Rare Earth Elements: The most critical and strategic elements on the planet

Introduction The dominance of China in the rare earths industry has forced the USA, Russia, European Union, Japan, Australia, and other counties to formulate policies and implement strategies to ensure security and sustainability of rare earth elements (REE) to reduce dependency on Chinese supplies. Notably, in 2020 the European Union’s report on critical raw materials […]

Single use paper cups: Recyclable vs non-recyclable plastic

Single use paper cups are a common part of our day to day lives, with an estimated 1 billion being used in Australia every year[1]. They may look recyclable, as they are made of paper, but many are lined with plastic to keep the cup from going soggy (Fig. 1). The plastic lining prevents them […]