(GUF) SIMPLER RECYCLING IS RUBBISH

“Simpler Recycling” was pitched as the silver bullet for household confusion: a single, unified list of materials that every household in England could chuck into their bins without needing a PhD in local council policy. Paper, card, plastics, metal, glass, food waste; the same across the board, no matter your postcode. It was supposed to make recycling, “simpler”.

But along the line, the government message morphed. The original concept; (Collection of dry recyclable materials from households and non-household municipal premises) which was written around and concentrated on domestic recycling was muddied by a late-stage legislative remix that now threw businesses into the fold and rather than crafting a parallel or business-friendly framework, the government opted for a knee jerk, dim-witted, clunky bolt-on approach.

The new rules apply to what’s now being called “non-household municipal waste.” That means schools, hospitals, care homes and businesses. Businesses are now expected to separate and present their waste just like households which sounds reasonable in principle, but in practice it's a logistical spaghetti bowl. Different site sizes/containers/scale; infrastructure and waste profiles were never accounted for in the domestic-first design.

Then, to add insult to injury from a private waste management viewpoint: the Compliance Notice clause. Under the updated legislation, not only can producers (businesses) be held to account, but waste collectors can also now be slapped with compliance notices if we fail to toe the line. Except, and here’s the punchline - Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) for whom the legislation was originally aimed at - are exempt – of course they are.

Essentially, if private waste collectors trying to navigate this labyrinth happen to miss a step, we can face penalties, however if a local authority fails to adhere - no such worry; they're basically wearing the legislative equivalent of an invisibility cloak which, if nothing else creates a wildly uneven playing field. It punishes innovation, stifles private-sector investment, and makes a mockery of the idea that everyone’s pulling in the same direction on sustainability. It's also a sharp reminder that, in waste policy, style often wins out over substance and “simpler” usually just means “simpler to explain in a press release.”

We’re left with legislation that tries to be everything to everyone but ends up being not very clear for anyone instead. This isn't good enough - link - more like this (Simpler Recycling) - link - more like this (rubbish) link

(SIM) AIRLINES GREENWASHING - SHOCKER

The European Commission (EC), an executive part of the European Union (EU), has issued a statement that it sent a letter to 20 European airlines, identifying misleading claims about their sustainability practices. The carriers were given 30 days to respond and amend their practices.

The EC and the EU’s consumer authorities, namely the Network of Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC), focused on claims made by airlines that their CO2 emissions could be offset by climate projects or through the usage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which consumers also have to pay extra for.

According to the Commission, the CPC was led by the Belgian Directorate General for Economic Inspection, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, the Norwegian Consumer Authority, and the Spanish Directorate General of Consumer Affairs. While not part of the EU, Norway is part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Nevertheless, the CPC claimed that the practices can be considered misleading, which is prohibited under three different articles of the Unfair Commercial Practises Directive of the EU. The statement added that the airlines have not clarified whether their claims can be based on scientific evidence.

The CPC identified at least six potentially misleading practices by the 20 airlines, including the incorrect impression that paying an additional fee to finance climate projects or using SAF can reduce or counterbalance CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the CPC raised an issue with the term SAF, claiming that the 20 airlines have not justified the impact of the alternative fuel.

Airlines have also allegedly misused several sustainability-linked terms, such as ‘green,’ ‘sustainable,’ and others, using them in absolute terms to imply that their practices are environmentally friendly. In addition, the CPC noted that some airlines have claimed that they are moving toward net-zero emissions without any “clear and verifiable commitments, targets and an independent monitoring system.” More of this article (Simple Flying) - link - more like this (aviation greenwashing) - link - more like this (SAF) - link

(VOG) US ACKNOWLEDGES TEXTILE WASTE

In December last year, the US published its first federal report on textile waste, marking the first time the government has acknowledged  and proposed solutions to one of the biggest issues facing the fashion industry.

Led by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the report found that textile waste volume in the US increased by more than 50 per cent between 2000 and 2018, largely owing to the rise of fast fashion and the lack of coordinated efforts to collect and sort used textiles. It also found that waste is leaching contaminants and microplastics into soil and water as it slowly sits and decomposes in landfills.

