Category: Environment

Mixed material clothes hard to recycle

If you want to be environmentally friendly, you should in particular avoid buying clothes made of mixed material textiles. The worst offender being the all too common blend of cotton and polyester.

Because while both textiles made out of cotton and the synthetic, plastic fibre polyester are technically recyclable today, the mix of the two in one textile product makes it nigh impossible to recycle.

In addition to the recycling problem, there is also the environmental impact from microplastic – microscopic plastic pieces are continuously shed from the polyester fibres during wear and washing of the clothes – that end up in nature and are virtually undegradable.

In short, there are a multitude of reasons for avoiding clothes that consist of or includes polyester.

Source: BBC Future Planet

Portugal builds hydro battery

As a part of the strive for renewable energy production, Portugal is constructing a new hydro plant that in effect will work as a giant battery.

By utilizing renewable energy from wind, sun, wave and hydro power to pump water up to a giant reservoir during periods of low electricity demand – such as during night time or on weekends – the hydro plant’s water reserve is “reloaded” with water that later can be used in the usual way to produce hydro electricity when needed.

In this way the hydro plant works as a giant battery, storing energy for later use. The technique is not entirely new – similar setups already exist – but for Portugal the new construction will bring the country further on its way to get 80 percent of their energy needs from renewable sources.

Source: ARD Tagesschau

Tuna returns to the Danish-Swedish sounds

The tuna which has been absent from the Öresund area for many years is starting to reappear according to countings done by Danish and Swedish researchers.

New regulations and better controlling introduced 15 years ago are thus providing results and in combination with an increased amount of the fish species that the tuna feeds on, the tuna stock is now replenishing.

During 2022 the researchers tagged 48 tuna individuals in order to better track their movements for future research.

Source: SVT