As the use of lithium batteries is set to grow rapidly over the next decade, researchers and businesses are turning to recycling to address global raw material supply-chain issues.
If you were worried that the plastic industry was getting a little too trustworthy, worry no longer!
CARBIS BAY, England — Security is tight in the English county of Cornwall as President Biden and other leaders of the Group of Seven – seven of the world's wealthiest countries — prepare to meet for a weekend summit beginning Friday.
But if you want to catch a firsthand glimpse of Biden, Germany's Angela Merkel or the other powerful politicians, your best bet may be a two-story sculpture that replicates their likenesses using electronic waste in the hills overlooking the resort where they are meeting. World Leaders Are Meeting To Tackle Climate Change And Pandemic Recovery World World Leaders Are Meeting To Tackle Climate Change And Pandemic Recovery
The sculpture, which is drawing large crowds, is arranged like Mount Rushmore — but with the G-7 leaders instead of U.S. presidents.
The Lego Disney Frozen II Arendelle Castle Village features a princess, animals, birds and mini dolls. It is made of 521 separate bits of plastic, it was one of the bestselling Christmas toys, and fans of the movie on which it is based will surely spend several hours of magical, creative play with it.
But those few hours may well be the last that this and many other toys are used. Thousands of plastic castles, farmyards and games, as well as myriad other presents, have probably already been stuffed into bulging cupboards to be thrown away in a year or two to make room for yet more plastic. And, because most plastic is near impossible to recycle, these toys will probably have to be landfilled or burned in incinerators, poisoning the air and further adding to global heating.
Recycling rules seem to differ in every municipality, with exceptions and caveats at every turn, leaving the average American scratching their head at the simple act of throwing something away. Jennie Romer, author of “Can I Recycle This?” joins NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker as he delves into the nebulous, confusing world of American recycling.
Recycling works, but it's not magic. As America continues to lead the world in per capita waste production, it's becoming more and more clear that everybody –- manufacturers and consumers — "over-believes" in recycling.
This is a story about responsibility, and what happens when everyone keeps trying to pass it off to the next person. And what happens, when finally, there is no next person.