The report also made seven recommendations for interventions aimed at curbing textile waste, including advancing textile recycling, reducing textile waste and identifying funding opportunities at the state, local government and federal level.

The GAO also suggested that six government agencies — Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of State, Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation — form an interagency mechanism to foster collaboration and help achieve these goals faster. The agencies in question were quick to push back on this, but the GAO says it stands by the recommendation.

This all came about because of Representative Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine who founded the congressional Slow Fashion Caucus in June to curb fast fashion pollution through policy, as Teen Vogue reported. Pingree requested the GAO report to kick-start proceedings. But does it actually achieve anything? 

“The most significant thing about the GAO report isn’t necessarily what it says, it’s that it exists at all. The report reinforces what many in the industry already know, but does so in a coordinated way, directed at the federal government,” says Rachel Kibbe, founder and CEO of Circular Services Group, and CEO of American Circular Textiles. “It formally calls for action, agency coordination and the deployment of federal power to address textile waste and circularity in a focused manner.”

It’s significant that a government agency would acknowledge such a problem, change is unlikely without the proper infrastructure to support it. “While the report does a solid job of laying the groundwork by recommending interagency collaboration and a future national textile recycling strategy, it’s critical that — as this strategy evolves over the next five to 10 years — the focus remains on aligning infrastructure development with a deep understanding of consumer behaviour,” says Brittany Sierra, founder and CEO of the Sustainable Fashion Forum and host of the ‘Green Behavior’ podcast.

Without that infrastructure development, customers can’t be expected to change their behaviours. “Expecting consumers to navigate unclear or inconsistent recycling pathways isn’t just unrealistic — it risks undermining the system’s success,” Sierra says. “Faced with decision fatigue, many default to the simplest option: tossing textiles in the trash. That’s why the design of the recycling system matters just as much as the education campaigns that support it. Systems must make sustainable actions so simple, intuitive and accessible that they become second nature, requiring minimal thought or effort.” More of this article (Vogue Business) - link - more like this (textiles) - link - more like this (USA) - link

(GUF) SIMPLETON RECYCLING

As from 1st April 2025 under the new pile of old pants Simpler Recycling legislation – legally – a waste collector should not collect any residual (general) waste that is contaminated with food.

Legal requirement for waste collectors

Waste collectors have a legal duty to make sure that dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal, glass, paper and card) and food waste are collected separately from residual waste (unless the piece of food waste was placed there by someone who works for a company that collectively employs less than ten people).

Under the bold new vision of Simpler Recycling, anyone with a set of balls big enough to bin a crust of toast must now attach a signed affidavit confirming they work for a company with fewer than 10 employees, written in biodegradable ink on recycled unicorn parchment made by the love child of an indigenous settler under a full moon. 

If no note is found, the food waste will be catapulted back to your office window, accompanied by a sternly worded haiku from DEFRA.

What about the aerosols? 

The aerosols that wrote this stupid legislation forgot that these are hazardous waste when from businesses - ignore this for a while - they'll change the wording in a few places when nobody's looking.

Paper and card must be collected separately from plastic, metal and glass. However, if this is not technically or economically practicable, or has no significant environmental benefit, the waste collector can complete a written co-collection assessment.

Compliance notices can also be issued against a waste collector (excluding a Waste Collection Authority) that is not complying with the rules. Govt - link - more like this (Simpler Recycling) - link

(ENJ) WAITROSE - NET ZERO FARM FUND

The British supermarket chain wants to support agricultural businesses transition to more sustainable, low-carbon practices.

Farming For Nature is Waitrose & Partners established environmental programme, the new net zero farm fund will offer financial support to deliver a range of projects on the ground.

Grants will be available to farmers and growers which supply the retailer and are looking to reduce their environmental footprint. Applications will soon be invited for funding to begin projects that reduce carbon and other emissions which are directly linked to products sold in stores.

‘This is a fantastic announcement from Waitrose. It really highlights the partnership relationship that we have with them; whenever they are backing British farming and supporting my farm, they become more efficient and lower our carbon footprint to support us on our net zero journey,’ said Harry Thompson, Waitrose chicken farmer at Pilgrim’s Europe.

