Waste is everywhere. Domestic waste outstrips waste from fossil fuels, industry and electronics, and plastic is the most visible problem because it does not break down easily, contains chemicals that can cause long-term damage and spoils beaches and streets. This category looks at what we can do about it, and where concerns are overstated.
Posts here examine solar panels, which are often accused of creating a waste problem. Our articles dispel the myth, give a detailed assessment of recycling solar panels and show how panel materials can be recovered. Other posts examine new materials that could replace plastic, including lignin and industrial-scale bioplastic production, and how those could change packaging and consumer products.
We also look at waste from other energy sources. A post tests the claim by nuclear proponents that the nuclear waste problem is exaggerated, while articles in the energy categories question how effective recycling really is, because recycling alone does not solve the problem. Start here for a fact-based view of waste, recycling and materials as the energy transition moves forward.
Waste is everywhere. Domestic waste outstrips waste from fossil fuels, industry and electronics, and plastic is the most visible problem because it does not break down easily, contains chemicals that can cause long-term damage and spoils beaches and streets. This category looks at what we can do about it, and where concerns are overstated.
Posts here examine solar panels, which are often accused of creating a waste problem. Our articles dispel the myth, give a detailed assessment of recycling solar panels and show how panel materials can be recovered. Other posts examine new materials that could replace plastic, including lignin and industrial-scale bioplastic production, and how those could change packaging and consumer products.
We also look at waste from other energy sources. A post tests the claim by nuclear proponents that the nuclear waste problem is exaggerated, while articles in the energy categories question how effective recycling really is, because recycling alone does not solve the problem. Start here for a fact-based view of waste, recycling and materials as the energy transition moves forward.
Solar panels can be recycled. To date, there has been no legal requirement to do so, but governments are now mandating and the purchase price will includee recycling costs. The latest innovation is to recycle 98% profitably with recovery of all components and even recycling of silicon and glass, rather than repurpose.
Industrial-scale bioplastic production is being implemented in select regions globally, primarily for applications like packaging, as documented by case studies such as a Malaysian palm biomass biorefinery (20,000 tons/year) and Thailand’s cassava-based PLA and bioplastic bag production demonstrating localized cost and environmental advantages, but broader adoption is limited by high costs, scalability challenges, and performance trade-offs to the 480 million tonne market.
Plastic pollution is a growing environmental issue, but innovation in alternative materials offers a solution. Lignin, a natural polymer, can replace many fossil-based plastic products. Other plant-based materials, mycelium, and algae are also being explored as potential plastic alternatives, offering hope for a more sustainable future.
Solar panels waste myth is pushed by the fossil fuel lobby to delay the uptake of renewable energy. The rising waste mountain of solar panels is the favourite headline. Rubbish.
Waste from nuclear is trivialised by nuclear proponents. There currently is no cost effective method of removal of the next 45,000 radioactive life of spent nuclear fuel. Arguments include not much, not dangerous, not my problem.
Nuclear Waste Problem Exaggerated say Nuclear Proponents Read More »
