Search by tag «Waste» 4 results

  • Two-Minute Beach Cleans and Plastic-Identifying AI: How Citizen Science Combats Plastic Waste in Oceans

    Plastic waste has become a global environmental threat. The production of plastic has seen exponential growth, increasing from 1.7 million tons in the 1950s to 335 million tons in 2016 (PlasticsEurope 2017). Incorrect disposal of this material leads to a stark upsurge of its presence in natural environments. Information about the rapidly escalating situation with marine waste is crucial for finding a solution to this global crisis and saving thousands of animal species. That’s why today a range of citizen science projects have emerged that aim to gather data about marine pollution and step up volunteer effort to clean away the rubbish where it is possible. This article presents some of the local projects by participating in which you can contribute to the solution of the global issue in question.

    16.05.2019

  • ITMO Researchers Receive Grant to Create Urban Development Centers in Russia and Finland

    Staff of ITMO’s Modern Communication Technologies Lab have developed a project that aims to integrate the latest information technologies into the day-to-day life of large cities. Centers for promotion of novel initiatives will open in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Lappeenranta.

    27.09.2018

  • EduEnvi: Education in Sustainable Waste Management in Russia and Kazakhstan

    According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation, the amount of waste from production and consumption in Russia totaled 5 billion tonnes last year. The statistics indicate that only 50% of waste is recovered, and only 7-8% of waste is recycled. There is no waste management system in any of the regions, and existing educational programs in the field of environmental protection are generally insufficient or ineffective. Six Russian and Kazakh universities are collaborating with universities in Finland, Denmark, and Spain to solve this problem. The developers of the project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program, are going to launch eight online courses in biotechnologies and waste management. The project will last for three years, and the courses may become part of several universities’ Master's programs.

    27.04.2018

  • Wastebake Project: Smart Recycling

    EuroTransBio (ETB) is an international funding initiative that encourages European companies and research centers to conduct research in the field of modern biotechnology. ITMO University together with partners from Italy and Finland received funding from ETB for a project on biotechnological functionalization of bakery waste. What is special about this project is that it is beneficial for all three participating countries. ITMO.NEWS asked Denis Baranenko, head of the International Research Center “Biotechnologies of the Third Millennium”, about how to produce innovative food and medical ingredients from discarded stale bread.

    05.04.2018