New indicators explore the impact of the urban environment on people’s health
New metrics that might better inform development and urban planning have been published by the building science organisation BRE. The BRE Healthy Cities Index...
Local Government Association calls for industry-wide approach to tackle unrecyclability of plastic packaging
Food manufacturers must simplify the plastics they use and make them more amenable to recycling, the Local Government Association said on 4 August –...
New ‘flow battery’ could charge electric vehicles in seconds, say researchers
A new type of energy storage system could revolutionise energy storage and drop the charging time of electric cars from hours to seconds, claim...
Def-Con presentation warns of cyber-attack against smart irrigation systems
A presentation at the cyber-security conference Def-Con 26 (Las Vegas, 11 August) has warned of a potential distributed attack against urban water services, using...
New guidance document on avoiding plastic contamination in compost
The REA and ADBA have released a position paper offering advice on how to keep plastic out of digestates and composts .
Ground-breaking textile recycling technology ready to leave the lab, says firm
An East London-based start-up firm, Worn Again Technologies, has announced that it has hit a £5 million investment target to support the commercialisation of a new polymer recycling technology .
Summer reed cutting is essential, says waterways expert
The Rothen Group, an independent civil engineering and maintenance business servicing UK waterways, has issued a warning to raise awareness of the dangers of overgrown weeds choking the waterways this summer .
Climate change will lead to higher UK water costs
Britain’s water industry will face higher costs for treating and managing water supplies due to the increasing occurrence of drought and flood resulting from climate change, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers .
Scottish firm gives golf clubs a new lease of life
The firm aims to get the unused golf clubs, which would otherwise gather dust in garages across the country, into the hands of keen players - or even remanufactured or recycled into new items .
Using on-site bioenergy to meet water and CO2 shortages
Richard Gueterbock, MD of Clearfleau Group, offers advice and opinion on bio-waste .
Keeping compliant across the UK: Differences in environmental legislation
Simon Knott of consultancy Naturally Compliant offers an overview of important differences in environmental legislation between the different countries in the UK .
Quantifying contaminants in oil and gas for recycling
Celtic Recycling is the only firm in the UK able to produce 'good as new' sulphur hexafluoride from discarded transformers, a service supported by the use of bespoke gas chromatography equipment, as this case study explains .
Measurement without obstruction?
David Bowers of ABB Measurement & Analytics makes the case for using thermal mass flowmeters to measure biogas flows .
Applying biology to hard-to-solve waste challenges
From locking in unpleasant odours to reducing bulky waste and cleaning up hydrocarbon contamination, biotechnology company Advetec says bacteria-driven solutions can produce valuable results in unexpected areas. Chief Operating Officer Richard Goff highlights those areas where the most exciting progress has been made .
Clutching at straws?
In banning plastic drinking straws, coffee cups and other single-use plastic, the UK Government and NGOs seem to be ignoring the really big issue - the exportation of waste plastics that are ending up in the world's oceans, says UK recycling firm Axion Polymers .
Guidance ‘will encourage more blue-green infrastructure’
New guidance appears to give water companies greater freedom to adopt Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and to introduce more rainwater saving and re-use schemes, as well as encouraging the integration of surface water assets into blue-green infrastructure .
Making the most of the RHI reforms with membrane technology
The first commercial plant to upgrade biogas to biomethane, for injection into the gas grid or for use as a vehicle fuel, used water wash technology, and in 2012, a new solution came onto the market: highly selective membrane technology
Bringing remote monitoring benefits to community-scale biogas
Researchers at Loughborough University have collaborated with colleagues in Thailand to develop a small scale biogas system that converts food waste to methane and can be monitored via the internet .
Cleaning spills with magnets
A seemingly new approach to oil-water separation – with implications for cleaning up oil and wastewater spills - has been developed by researchers at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences .
UK off track to meet emissions targets without urgent action
The Committee on Climate Change published its 2018 Progress Report to Parliament on 28 June, which said the UK will miss its legally binding carbon budgets in 2025 and 2030, unless swift action is taken .
