Engineers develop ‘super recycling’ enzyme which breaks down plastic in hours

May 8 2022

A team of engineers from the University of Texas in Austin has developed a new variant of enzyme which is able to ‘supercharge’ the recycling process and ultimately reduce pollution at a large scale.

The enzyme, dubbed FAST-PETase, completes what is called a ‘circular process’ which breaks down the plastic into smaller components. It operates in regular temperatures rather than extreme hot or cold conditions, making it an ideal solution for plastic in landfill sites.

Professor Hal Alper from the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering said that “the possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process.”

Only 10 per cent of the world’s produced plastic has been recycled, with billions of tons sitting in landfills and waterways globally. Enzymes have served as the most efficient means of breaking down plastic and this newly-engineered creation may offer a much-needed push in the world’s sustainability goals.

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Cat saved from well by Civil Protection Officers

May 8 2022

Yesterday, officials within the Civil Protection Department saved a cat from a well in a delicate operation in Gozo.

A number of CPD officials headed to Xewkija after reports of a disgruntled cat who fell down an empty well. The cat was escorted to safety after one of the officials descended into the narrow well.

Many took to the comments to thank the Civil Protection Department for their efforts.

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Brand-emic? US Customs seize $10 million worth of counterfeit Rolex watches

May 8 2022

As the global fashion industry continues to grow, so does the counterfeit market, with millions upon millions of counterfeit products entering international markets every single day.

However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have just made a major dent in the false frenzy, busting two major shipments of counterfeit Rolex watches on April 27 and 29, valued a total of $10.1 million if real. Coming from Hong Kong to Brooklyn, New York, the agency had previously gathered information from the vendor sending the shipment, noting a number of fraudulent shipments in the past, triggering CBP offers to inspect them.

The April 27 shipment contained up to 300 counterfeit Rolex Watches while the April 29 shipment carried 160, a news release revealed.

Malta is also no stranger to counterfeit products; a simple search on Facebook’s Marketplace feature will find a significant number of ‘luxury watch’ offers at ridiculous prices.

Anyone fancy a €50 Rolex?

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Nationalist MP Eve Borg Bonello pledges to eventually remove Parliament barriers

May 8 2022

On Saturday, Nationalist MP Eve Borg Bonello took to Facebook to express her disdain at the fact that the Parliament building in Valletta still has barriers in front of it.

The barriers were initially placed in front of Parliament in 2019 due to multiple protests in light of the revelation of government officials’ ties to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Newsbook.com.mt reported that the barriers were removed early on Saturday due to the official opening of the Parliament’s 14th legislature, but were then put back hours later.

In her post, Borg Bonello stated that the Parliament building belongs to the people and not the politicians, and she will be doing her utmost to see that the barriers are removed as soon as possible so ‘the people have power once again’.

Do you agree that the barriers should be removed?

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Photo Source: Eve Borg Bonello / Newsbook.com.mt