The hottest Recycling Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

The Battery Mineral Loop

Renewable Revolution • 439 implied HN points • 24 Jul 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Battery minerals are becoming more efficient and less dependent on mining. Advances in recycling and chemistry can help meet demand without exhausting resources.
  2. In the coming decades, we might reach a point where we won't need to extract new battery minerals at all. We could rely on recycling old batteries instead.
  3. Countries have a big chance to shift from fossil fuel use to sustainable energy. This change can happen faster and cheaper than many think, especially if everyone works together.

“Recycling” Makes Plastic Pollution Worse

Stark Realities with Brian McGlinchey • 2047 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Most plastic items that go into recycling bins don’t actually get recycled. Only a few types of plastic are from beverage bottles and jugs are commonly recycled.
  2. The recycling system often misleads people into believing they are helping the environment. In reality, many plastics end up in landfills or are even shipped to other countries, causing pollution.
  3. While plastic has many benefits, it’s important to rethink its use. Alternatives may not always be better, so focusing on reducing plastic waste is the best way forward.

Sorry, Davos: e-waste is a tragedy, not an opportunity

Fight to Repair • 138 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. E-waste is a significant problem globally, causing harm to people and ecological systems through pollution, inhumane extraction of raw materials, and other disasters.
  2. The idea pushed by some, like the World Economic Forum, that e-waste can be seen as a financial opportunity and a way to boost the economy is criticized as overlooking the true impact and complexity of the issue.
  3. Repairing electronics rather than constant disposal is highlighted as a more sustainable solution that could lead to a more resilient community, a reduction in repair costs, and the circulation of money locally.
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Activation locks send working Macbooks to the trash- Week in Repair

Fight to Repair • 138 implied HN points • 27 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Recycling
  1. Activation locks on Macbooks are causing perfectly functional devices to be discarded due to the security feature preventing refurbishing or re-selling.
  2. Harvard Business Review article suggests that right to repair laws might lead manufacturers to counterproductive actions, like adjusting prices or promoting device replacement over repair.
  3. Advocates highlight the importance of right to repair laws in promoting refurbishing and reusing devices to reduce e-waste and keep toxic chemicals out of landfills.

On International Repair Day: Much To Celebrate

Fight to Repair • 59 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
🌐 International Recycling
  1. International Repair Day is an occasion to celebrate repair skills, promote sustainability, and advocate for a more circular economy worldwide.
  2. Significant progress has been observed globally with the adoption of repair laws in various regions, including the US, Canada, India, and the EU.
  3. The movement for the right to repair is growing, aiming for repair accessibility for all, with events, advocacy, and initiatives globally to support a shift towards a more repairable world.

Are Bicycles Becoming Less Sustainable?

Fight to Repair • 59 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Some argue the sustainability of bicycles is decreasing with the introduction of e-bikes and resource-intensive materials, prompting a need to return to simpler designs and materials.
  2. Not all bicycles have the same environmental impact, especially when considering their lifecycle, repairability, and the materials they are made of.
  3. Repairing bicycles is a crucial way to extend their lifespan and combat the disposable culture in the cycling industry, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing repair over constant innovation.

They lie about Plastics. They lie about Fossil Fuel. They'll lie about Anything

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Big Oil companies lie about their plans to zero out greenhouse gas emissions and their efforts to address plastic waste challenges.
  2. Despite making colossal profits, Big Oil companies like Shell, ExxonMobil, and Aramco continue to spread misinformation about their environmental impact.
  3. Developing a circular economy, reducing plastic and private vehicle usage, and holding corporations accountable for lies about recycling and pollution can lead to significant positive changes in addressing climate crises.

The low-carbon energy transition will need less mining than fossil fuels, even when adjusted for waste rock

Sustainability by numbers • 201 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Low-carbon energy transition requires less mining than fossil fuels, even when accounting for waste rock.
  2. Material requirements for low-carbon technologies are still lower than current mining requirements for fossil fuels.
  3. Electrification for vehicles will increase material requirements, but overall material needs will decrease with an energy transition.

