materials

A 21-year-old Mexican environmental innovator is developing microbial fuel cells that use discarded materials to generate electricity and improve polluted water; her project aims to produce 50 working units by 2027

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A 21-year-old Mexican environmental innovator is developing microbial fuel cells that use discarded materials to generate electricity and improve polluted water; her project aims to produce 50 working units by 2027

Maritza Sanchez Photo credit: https://www.broweryouthawards.org/winner/maritza-sanchez/ Growing up in Cuautlancingo, a town in Mexico’s Puebla state, Maritza Sanchez saw pollution close to home. Now 21, she is developing microbial fuel cells that use materials recovered from local waste to generate electricity and help improve polluted water. Her project, Aquayac Energy, is focused on the Atoyac River, … Read more

In 1968, Jeff McKissack began building Houston’s Orange Show from salvaged materials, creating a unique folk art landmark that opened to the public in 1979

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In 1968, Jeff McKissack began building Houston’s Orange Show from salvaged materials, creating a unique folk art landmark that opened to the public in 1979

In October 1977, William Martin wrote in Texas Monthly that the Orange Show, a folk art site on Munger Street in southeast Houston, was the passion of its creator, Jeff McKissack, then 75. McKissack told William Martin in a Texas Monthly interview, “I work on it every day.” The complex, built from salvaged materials, honours … Read more

An Indianapolis man quietly built a fortune exceeding $13 million; after his death, a surprise call from his estate brought a $1.6 million gift to a charity supplying classrooms with essential materials

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An Indianapolis man quietly built a fortune exceeding $13 million; after his death, a surprise call from his estate brought a $1.6 million gift to a charity supplying classrooms with essential materials

For years, Terence “Terry” Kahn lived in a way that gave little indication he had accumulated millions of dollars. The Indianapolis man lived in a modest home, drove an old Honda and avoided owning a cellphone because he considered it an unnecessary expense. Even his longtime attorney and friends were surprised by the size of … Read more

An Indiana man planned one Hobbit house; seven years later, he had built an 11-building fantasy village from recycled and secondhand materials

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An Indiana man planned one Hobbit house; seven years later, he had built an 11-building fantasy village from recycled and secondhand materials

PC: Free Press Indiana News Rick Sparks never intended to build a village. The Tolkien fan originally planned a single Hobbit-inspired house on a 3½-acre property outside Connersville, Indiana, as a weekend getaway. Seven years later, that house has become his residence, and the site has grown into Rackshire, an 11-building fantasy village. Its Tolkienesque … Read more

A New York couple built their 2,500-sq-ft home for $40,000 using YouTube and discarded materials; after selling it for $290,000, they moved to Florida with no jobs and became scuba instructors

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A New York couple built their 2,500-sq-ft home for $40,000 using YouTube and discarded materials; after selling it for $290,000, they moved to Florida with no jobs and became scuba instructors

A New York couple built a 2,500-square-foot home for just $40,000 using online tutorials and materials collected from local dumps. They later sold it for $290,000 and used the money to make a sudden move to Florida without jobs or permanent housing arranged. Jessica Patrzyk, 34, and her husband left their life in rural Worth, … Read more

In 2002, an Australian couple bought a barren 26-hectare island; 17 years later, they moved in after clearing weeds and hauling 38 truckloads of materials

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In 2002, an Australian couple bought a barren 26-hectare island; 17 years later, they moved in after clearing weeds and hauling 38 truckloads of materials

Ram Island is situated in southeast Tasmania’s Little Swanport estuary. Image Credit: Peterswald The story of Ram Island began with a simple newspaper advertisement and grew into a 17-year project that turned a weed-covered, undeveloped piece of Tasmania into a private home. Ralph and Caralyn Mansfield bought the 26-hectare island in Little Swanport in 2002, … Read more

MIT scientists developed a way to turn discarded plastic into strong building materials, with recycled composites already used in a 40-foot bridge

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MIT scientists developed a way to turn discarded plastic into strong building materials, with recycled composites already used in a 40-foot bridge

A new MIT-backed company is turning discarded plastic into structural parts for buildings and infrastructure. Atlas Building Composites has developed an AI-powered robotic manufacturing platform that shreds single-use plastic, melts it, and fuses it with American-made fiberglass. The resulting composite is then formed into parts such as foundations, decks, and trusses using large-scale 3D printing. … Read more

At 21, an Australian artist bought 25 acres in Tasmania; 18 months later a bushfire destroyed her first home, so she rebuilt it from salvage materials into an off-grid cabin for AU$7,000-10,000

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At 21, an Australian artist bought 25 acres in Tasmania; 18 months later a bushfire destroyed her first home, so she rebuilt it from salvage materials into an off-grid cabin for AU$7,000-10,000

She Bought 25 Acres at 21. After the Bushfire, She Built This Cabin From What Survived An Australian artist who used her savings to buy a 25-acre bush block in Tasmania at the age of 21 has built an off-grid home using salvaged materials after a bushfire destroyed her original house just 18 months after … Read more

At 17, British apprentice Tom Lear began building a 12.5-sq-m tiny home on a trailer from reclaimed materials; by 20, he owned it debt-free after spending just £6,000

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At 17, British apprentice Tom Lear began building a 12.5-sq-m tiny home on a trailer from reclaimed materials; by 20, he owned it debt-free after spending just £6,000

A 20-year-old carpenter from Bristol has achieved debt-free homeownership after spending three years building a bespoke 12.5-square-metre mobile home using reclaimed materials and timber offcuts. Tom Lear started the self-build project at the age of 17 while working as a carpentry apprentice on a low training wage. Working with a tight budget, Lear built the … Read more

Scotland’s first commercial wind farm recycled and reused 99.9% of materials from 26 old turbines, with blades turned into construction polymers

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Scotland’s first commercial wind farm recycled and reused 99.9% of materials from 26 old turbines, with blades turned into construction polymers

Scotland’s first commercial wind farm has reached a major milestone in dealing with turbine waste after almost three decades of operation. Hagshaw Hill in South Lanarkshire, which began operating in 1995, was decommissioned and repowered with 14 newer turbines after its original 26 turbines were dismantled in 2023. A Mott MacDonald assessment commissioned by ScottishPower … Read more