Zimbabwe sees recycling boom as waste picking

Zimbabwe sees recycling boom as waste picking

Health SS   4:56 PM

It was a tough decision to start picking up waste. Imagine, I used to work in an air-conditioned office, and suddenly I found myself scavenging for plastic waste,” she says.

After a few years, the startup plastic recycling company to which she sold plastic waste eventually employed her. “I am now back doing office work as an administrator here. It feels like a fairy tale from being in the office, to picking trash and back to the office again,” Jakiti tells Mongabay from her office at the plastic recycling facility where she now works, Stable Packaging.

Jakiti is not the only one who discovered money in waste. Across the country and social classes, recycling trash by picking it up and selling it or buying it and converting it into profitable materials has becoming a booming business.In response to the increased supply in plastic waste waiting to be sold and the opportunity to sell new commodities made from low-cost materials, plastic recycling companies, which buy the waste and process it, also increased their presence from 49 in 2019, to 71 countrywide in 2023.

Stable Packaging runs two extrusion machines at its plant that recycles plastic waste to make irrigation pipes, plastic wrap, bin liners, planter bags and bags for animal feed, among other things.

Though these plastic recycling facilities are privately owned, Chapungu says some get loans from the government to increase production while also receiving support and environmental stewardship awards from the EMA. In some cases, the EMA looks for markets for the community recycling clubs to sell their wares. Some processing facilities, like the Masvingo Urban Recycling Club, are provided with transportation to deliver their recycled materials.

The one film everyone needs

The one film everyone needs

Health SS   4:42 PM

Barbie has been Mattel’s bread and butter for far too long, so who can blame them? I will not at all pretend to care about (or for) the kind of craftiness it takes to run a multibillion-dollar business at any level, but I do understand that all businesses, big or small, need constant perception management and increasing social currency. Getting someone like Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Frances Ha) to write and direct a story about every girl’s best friend, Barbie, was a stroke of brilliance on part of the corporation, and Warner Bros.

Sitting here in 2023, we all recognize marketing efforts, and also appreciate a job well-done. We also have the self-awareness to recognize when something is marketed and targeted at us, and to not be too flattered by it. But when the material being marketed is what is possibly one of the most important pieces of social theory simplified for appeal and comprehension across demographics, we’re all for it.

And that is what Barbie is. It’s How the Patriarchy Ruins Everything 101.

It is not feminist agenda, although, just by the virtue of the writer and director being a woman, Greta Gerwig’s film becomes a feminist work, or at least a work with feminist concerns.

Major medical breakthrough as pig kidney functioning

Major medical breakthrough as pig kidney functioning

Health SS   4:36 PM

The significance of this achievement cannot be overstated, particularly when more than 103,000 individuals are awaiting life-saving transplants in the United States alone, with 88,000 awaiting kidney transplants.

Surgeon Dr Robert Montgomery, the director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, confirmed the significance of this feat by stating, "This work demonstrates a pig kidney -- possessing a sole genetic modification and devoid of experimental medications or devices -- can successfully substitute a human kidney's function for a remarkable 32 days, defying rejection."

Dr Montgomery, a pivotal figure in pioneering this procedure, conducted the inaugural pig-to-human kidney transplant involving genetic modifications in September 2021, followed by a similar procedure in November 2021.

The procedure itself encompassed the removal of the patient's native kidneys, followed by the transplantation of a pig kidney that started urine production. Meticulous monitoring showcased optimal levels of creatinine, a metabolic waste product, and most notably, the absence of rejection indications.

Here's how Melissa Joan Hart Maxim photoshoot.

Here's how Melissa Joan Hart Maxim photoshoot.

Health SS   4:10 PM

According to the actress, once she was done with the premiere and was being taken to the airport to shoot Scary Movie in Vancouver, she received a dreadful call, telling her she had been fired from the horror comedy film.And I was put in a limo, and I was taken away, and I had just broken up with my boyfriend while we were in the movie, and I’m crying and I’m upset,” the No Good Nick star recalled.

The limo’s driver took a detour and Hart ended up going to the Planet Hollywood afterparty, where her lawyer showed up and added to her suffering.

“My lawyer shows up and goes, ‘You did a photo shoot for Maxim magazine?'” she shared. “I’m like: ‘Yes, I did.’ They’re like, ‘Well, you’re being sued and fired from your show, so don’t talk to the press, don’t do anything.'”

She then got a “phone call on my cellphone from my mother, my producer, who was like, ‘What did you do?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, whatever my publicist told me to do at the photo shoot. Like, I did a photo shoot for Maxim! It’s Maxim, of course you’re gonna be in your underwear.'”

The Melissa and Joey alum went on to explain that the production house instigated the issue from a line on the cover, reading, “Sabrina, your favorite witch without a stitch,” which they claimed violated her contract with Archie Comics, which prohibited Hart from playing the character [Sabrina] naked.

Breakfast for dinner and four other things

Breakfast for dinner and four other things

Health SS   2:50 PM

 

As a strictly savoury supporter, you won’t find me indulging in overly sweet pastries come dinnertime, but you will often find me whipping up mushroom crepes, toast with all the toppings or, as below, omelettes. In August, when tomatoes and peppers and courgettes and all the other colourful things are at their best, a summer garden omelette is the perfect way to start – or end – your day on a seasonal note.

Bursting with a medley of fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs, this omelette is a perfect way to start (or end) your day on a sunny note. The combination of colourful bell peppers, courgette, tomatoes and fragrant basil creates a symphony of tastes that’s as visually appealing as it is delicious. With a hint of melted cheddar cheese and a fluffy egg base, this omelette is a celebration of seasonal produce.Cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and a pinch of black pepper. Set the sauce aside.Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.Add the minced garlic, chopped red chilli and grated ginger. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.Add the julienned or spiralized courgettes to the pan. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften but still retain some crunch.Add the sweetcorn kernels to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked egg noodles to the pan. Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and vegetables.Gently toss everything together to ensure the noodles and vegetables are evenly coated with the sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld.Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed. Remember that soy sauce is already salty, so be cautious.Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with chopped fresh coriander.

Forever chemicals found in period products.

Forever chemicals found in period products.

Health SS   2:02 PM

According to researchers, while these products are designed to make people feel comfortable during their periods, their labels do not usually contain a list of the ingredients.In the study which is awaited for peer-review, researchers analysed more than 100 products for fluorinated compounds — which indicates harmful PFAS.

PFAS are used in household products non-stick cookware, stain repellents, and firefighting foam. They are regarded forever chemicals because they stay in the human bloodstream for a very long time without breaking down.

Earlier studies had already raised concerns about the adverse health impacts of PFAS including the development of cancer cells.

According to the new research, while PFAS are absent from many period products, they might be accidentally or intentionally added to others.Research revealed that PFAS chemicals were also present in additional period products, such as tampons and pads.

Alyssa Wicks from the University of Notre Dame said: "We determined if these products had organic fluorine as a surrogate for PFAS."

Wicks, a graduate student in Dr Peaslee's lab noted: "In general, tampons didn’t seem to contain fluorine. Same with menstrual cups and the layers of pads that come in contact with a person's skin."

According to scientists, they were surprised by the presence of total fluorine in the wrappers for numerous pads, some tampons and the outer layers of some period underwear.