‘This is important at a time when farmers are having a lot thrown at them; all support is greatly appreciated, and it really strengthens the farm to fork connection. Ultimately, moves like this are important, that we are collectively going forward with a strong vision as a strong partnership,’ he continued.

The scheme will contribute to decarbonising the Waitrose supply chain. It is also hoped climate resilience and mitigation efforts will also be improved through the initiative. Small and large scale projects will be considered, from rainwater capture tanks to sustainable fertilisers, low carbon heating to soil friendly machinery. Prior to the announcement, Waitrose had already invested £1million to its Farming For Nature programme.

‘With our commitment to our UK farming supply base reaching net zero by 2035, it’s key that we work closely with our suppliers and farmers and go on this journey with them, by supporting them to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the products they supply to Waitrose,’ said Marija Rompani, Director of Ethics & Sustainability at John Lewis Partnership. ‘We’re proud to work with fantastic British suppliers and farmers and look forward to supporting them through this fund to innovate, scale and deliver the low carbon products our customers want.’ More of this article (environment journal) - link - more like this (supermarkets) - link - more like this (British farms) - link

(GRP) FAVOURITE FOREIGN DESTINATIONS

The UK was the largest exporter of waste to Turkey in 2023, with 140,907 tonnes sent to the nation across the year compared to 87,900 the previous year. Turkey has been the leading destination for plastic waste exports from European countries for the past five years with the UK being the largest contributor for all but one of these years. 

The revelation comes as nations prepare for the final round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty in Busan, South Korea at the end of November. Campaigners hope this treaty will back rules to cut plastic production globally, reducing the amount of plastic waste nations produce.

The scandal of waste exports to Turkey rose to prominence in the UK following a Greenpeace report in 2021 which revealed plastic bags and packaging from the UK being dumped and burned across southern Turkey. Exports from the UK had declined from a peak of 2020 to a low of 87,900 tonnes in 2022. But the rapid increase in 2023 suggests this was a temporary blip, with figures for the first five months of 2024 already showing an acceleration in waste exports..

The rise in plastic waste exports to Turkey began in January 2018, when China banned plastic waste imports. As other countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam imposed similar restrictions, Turkey saw an uncontrolled increase in waste shipments. Greenpeace Türkiye is urging the UK and other European nations to stop sending their plastic waste to Turkey and is calling on Turkey’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change, as well as all relevant authorities, to take urgent action for a robust Global Plastics Treaty More like this (Greenpeace article) - link - more like this (Turkey) - link - more like this (Greenpeace) - link

(UNE) PESTICIDE DUMPING

The UK exported 8,500 tonnes of pesticides last year that are banned on British farms because of the dangers they pose to human health and nature, a new investigation by Unearthed and Public Eye has found.

The shipments, described by campaigners as “the ultimate hypocrisy”, included thousands of tonnes of a weedkiller prohibited in the UK because of the high risk it poses to people living near fields where it is sprayed.

They also included enough of the notorious banned bee-killing insecticide thiamethoxam to spray an area bigger than England. In response to the findings, politicians and experts called on the Labour government to follow the lead of some European countries and take action to stop these exports.

“It’s deeply shocking that UK-based companies are shipping these most dangerous and deadly pesticides overseas where they can do huge harm to people and the environment despite being, rightly, banned here,” said Siân Berry, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavillion. “And it is beyond belief that this is apparently happening lawfully.” She added: “Our government cannot continue to permit this kind of exploitation.”

Under British law, when a pesticide is banned, the ban does not extend to its production or export. This leaves companies free to keep manufacturing these products in the UK to be sold in countries with weaker regulations.

By far the main beneficiary of this freedom is a single company: the Swiss-headquartered, Chinese-owned agrochemical giant Syngenta. This multinational was responsible for 98% of the banned pesticides exported from Britain last year, documents obtained under freedom of information laws show.

