One of the first things many of us do when we settle into a hotel room is reach for the packaged bar of soap on the bathroom counter. These soaps are the single most-utilized amenity at hotel chains: 86% of guests who stay at a hotel for 1-2 nights use it, handily outranking other popular offerings like the in-room TV (84%), hair dryer (36%), and valet parking (28%).

The next generation of wind turbine blades could be recycled into gummy bears at the end of their service, scientists have said. Researchers at Michigan State University have made a composite resin for the blades by combining glass fibres with a plant-derived polymer and a synthetic one.

Recycling was one of those great ideas of the 1970s, right? One of the first great movements to save the earth from resource depletion and the land and sea from human refuse? Who could even imagine, now, a modern nation without recycling bins, recycling plants, and yoghurt containers made with recycled materials?

If you're preparing to weed your garden this spring, then you might consider making an art project from the invasive plants that you remove, just like Detroit-based artist Megan Heeres did with The Invasive Paper Project. This project creates awareness around invasive plant species and their effect on our ecosystem, but more importantly it provides an opportunity to think about invasive plant life differently.