle caps and cap rings accounting for 20% of the waste. This is followed by flip flops and PET bottles, which each accounted for 15% of the litter. These exceedingly high levels of plastic impact biodiversity within marine ecosystems and consequently harm humans dependent on these resources.

After the baseline study, the team undertook their third expedition on Flipflopi Ndogo, focusing on villages within Lamu county. Through this initiative, communities were shown low-cost tools to maximize how they upcycle single-use plastics. These low-tech tools included bicycle-powered plastic shredders to DIY PET bottle-string cutters. Therefore, by assisting these low-income communities with the tools they needed to sustainably boost their economy, Flipflopi also empowered them to create a healthier living environment and protect Kenya’s biodiversity.

Growing Flipflopi

In the near future, the Flipflopi team is working towards establishing a Heritage Boat Building Training Center. This learning hub will teach boat builders to design and build their own recycled plastic-based dhows. They will build on their vernacular knowledge of boat-building and blend it with contemporary materials and processes. In doing so, this will create a closed-loop system by recycling community waste. Additionally, this initiative will tackle key socio-economic and environmental challenges pertaining to the local context.

Additionally, the Flipflopi team intends to set up a Material Recovery Center for plastics. This will be the first of its kind in the Lamu archipelago and will serve over 140,000 people. It will work closely with local communities to regularly collect single-use plastic waste and minimize additional plastics from polluting the lush marine ecosystems. The abundant discarded plastics will be used as a low-cost raw material used at the boat building center and for other small-scale projects assembled by the community. This way, a waste management system will be established across the archipelago and allow the population to generate income, thus creating a sustainable circular economy.

Community-based solutions to local environmental challenges are vital to creating and sustaining circular economies. As the Flipflopi Project demonstrates, these initiatives have positive impacts on the environment and several socio-economic benefits for the Indigenous communities.

+ Flipflopi

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Is recycled wastewater the answer to Californias drought?

Right now, recycled water only fulfills about 3% of California’s needs. But with the drought going on and on, recycling sewer water into drinking water may be what saves the state. And already, Orange County has the world’s largest wastewater recycling plant.

The Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) currently produces 100 million gallons of nearly potable water daily. By next year, its capacity will increase by an additional 30 million gallons. After several treatment processes, the water district injects the water into the ground, adding to the groundwater supply. Mother Nature provides one last filtering treatment.

Related: New purification facility will take water from toilet to tap

Of course, the dream is to go straight from water treatment center to tap. “Direct potable use means closing the loop fully: Water coming out of the recycling process is run directly to the drinking water plant or refills a reservoir,” said Dan McCurry, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, according to a USC news release.

“There’s a lot of excitement about direct potable reuse, but right now it’s not legal in California but should be soon. The bar is much higher for direct use reuse because you sacrifice the filtration given by the environment.” Closing the potable water loop will also be cheaper and save energy, since pumping water out of the ground is a more intensive process.

The future isn’t here quite yet. In the meantime, water restrictions may leave California’s lawns browner than residents like. If you haven’t already swapped out your grass for a rock and cactus garden, now is the time.

McCurry says the public is generally willing to work together on water conservation—up to a point. “It’s the kind of thing you can get people to do for a little bit but then they get sick of it. In the long term, we need to produce more reliable local sources of water.”

Via USC News, LAist

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3D-printed kelp chair is made of recycled fishing nets

Bioplastics can be made of many different materials, but furniture made of fishing nets? That’s the vision of the Kelp Collection from Interesting Times Gang. They introduced a vision of what’s possible with large-scale, 3D-printed furniture made from recycled fishing nets.

“Human existence is deeply dependent on our oceans and their lifeforms,” the designers said. “Yet every year, thousands of fishing nets are discarded into the depths of the Baltic Sea and the surrounding bodies of water. These ghost nets continue to cause death and destruction for fish and sea life for decades afterwards.”

Related: Startup is developing kelp farms in the open ocean to make carbon-neutral biofuel

However, what happens if these nets stay out of the ocean and instead become a resource for creating new products? Interesting Times Gang created a material out of recycled fishing nets and wood fiber to create 3D-printed chair designs. These products stay within the same material ecosystem once they reach the end of their life cycle. Additionally, they can be ground down to create new upcycled biomaterials.

The closed design loop means that fishing nets, instead of contributing to ocean garbage patches and ensnaring marine life, are sources of renewable materials for consumer products. Kelp Collection’s design is visually inspired by biomimicry. It features organic waving lines and the swaying silhouettes of kelp and seaweed.

Furthermore, the furniture for the Kelp Collection was originally commissioned by two-star Michelin chefs Niclas Jonsson and Daniel Hoglander. Designed for their new venture Black Milk Sushi, located in Stockholm and planned to open Spring 2022, the new furniture lends a whimsical and organic sustainable flare to the new restaurant.

Moreover, large swaths of underwater kelp forests have been eradicated by unsustainable fishing practices and rising ocean temperatures. Kelp helps remove as much CO2 per hectare as 20 hectares of trees. By bringing awareness to the value of kelp and underwater ecosystems, the designers and restaurateurs hope to lend toward sustainable solutions.

The Kelp Chair will also be featured in the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fairs exhibition called “Around the corner.” It highlights a circular inspiration exhibition presenting a selection of cross-industry innovations.

+ Interesting Times Gang

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