A Dutch company has developed technology for 3D printing floors in an endless variety of colors and patterns. Company named «Aectual» uses huge robotic 3D printers to create the framework for its sustainable floors. As a result, these floors can be customized to fit spaces of any shape and size, and can be created in all kinds of designs – from traditional patterns to custom motifs. The process involves printing out the desired pattern using a robot with six degrees of freedom – meaning it can move forwards and backwards, up and down, and left and right, as well as freely between these X, Y and Z axes through rotation. The material they use for printing is a bio plastic made from plants, which is fully recyclable. Once the printing is complete, the framework is transported to its final destination. This mould, which measures just a few centimeters high, is then in filled with a terrazzo made from recycled granite or marble chips, and a bio-based binding agent. After the mixture has set, the final step is to polish it. According to Aectual, the resulting floors are high quality and wear-resistant. Also, thanks to the use of recycled and environmentally friendly materials, the floors are intended to create little or no waste.

The world consumes billions of water bottles — every year. Of those, only 1 of 5 is recycled. Fortunately, a handful of MIT students have developed a solution to this problem, and it involves repurposing waste plastic bottles to reinforce concrete. Because the newly-invented method results in the concrete being more durable than existing concrete, plastic bottles may soon be used to construct everything from stronger building foundations to sidewalks and street barriers, reported The MIT News. According to the study, which was published in the journal Waste Management, MIT students discovered a method to produce concrete that is up to 20 percent stronger than conventional concrete. First, plastic flakes are exposed to small amounts of harmless gamma radiation. Then, they are pulverized into a fine powder, after which it is added to concrete. The discovery has far-reaching implications, as concrete is the second most widely used material on Earth (the first is water). MIT News reports that approximately 4.5 percent of the world’s human-induced carbon emissions are generated by manufacturing concrete. By replacing small portions of concrete with recycled plastic, the cement industry’s toll on the environment would be reduced. The newly-discovered method would also prevent millions of water and soda bottles from ending up in landfills. Michael Short, an assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, said, “There is a huge amount of plastic that is landfilled every year. Our technology takes plastic out of the landfill, locks it up in concrete, and also uses less cement to make the concrete, which makes fewer carbon dioxide emissions. This has the potential to pull plastic landfill waste out of the landfill and into buildings, where it could actually help to make them stronger.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced plans to build a 176 516 square meters city that will simulate conditions for humans living on Mars. Mars Scientific City comprises the Emirate’s first step towards their ultimate goal of building a city on the red planet itself by 2117. The UAE Government unveiled plans for the Mars Scientific City at the first annual review of their plans for the future, according to The National. The project will cost around US$ 136.1 million. Inside the city, research laboratories will be set aside to investigate how future Mars colonists will produce everything from food and water to energy. In addition to research on Earth, the Emirates Mars Mission is working towards launching the Hope spacecraft in 2020. The spacecraft is set to arrive and begin orbiting Mars in 2021, in time for the UAE’s 50th anniversary. According to The National, the probe would be the first sent to Mars by a Muslim country. Earlier this year, the UAE unveiled their Mars 2117 plan and their goal of building the red planet’s first city within 100 years. They plan to conduct research for the Martian city with the help of an international scientific consortium. According to The National, the Mars Scientific City, as a specialist research city, could offer a first step towards Mars 2117 as scientists delve into how humans might survive in Mars’ harsh environment.