Pushing out plastic in consumer-goods packaging

Cellulose fibres are emerging as a sustainable option for wrapping everything from foods to electronics. By  Helen Massy-Beresford Attention supermarket shoppers in Belgium, France and Luxembourg: a test to cut waste from plastic packaging of foods is coming to nearby stores. Retailers Carrefour and U-Group plan to sell yoghurts, cheeses, fruit juices, biscuits and other … Read more

The school route to healthier eating

Offering nutritious meals to students can improve diets and counter obesity across Europe. By  Ali Jones When the lunch bell rings at the Sancta Maria primary school in the Belgian city of Leuven, standard packed meals aren’t on the menu for dozens of hungry children. Instead, the pupils receive freshly prepared, hot organic vegetarian fare … Read more

Computing’s quantum shift

With the race to build a new generation of computers heating up, European companies are eyeing the game-changing opportunities. By  Tom Cassauwers At some point in the future, the medicines that people take for everything from a simple cold to a complex disease like Parkinson’s might result from a discovery made using quantum computers. These … Read more

Categories ICT

Wood: building on an abundant natural resource

Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements. By  Jessica Berthereau In France’s southwestern Gironde department, where half the area is covered by forests, authorities in 2022 built a secondary school with wood from local pine trees. The Pian-Médoc school, located between the city … Read more

Deadly earthquakes trigger hunt for speedier alerts

Researchers in Europe have identified an underground signal that may be a precursor to strong quakes. By Vedrana Simičević Dr Quentin Bletery has some good news regarding an all-too-often gloomy subject: earthquakes. A researcher at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, or IRD, Bletery thinks it might one day be possible to predict … Read more