In a paper just published in Nature Communications, researchers at the Industrial Sustainable Chemistry group of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) present a solution to the challenging problem of recycling polycotton textile waste. The process, developed in cooperation with the company Avantium, starts with fully removing all cotton from the fabric using superconcentrated hydrochloric acid at room temperature. The cotton is converted into glucose, which can be used as a feedstock for biobased products such as renewable plastics. The remaining polyester fibres can be reprocessed using available polyester recycling methods.

Imagine logging into your cryptocurrency exchange platform one morning only to find the website down, your funds gone, and no one to answer your questions. This nightmare has been a harsh reality for thousands of traders, with nearly 500 cryptocurrency exchanges having already failed. A new study from the University of Vaasa, Finland, sheds light on the risk factors in cryptocurrency exchanges and how to predict them. In his study, published in the valued Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions & Money, Assistant Professor Niranjan Sapkota analyses data from 845 cryptocurrency exchanges. He identifies identifies several key indicators including transparency, centralisation, territorial access, fee structures, coin listings, referral schemes, etc., offering valuable insights into mitigating risks in this evolving market.

Kyushu University economists have published new data on the economic, social, and environmental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Japan's inbound tourism industry for the year 2020. The results showed a pandemic-induced loss of 33 million tourists, resulting in 3.44 trillion yen of value-added loses, and a decline in employment for 868,976 people. The data also revealed environmental benefits, with an emission reduction of 11.6 megatons of CO₂.