Circular Economy, Challenges for the Recycling and Repurposing Models

Divergent Futures • 19 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Recycling requires a lot of energy. To make recycling effective, we need to ensure we have enough energy left over for future use, not just for recycling now.
  2. Repurposing items can be costly at a large scale. It's often cheaper to produce new items because mass production is more efficient than repairing unique, broken items.
  3. The main focus should be on reducing waste, not just on conserving resources. Waste creates urgent problems like pollution and health issues, which need more attention in discussions about sustainability.

We have enough minerals for the energy transition, but medium-term supply is a challenge [Part 2]

Sustainability by numbers • 150 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Short- and medium-term supply of minerals for the energy transition is a challenge that requires increased recycling, substitution, mining, and refining capacity.
  2. The time it takes to discover new mineral deposits, open mines, and scale up refining capacity can create bottlenecks in the short- and medium-term.
  3. To meet the growing mineral demand by 2030, there is a need to accelerate new mine openings, build refining capacity, and ensure strong environmental and social oversight.

The Dirty Secret of Recycling

Polymathic Being • 104 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Only 10% of plastic put in recycling bins is actually recycled.
  2. Recycling can have high contamination rates and often leads to materials being shipped overseas or dumped in landfills.
  3. To improve recycling, focus on reducing and reusing materials, design products for better recycling, and address the psychological aspect of recycling habits.

Fight to Repair Daily: Friday October 14, 2022

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 14 Oct 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. International E-waste Day brings attention to the impact of trashing electronics, especially in countries with high e-waste generation.
  2. The need to focus on the pre-consumer stage and the importance of using recycled materials and completing the circular economy in tech.
  3. Efforts are being made to promote repair-friendly practices, such as Framework introducing a refurbished program to reuse consumer waste.

Fight to Repair Daily: Friday, September 30, 2022

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 30 Sep 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Statehouses are addressing agricultural repair issues as Congress stalls; focus on complex farm equipment repair and fair requirements
  2. New federal funds support increased antitrust enforcement in agriculture, improving competition in the livestock industry through collaboration with state attorneys general
  3. Solar panel e-waste management gains attention as more panels enter the waste stream; emergence of producer responsibility standards to address recycling challenges

Fight to Repair Daily: Friday, September 16 2022

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 17 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Recycling
  1. Several Right to Repair bills are stalled in Congress, impacting access to repair information and options for consumers and independent repair providers.
  2. The New York Right to Repair Act aims to change the repair landscape by giving independent repair providers access to diagnostic and repair information previously limited to OEM-authorized providers.
  3. Reusing old phones and gadgets is more beneficial than recycling, as current methods do not efficiently recover all materials. Finding ways to repurpose old devices is encouraged for environmental sustainability.

With eye on sustainability, EU agrees to new battery regulations - Week in Repair

Fight to Repair • 19 implied HN points • 18 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Recycling
  1. EU's new battery regulations aim to make devices more sustainable and durable by ensuring batteries are easier to remove and replace.
  2. Consumers will be educated on sustainability through carbon footprint declarations and information labels on batteries.
  3. Large companies will be held accountable for social and environmental risks associated with batteries, promoting reuse of materials and reducing negative impacts.

To Recycle A Shoe

The Polymerist • 116 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Recycling
  1. Dow's recycling program for shoes might not be as effective as it seems.
  2. Modern athletic shoes are complex to recycle due to specialized glue used in construction.
  3. The challenges of recycling highlight the need for sustainable material selection and consumer behavior changes.

Fight to Repair Weekly: Week of November 14, 2022

Fight to Repair • 19 implied HN points • 16 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Recycling
  1. France is offering cash bonuses to consumers to repair their electronics, leading the way towards a circular economy.
  2. Washington D.C. has launched an interactive map to promote repair, reuse, and second-hand shopping, showing a commitment to reducing waste.
  3. Repair initiatives like these show a shift towards prioritizing sustainability and waste reduction over convenience and consumerism.

The Week in Repair: Feb 1-8

Fight to Repair • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 22
🕹 Technology Recycling
  1. US lawmakers are pushing 'Right to Repair' bills to ensure consumers have access to repair services independently.
  2. Automakers are considering turning features into subscription services, leading to negative consumer response.
  3. Efforts are being made to expand repairability beyond laptops, impacting consumer behavior and corporate practices.