Farmers in Brazil told Unearthed and Public Eye, a Swiss NGO, how they experienced symptoms including tremors, temporary paralysis, and permanent eye damage after being accidentally exposed to one of those pesticides – the Syngenta-produced weedkiller diquat, which became the UK’s biggest banned pesticide export for the first time last year. More of this article (UNEARTHED) - link - more like this (pesticides) - link - more like this (Brazil) - link

(GUF) THANKS TO COKE, MCDONALD'S, AMAZON & CHINA

It’s easy to point fingers. The world’s environmental challenges have long made household names like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Amazon, and China the go-to villains of the sustainability story. But maybe it’s time to take a step back, reassess, and offer something a little different: thanks.

Not uncritical thanks. Not blind admiration. But a genuine nod to progress because in an era of climate anxiety and packaging panic, positive change from those with real influence deserves to be acknowledged.

1. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola doesn’t shy away from its impact and that’s a good starting point. With a global presence that reaches even the remotest corners, their choices matter. Their recent push toward 100% recycled PET bottles in several markets, investment in closed loop systems, and trials of refillable models aren’t just box ticking exercises, they represent real shifts in how beverage giants view their environmental legacy. 

Progress may be gradual, but when Coca-Cola acts, the ripples are global.

2. McDonald’s

McDonald’s has come a long way from the days of polystyrene clamshells and excess waste. Today, they’re experimenting with reusable packaging, adopting certified sustainable sourcing for beef, coffee, and fish, and making strides toward net zero emissions. Their ambition to make every Happy Meal a little less heavy on the planet is admirable and achievable.

McDonald's feed millions daily. Changing their systems sends signals far beyond the Golden Arches.

3. Amazon

Amazon’s impact on packaging and transport is vast but so is its capacity for innovation. From introducing fully recyclable packaging to aiming for net-zero carbon by 2040 under the Climate Pledge, Amazon is using its scale to drive systemic change. Electrifying their delivery fleet and investing in renewable energy show a commitment to more than just Prime speed. 

They’ve mastered efficiency. Now, they’re applying it to sustainability.

4. China

Often criticised for emissions, China is also home to the largest solar industry, the biggest electric vehicle market, and some of the most ambitious environmental policies on the planet. Urban waste sorting, bans on non-recyclable imports, and circular economy initiatives are laying the groundwork for transformative change. With scale comes complexity but also the power to lead.

These players may not be perfect, but perfection was never the point. Progress, accountability, and momentum; that’s what we should celebrate.

So thank you. For listening. For shifting. For showing that even the largest footprints can start to lighten. More like this (Coca-Cola) - link - more like this (McDonald’s) - link - more like this (Amazon) - link - more like this (China) - link

(GUF) MASS BALANCING

When you buy a bar of chocolate, do you look out for the Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance logos to make sure you're getting quality but at a fair price where the farmers are paid a fair amount for their cocoa?

Sticker/logo Shocker: The Mass Balance Loophole in Ethical Sourcing

Welcome to the brown murky waters of mass balance; the supply chain equivalent of saying, “It’s the thought that counts.” Under this system, companies can mix (dilute) Fairtrade certified ingredients with non-certified ones, as long as the volumes sort of balance out over time. In practice, that can mean as little as 20% Fairtrade cocoa in your bar of chocolate, yet the whole thing gets stamped as a "Fairtrade" virtue laden masterpiece.

This isn't anything new, way back in 2012, Food Manufacture magazine reported that Fairtrade chocolate was “conning consumers into feeling better” by creating the illusion that their purchase directly supported ethical farming when in reality it was more about clever accounting than cocoa ethics (Food Manufacture, 2012). The system allows brands to legally stretch ethical claims, relying on mass balance rather than full traceability. Technically allowed. Ethically... debatable.

Here's how the dilution process works: A manufacturer might purchase 100 tonnes of Fairtrade-certified cocoa but mix it with another 400 tonnes of conventional cocoa during processing. The Fairtrade beans lose their identity in the blend; they’re processed, ground, and pooled with non-certified beans. There’s no physical trace left to follow. However, the manufacturer is still permitted to label 100 tonnes of their finished chocolate as Fairtrade.

