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Scientists Use Bacterial Cellulose To Develop Alternative To Plastic

Close up of bacteria under a microscope

MNK Blog

Scientists Use Bacterial Cellulose To Develop Alternative To Plastic

Is This The End To Plastic Food Packaging?

Hello Tech Lovers!

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have created a biodegradable material, that could be used for food packaging instead of plastic

To make the material transparent, biodegradable, and an edible material. The team worked with bacterial cellulose – an organic compound derived from bacteria. However, bacterial cellulose does not react well to moisture in the air. To solve the issue, the scientists added soy proteins to the material and coated it with an oil-resistant composite.

Chemistry professor at the university, and study author, To Ngai – told Phys.org, “This approach offers, a promising solution to the challenge of developing sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging materials – that can replace single-use plastics on a large scale.”

The material can completely degrade in two months, and since it is edible, is safe for wildlife.

Read the full story, via Phys.org here

Don’t forget to check out the blog archive below for more posts from me and why not subscribe to the blog to be the first to hear when a new post is available, also get the low down on new product arrivals.

Adam – MNK Founder

#ProtectYourTech

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Scientists Use Mushrooms to Make Biodegradable Computer Chips

MNK Blog

Scientists Use Mushrooms to Make Biodegradable Computer Chips

The Future Of Computer Chips

Hello Tech Lovers!

The skin from the stems of a mushroom could potentially offer a sustainable alternative to insulative substrates in computing chips.

Scientists are looking at alternatives to common components like the mircochip, as production of electronic devices increases. Peeling the skin from the mycelium of a mushroom can protect chips from heat up to 392°F (200°C.)

The equivalent of the scale of ewaste produced each year

Scientists from Johannes Kepler University in Austria, discovered that once dried, the skin was found to be not only heat resistant, but lasted for years – withstanding being bent and folded thousands of times without wearing or tearing.

The fungus, Ganoderma lucidum grows on dead rotting wood in European mountains. As it reaches maturity, it creates a fibrous skin to protect its own substrate which if peeled, can be used to protect microchips.

Currently computing chip bases tend to be made with un-recyclable plastic materials and the increase of electronic devices has not been paired with an increase in their lifespan. Throwing them away is more economical for users than replacing individual parts. “The vast number of devices produced every day along with the decrease of their lifetime inevitably results in the generation of enormous amounts of electronic waste,” wrote the authors of a paper published in Science Advances.

“Circular economy and recycling concepts alone cannot solve the growing waste crisis. Electronics research, and especially electronic materials research, thus must shift its focus from strictly high-functionality concepts to sustainable, cost-effective approaches.”

Read the full report here

Read the related blog post, ‘Over 50 Million Tonnes Of Electrical Waste Is Produced Each Year here

Don’t forget to check out the blog archive below for more posts from me and why not subscribe to the blog to be the first to hear when a new post is available, also get the low down on new product arrivals?

Adam – MNK Founder

#ProtectYourTech

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Over 50 million Tonnes Of Electrical Waste is Produced Each Year

Pile of waste on landfill site. Tonnes Of Electrical Waste Is Generated Each Year. MNK

MNK Blog

Over 50 million Tonnes Of Electrical Waste is Produced Each Year

The Scale Of EWaste

Hello Tech Lovers!

According to the Global E-waste Monitor, in one year, a staggering 44.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste are generated. That is the equivalent to just over six kilograms for every person on the planet. Europe and the US alone contribute to almost one-half of the total e-waste generated annually.

One-half of all e-waste is personal devices, such as computers, screens, smartphones, tablets and TVs – that’s equivalent to a mass of 4,500 Eiffel Towers! 40 million tonnes of e-waste are discarded in landfill, burned or illegally traded and treated in a sub-standard way every year.

The equivalent of the scale of ewaste produced each year

The reason I set up MNK, was to help reduce landfill waste of laptops and tablets. I provide robust protection so consumers can better protect their devices, also reducing expensive repair bills and or costly renewals. I have also partnered up with the charity, Computers For Charity whereby I collect old and unused laptop cases, sleeves and covers and pass them onto the charity when they donate their laptops.

One huge cause of ewaste is, technology being discarded early – way before it’s depreciated or, even near the end of it’s lifespan.

Every year new mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, are released with consumers acting quick to snap up the latest gadget. They are only too quick to throw away their “old” devices. Electrical equipment can last longer than the twelve month period people have them for, yet they swiftly adopt the, ‘out with the old and in with the new’ attitude as soon as the big tech giants announce a new product.

So far, smartphone and laptop manufacturers have done little to react to the environmental waste problem. To avoid further mountains of waste, tech companies could act by offering cheaper and quicker repairs, extending the time between new product releases, better access to repair parts, and the products could also be designed to be repaired easily.

Better protection too of technology devices will help reduce costly repair bills, premature renewals and reduce landfill waste. Such as the shock absorbing, splash proof and water repellent laptop case pictured below.

girl looks down and strokes dog while she holds her laptop case - click to view MNK - PROHOOD Laptop Case and Privacy Shield

View our range of robust and lightweight tech protection here including the PROHOOD® Laptop Case with its protective privacy screen / sun shade.

Read the full report here

Find out more on Computers For Charities here

Don’t forget to check out the blog archive below for more posts from me and why not subscribe to the blog to be the first to hear when a new post is available, also get the low down on new product arrivals?

Adam – MNK Founder

#ProtectYourTech

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Your Laptop Computer Is The Dirtiest Tech Device You Use

Bacteria Growing In Petri Dishes. Did You Know Your Laptop Is The Dirtiest Tech Device You Own. MNK

MNK Blog

Your Laptop Computer Is The Dirtiest Tech Device You Use

How To Safely Clean Your Laptop Or Computer

Hello Tech Lovers!

Well, that is a gruesome title isn’t it! Not to fear, here are what’s hiding on your laptop and how to reduce them. And, if you haven’t read my last blog post – 3 Top Tips On How To Safely Clean Your Laptop Computer – And The Cleaning Products To Use. You can do so from the this link.

Hiding on your laptop is a whole host of bacteria. Your laptop is the dirtiest device you use and the most likely germs hiding on your laptop can lead to skin infections and pharyngitis.

If the rise of the Pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the regular cleaning of our hands and covering of our faces to reduce the spread of the Corona Virus. But, did you know your tech devices are already covered with harmful bacteria and the warmth of your computer is the perfect breeding ground for such germs.

A bacteria that can cause meningitis and food poisoning is one of the main culprits – Bacilli. Around 25% of harmful bacteria found on laptop keyboards is this nasty germ. So, you might want to think twice, before unwrapping your lunch time burrito after scrolling through your emails!

Your computer keyboards, mouse, mobile phones and track pads are all susceptible to housing bacteria that could potentially make you very sick according to a report by Tap Warehouse. This is all without the added germs being spread from straying coughs and sneezes. With so many germs found on the average laptop caused by cough splutter and sneeze mucus, laptop users could be permanently at risk of sickness. The average sneeze can send 10,000 contagious germs into the air at speeds of over 100 mph!

Get the perfect cover – use a PROHOOD® by MNK. It’s the quickest and easiest way to protect your laptop from the spread of germs. Easy to maintain too, with it’s wipe clean properties. It’s splash proof, water repellent and quick drying! Take a look here

  • View all the ghastly bacteria on your devices and at what percentage here
  • Buy your PROHOOD® here
  • Buy your tech device cleaning equipment here
  • Get your hand cleansing gel here
  • Read the full Tap Warehouse report here
Adam – MNK Founder

#ProtectYourTech