Builders turn to Hemp…

The Pierre Chevet Sports Hall on the outskirts of Paris, Croissy-Beaubourg, is one of the first buildings constructed using hemp blocks. The project was able to be realized due to the cooperation of architects, building manufacturers, construction companies and town leaders. Hemp blocks are a combination of lime, hemp fibers and a chemical binder. It has been given the name “hempcrete” since it can be poured just as traditional concrete. Texas A & M University was given a $3.74 million dollar grant by the Department of Energy to develop 3D printed hemp buildings. Smaller objects are already being produced using hemp but the high cost of developing these building materials must be overcome. There is also the stigma of the word hemp being connected to drug use. Hemp buildings can provide a space that is resistant to fire, mold, and extreme weather conditions.  In Cape Town, South Africa, a 12-story building has already been constructed. The costs of the bricks are much higher, but construction takes considerably less time which decreases the expense of the overall project. As of now hemp buildings need to be a hybrid using traditional support systems (ex. iron beams) but the bulk of the building can be rendered using hemp.

https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/building-with-hempcrete

Ditching Plastic Waste…

Only about 5% of what we put in our recycle bins gets recycled. After which most can only be reused once or twice. Startups as well as major brands are looking into how we can refill our containers thus eliminating the need to recycle. Three-quarters of Americans surveyed said they would prefer to reuse their plastic containers. If 20% of what we recycle was reused it would cut down the amount dumped into our oceans by half. Until now there existed only a small number of refillable boutiques. Windex now introduced concentrates that dissolve in water. Dove is producing deodorant sticks that fit into existing holders. These are small experiments that hopefully will change the minds of Americans who generate 500 lbs. of plastic waste per person per year. Household cleaners are the first and easiest to produce in this concentrated manner. A 1-oz. bottle or tin will hold what can be turned into 16 ounces. The tin and glass containers are much more easily recycled as opposed to plastic. What companies such as Clorox are looking into is reducing the amount of plastic that is used in packaging. They are hosting seminars in the hope of inspiring manufacturers on the benefits of using refillable containers.

Responsible Building and Nature…

When Expedia, the online travel group, built their headquarters in Seattle they hired Surfacedesigns to restore and incorporate nature as a big part of the development. This meant two bays filled with garbage had to be replaced with new soil for reseeding of natural growth. There is a shift in the view of developers in so much as they are not just preserving nature but, in some cases, restoring it according to the founding partners of Surfacedesigns. The waterfront was to have a bike path, a soccer field and driftwood benches to view the ocean. The aim of Expedia was to move away from a manicured look to one of a more natural setting. Similar projects are under way along the Brooklyn waterfront where a pair of high-rises “River Ring” will include tidal pools and marshes to encourage herons. In the Rockaways a nature preserve is to be created from an old parking lot. Many developers now feel it is their duty to build responsibly which means working with and around nature.

Styrofoam Eating Larvae…

The Darkling Beetle, which is in the form of a 2-inch worm, is capable of eating and digesting Styrofoam. Although their diet mainly consists of wheat bran, they have managed to gain weight and not expire after the consumption of this inorganic substance. If scientists can understand what is behind this ability, it could aid in solving the problem of what to do with the excess Styrofoam being produced. When given antibiotics the larvae were unable to consume more of the substance. This led scientists to believe that the antibiotics were destroying a particular microbe in their digestive system that was responsible for digesting Styrofoam. Studies in Australia with the mealworm found similar results. These worms were able to consume the Styrofoam packing peanuts without it doing any harm to their system.

https://www.intelligentliving.co/styrofoam-eating-mealworms-absorb-toxic-additive/https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/beetle-larvae-can-survive-on-polystyrene-alone-67251