Rainforest Alliance: Different Badge, Similar Sleight-of-Hand?

Before I pin all the disappointment on Fairtrade; a peek behind the leafy green curtain of Rainforest Alliance. Unlike Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance doesn’t pretend your whole product is certified, however it too uses mass balance but with a slightly different flavour of accountability. Companies can use the frog logo even if only a portion of an ingredient (like cocoa or tea) is certified, provided they commit to increasing that percentage over time.

Called "shared responsibility", it's nothing less than creative ethics. While Rainforest Alliance does require continuous improvement plans, including farmer training and climate resilience, the logo alone doesn’t mean 100% certified content unless it explicitly says so (Rainforest Alliance Standards).

So whether it’s frogs or Fairtrade, mass balance often means less substance, more sticker and it’s up to us, the consumers and industry folk alike to ask whether these schemes are changing the world, or just changing the packaging.

Greenwashing: When Good Intentions Get a PR Team

In an era where sustainability sells, mass balance systems have become the cheat code for brands wanting the ethical halo without the heavy lifting. This is where greenwashing comes in; the corporate art of looking virtuous while doing the bare minimum. That 2012 article from Food Manufacture was ahead of its time, calling out how Fairtrade branding could mislead well-meaning buyers, simply by making assumption do the marketing.

And the problem hasn’t gone away. According to recent analysis, many consumers still believe certification logos mean 100% traceability, when in fact they often don’t (Which?, 2023). It’s a bit like calling a pint of shandy a craft ale; technically, there’s beer in there, but it’s not what you think you're buying.

If ethical labelling wants to regain credibility, it needs more than good branding, it needs radical transparency. Because trust, once lost, isn’t just hard to win back, it’s composting in the corner with yesterday’s broken promises.

In the end, ethical labels should be a promise, not a puzzle. If a certification needs a footnote, a flowchart, and a PR team to explain what it really means, then maybe it’s not doing its job. Mass balance might keep supply chains moving, but it also keeps consumers in the dark - nodding along to feel-good labels while unknowingly funding the status quo.

The challenge now isn’t just to clean up how we farm, source, and trade, it’s to clean up the story we’re telling about it. Because if sustainability is built on trust, and that trust is built on spin, then what we’ve really created isn’t a movement — it’s marketing.
Ethics can’t be measured in percentages, and they definitely shouldn’t come with an asterisk. Mass balancing explained - palm oil - link - mass balancing - Rainforest Alliance - link - more like this (chocolate) - link - more like this (palm oil) - link

(WEV) ABARTH 600E

The Abarth 600e, derived from Fiat's model of the same name, marks a significant step up from its cousin, the Abarth 500e. While both models share a foundation, the 600e aligns more closely with Abarth’s performance ethos, positioning it as a notable contender in the electric hatchback segment.

As you might expect, the small body of the 600e Abarth packs a 280hp motor, which will get you to 60mph in a little over 5.8 seconds – on to a top speed of 124mph. However, even with eco-tyres and alight foot in perfect conditions – you won't get more than 207 miles range (WLTP). And there's your only drawback.

The brand itself has a long and illustrious history. Carlo Abarth was born in Vienna, but fell in love with Italy at an early age and was naturalised. In 1927, he joined a coachwork company called Castagna – designing motorbike and bicycle chassis. At the same time, we started racing bikes and won his first race in 1928. 

While continuing to work as an engineer, he won the European Championship five times – until a serious accident forced him to retire. In 1933, he designed a sidecar for a motorbike and in 1934, created a bike package that could beat the Orient Express over an 810 mile journey. In order to set some of his speed records, Abarth became famous for losing 30kg on a ‘largely only eating apples' diet. More of this article (WhichEV ) - link - more like this (Fiat) - link - more like this (Italy) - link

(GUF) TOTAL GUFF

In today’s hyper connected, post-linear, stakeholder-driven ecosystem, the ability to engage across verticals is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative. At Guff House, I’ve taken a deep dive into the synergies between legacy materials and future-forward waste strategies, and I'm excited to circle back with those looking to disrupt the refuse space with purpose, passion, and a PowerPoint.

