English

Researchers at the University of Warwick‘‘s Warwick Manufacturing Group, in conjunction with PVAXX Research & Development Ltd, have devised a novel way to recycle discarded mobile telephones – bury them and watch them transform into the flower of your choice. Mobile telephones are one of the most quickly discarded items …

Italy‘‘s environment minister, Altero Matteoli, has said that Italy has made steps forward in the recycling of waste but they are not still sufficient to reach the targets fixed by the law. Matteoli stressed that last year 6.4 million tons of rubbish were recycled compared to 5.7 million in 2002 …

According to waste statistics recently published by the German Federal Office for Statistics for the year 2002, the quantity of waste that went to landfill and waste incineration plants in Germany was 381 million tonnes – 14 million tonnes (or 3.5%) less than the previous year, and 25 million tonnes …

In 1999, two companies, a group of long-term unemployed and abfallvermeider (waste-avoiders?) founded a network. Today it includes 43 companies in the Vienna area, who repair everything from leather gloves to dishwashers. Wienerzeitung reports that each year a total of 73,000 items are repaired for more than 4,400 customers, saving …

Channel News Asia (CNA) reports that a new $6 million (GBP1.9 m) recycling plant has just opened its doors in Singapore, and it is launching a buy-back scheme for used plastic bottles. Residents will get one cent for every two plastic bottles, or 20 cents for a kilogramme. KK Asia …