Viable Alternatives Knowledge Hub
Explore practical insights, real-world case studies, and lessons from the field on reducing waste, improving resource efficiency, and advancing circular economy and zero-waste outcomes
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Feature Articles
Explore key sustainability concepts, technologies and initiatives.
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Africa’s First Waste to Energy – Reppie, Ethiopia
The Reppie Waste to Energy plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is the first Waste to Energy plant in Africa, completed in February 2018. Reppie Waste-to-Energy Facility. Image: Stuartkribki | CC BY-SA 4.0. | Wikimedia. Reppie is locally known as Koshe (Amharic for dirty). The Koshe dump site in the southeastern part of Addis Ababa and is…
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Construction | Ecology | Marine | Sustainable | Water
Makoko Floating System
The Makoko Floating School was an idea inspired by the bustling water community of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria. Kunlé Adeyemi completed the pilot project in March 2013. Kunlé and his team of architects and designers at NLÉ have collaborated with various partners around the world. From Venice in Italy, Bruges in Belgium and Chengdu in…
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Precious Plastic
Precious Plastic is an open source platform that shares their findings on how to solve plastic pollution. This project was created by Dave Hakkens from the Netherlands in 2013. The video below gives you a background on this project via the version 3 launch. We are patiently awaiting the updates that will come with the…
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Ecology | Farming | Sustainable | Water
Rice and Duck Farming
A symbiotic and sustainable method to combine farming and animal husbandry. The ducks eat insects that are destroying the rice and then fertilize the crop with their manure. Therefore creating a cleaner rice paddy.
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BioCellection – Chemical Recycling
BioCellection is an advanced recycling technology company based in California. Globally, only 9% of plastics are recycled. The remaining 91% goes to landfills, incinerators, or ends up in the ocean because of poor waste management practices. There is a huge gap in the market for a company that could close the “plastic life cycle” by…
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Construction | Ecology | Electric | Energy
Draw Circuits with Conductive Ink
Circuits and Conductive Materials Electrical and electronics are complicated subjects to grasp and implement for a majority of people. The reason even self-build home projects always recommend a qualified electrician. Most of us don’t know how the light comes on, we just know how to press the light switch. I enjoy a good equation and…
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Ecology | Farming | Health | Reduce waste | Zero Waste
Medical and Disaster Relief Drones
How are drones used for emergency medical response and disaster relief? Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or Electric Autonomous Aircraft (EAA) are commonly known as drones. Humanitarian and commercial applications successfully use drones to assist in emergency response. Medical Drones deliver packages at room temperature and cold chain (between 2-8ºC). Supplies delivered vary from whole blood,…
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Reforestation – Land Life
Fires, drought and harsh weather conditions cause damage to millions of hectares of land every year. Reforestation techniques are essential to combat this problem. Land Life Company has developed a suite of technology to tackle degraded land.
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Sharklet Antibacterial Armour
Sharklet antibacterial armour is a great example of science and technology inspired by nature. Sharks are the world’s largest fish, primarily thought of as fierce aquatic predators. In contrast to other large marine animals, sharks are resistant to fouling organisms in the water including algae and barnacles. Nanoscopic diamond-shaped scales called dermal denticles cover shark’s…
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