I'm not just talking bins - I'm enabling social media binfluencers.

As I gear up to co-create holistic solutions that drive value through the waste stream (both literally and metaphorically), I'm actively onboarding like-minded thought-flushers who aren’t afraid to get granular with granulars. If you’re someone who’s passionate about synergising on waste-based KPIs while empowering end-of-life narratives, then let’s ideate.

I'm seeking collaborators who:

• Think outside the wheelie bin
• Drive impact across the kerbside
• Know their MRFs from their MBTs
• Don’t just recycle - reimagine recycularity
• Can say “circular economy” ten times without making eye contact

This is your chance to join a ‘best in class’ cohort of zero waste ninjas and purpose-activated stakeholders, all laser-focused on landfill disruption through data-driven storytelling and compostable touchpoints.

I’ve already hosted several high-level think and drink sessions where I’ve workshopped key levers for scalable binnovation. My roadmap? It’s dynamic, it’s resilient, and it aligns perfectly with key policy pain points, which I like to call wastehacks.

What’s Next?

Let’s synchronise diaries for a virtual cup of (ethically sourced, single-origin) compost tea. I’ll unpack your pain points, recalibrate your waste goals, and explore where our bin-flows intersect. We may even map a few micro-metrics while we’re at it.

Because in this post-carbon, PFAS-aware reality, it’s not just about waste; it’s about purposeful discardment at scale.

Let’s do more than recycle. Let’s recalibrate, realign, and rubbish differently.

#ReimaginingRefuse
#TrashformationTuesday
#LandfillLegacy
#DisruptTheDumpster
#CircularitySquad
#ThinkOutsideTheCaddy
#BinThereDoneThat

In case you're wondering, nothing about this post is supposed to make any sense at all. Talking rubbish - link - more like this (rubbish) - link - more like this (rubbish) - link

(GRI) LITHIUM AND THE LICKANANTAY PEOPLE

In the main square of Peine, a village of low houses and dirt streets in Chile’s northern Atacama Desert, there is barely any movement. It’s midday and the sun beats down from a cloudless sky. At this hour, the streets remain largely empty. Every now and then, a truck interrupts the silence of its steep and cracked streets. 

But it’s not always this quiet. Although this small town has just over 300 residents, its population can quadruple after 6 p.m. when workers from across the country return from mining lithium — the mineral that has turned this remote village into a crucial link in the global energy transition.

Peine sits on the edge of the nearly 1,200-square-mile Atacama Salt Flat, or Salar de Atacama. Sitting beneath its surface, dissolved in underground saline waters called brine, is one of the largest, most concentrated reserves of lithium in the world.

The mineral is used in everything from air-conditioning, computers, ceramics, and mood-stabilizing medication to, most recently, electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. As countries and industries around the globe race to adopt more climate-friendly technology, demand for lithium has spiked. The Atacama Salt Flat is an epicenter of this growth. The region contains an estimated 8.3 million tons of lithium and now supplies 30 percent of global demand annually. Chile has a national plan to increase production even more.

But this boom has reshaped the fragile Atacama ecosystem as well as the life of the 18 Indigenous settlements — which are home to the Lickanantay, or the Atacameño people — that surround the salt flat.

Trucks, heavy machinery, and pipelines now crisscross the desert landscape, transporting lithium-laden brine extracted from underground wells to a network of evaporation ponds. Under the blazing Atacama sun, water evaporates from the mixture, leaving behind piles of salt and lithium.

After evaporation, the lithium chloride from the Salar de Atacama is loaded on to trucks and carried across the desert, kicking up dust along the route to the Chilean coast. In the town of Antofagasta, the material is delivered to a chemical plant to be refined into lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. It is then bagged, sent 40 miles north to the Port of Angamos in Mejillones, and shipped off to destinations such as China, Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Peine — once a town of “peaceful and healthy living,” according to Sergio Cubillos, president of the community — has become a thoroughfare for contractors’ trucks and buses in the evening. Residents, newly concerned for their safety, have installed bars on their windows and gates around their patios. “There are truck thefts, and there’s drug and alcohol use. People tend to keep to themselves more,” Cubillos said. Black flags on the facades of some homes in Peine reflect the residents’ discontent. More of this article (Grist) - link - more like this (lithium) - link - more like this (Chile) - link

(ELE) EHANG BREAKTHROUGH

Chinese air taxi company EHang has established a new joint venture with JAC Motors to fund construction of a production facility for its eVTOL aircraft following the company’s first unmanned urban eVTOL flight test in Spain – the first such milestone in Europe.

