Millions of items of used PPE pose a massive waste challenge. Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia have developed a method to use such discarded PPE equipment to make concrete stronger. Their studies found that shredded PPE isolation gowns, face masks and rubber gloves could increase the strength of concrete by up to 22% and improve resistance to cracking. More here

Could transparent solar panels replace windows and shift cities from being major energy users to energy providers? The Interesting Engineering website reports on the latest developments in photovoltaic glass which absorbs specific UV and infrared light wavelengths that aren’t visible to the naked eye and transforms them into energy. More here

“We bring together experts in climate science, investors and climate tech startups to expedite progress in the fight against climate change,” say the organisers of Climate Tech conference The Drop which will take place on September 21 in Malmö, Sweden. Speakers include Laura Fox of Citi Bike and Lyft, and Raffael Jovine of Brilliant Planet, which is developing technologies to use algae to sequester carbon at massive scale. A range of panels will look at topics such as net-zero cities, avoiding crop failure, hydrogen and carbon markets. More here

17 September is World Cleanup Day which “unites millions of volunteers, governments and organisations in 191 countries to tackle the global waste problem and build a sustainable world”. Events around the globe will bring people together to clean up beaches and other affected areas and focus attention on the fight against waste. More here

The Net Zero Festival “will bring together some of the world's foremost thinkers on what it takes to accelerate and expand the net zero transition” in order “to provide business leaders with both the inspiration and the practical, actionable advice required to develop and advance their own net zero strategies”. Organised by Business Green, business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and campaigners will gather at the Mermaid Theatre in London on 28 and 29 September, with online content available from 4 October. Details here

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