The new joint venture (JV) between EHang, JAC Motors, and Guoxian Holdings will see the construction of a new construction compound in Hefei, the capital of Anhui, China. The JV hopes to integrate the city’s existing production supply chains new aircraft/eVTOL manufacturing technology, promote the standardization of key aircraft components, and establish unified industry standards in the growing air taxi space.

Founded in 1964, JAC Motors has a long history of large-scale vehicle manufacturing in China, and will bring that expertise to the new eVTOL-focused JV.

“As a comprehensive automotive enterprise group integrating the R&D, production, sales, and service of full series commercial and passenger vehicles, and covering a wide range of fields including automotive mobility and financial services, JAC Motors is strategically partnering with EHang and Guoxian Holdings to develop the low-altitude economy,” said Xingchu Xiang, Chairman, and General Manager of JAC Motors. “By leveraging Hefei’s high-quality resources, this collaboration aims to drive the high-quality growth of emerging industries.”

The company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hefei’ municipal government back in October of 2023, which led to the establishment of two eVTOL “vertiports” at Luogang Central Park in Hefei. Those facilities followed the construction of a similar, 5G-connected vertiport in Guangzhou, China in 2022, which, themselves, followed a $150 million funding round.

EHang received a flight license for commercial operation of its unmanned passenger air taxis the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) the following year. More of this article (electrek) - link - more like this (evtol) - link

(GAS) GUJARAT - GREEN ELECTRON CENTRAL

Electric power company Adani Energy Solutions, headquartered in Ahmedabad, has won a Rs2,800 Cr ($324m) transmission project to power a green hydrogen and green ammonia manufacturing facility in its home state of Gujarat.

The project, due to be delivered within three years, will supply green electrons for manufacturing both gases in Mundra. It involves upgrading the Navinal electrical substation by adding two large 765/400kV transformers and building a 75km 765kV double-circuit line to connect the substation to the Bhuj substation.

The project will add 150 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 3,000 MVA of transformation capacity to the company’s portfolio. India is targeting 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

The Indian government recently awarded three-year subsidy payments to nine companies for green hydrogen production projects, with AM Green Ammonia and Waaree Clean Energy Solutions emerging as the biggest recipients.

India has allocated ₹22.39bn crores ($258.84m) to support 450,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen production – the maximum allowable under the country’s Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme. More of this article (gasworld) - link - more like this (green hydrogen) - link - more like this (green ammonia) - link - more like this (India) - link

(ICN) FRESH WATER MICROPLASTICS

At the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge visitors center, a sculpture of a great blue heron made from recycled plastic bottles greets guests. Standing 12 feet tall, the bird draws attention to the problem of plastic pollution in the refuge and surrounding city.

In a recent study, scientists at Penn State University revealed the more insidious side of plastic pollution at the 1,000-acre refuge, an urban oasis known as a birders’ haven. After analyzing sediment samples taken at Heinz and three other watersheds across Pennsylvania, the study found increasing levels of microplastics from the 1950s to the 21st century, consistent with the boom in worldwide plastic production that continues today.

The data shows that freshwater sediment acts as a “sink” for microplastics to accumulate over time. Microplastics are small plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters across, that are manufactured for specific products or created when larger plastic products break down.

Lisa Emili, an associate professor of environmental studies at Penn State Altoona and a co-author of the study, said the results were surprising. Emili said she was not expecting to find microplastics in the samples taken from a reservoir in rural central Pennsylvania. More of this article (Inside Climate News) - link - more like this (Philadelphia) - link - more like this (microplastics) - link