Society

ETH Zurich political science researchers reveal that Swiss people are in favour of the circular economy and support measures to promote it. However, their personal willingness to contribute is low. 

Since 2016, the Swiss Cancer Center Léman provides a space for scientists and clinicians from across the Lake Geneva region to pool their efforts, share insights and work together on innovative cancer treatments. The center, which has just renewed its leadership team, brings together the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne, the EPFL, and the two hospitals, CHUV and HUG.

Wastewater treatment plants can do more than just treat wastewater. In the future, they should also recover resources. One approach that researchers at Eawag are pursuing, is the conversion of organic carbon contained in wastewater into bioplastics with the help of bacteria.

Replacement parts for car repairs have a negative impact on the environment. By consistently repairing instead of replacing windshields and bumpers alone, Switzerland could save over 1000 tons of CO₂ per year. The insurance company AXA is now offering an assessment for repair workshops and introducing an industry label – based, among other things, on a study led by Empa researchers.

After extensive analyses, Empa researchers found the cause of the concrete scandal in County Donegal, Ireland, where structural damage has been causing red faces and protests for years: Concrete walls of thousands of houses are riddled with cracks, necessitating expensive repairs or even demolition. For the longest time, an excessively high mica content in the concrete was thought to be the reason. Thanks to the Empa investigation, serious structural damage can be avoided in the future, as the real culprit – the mineral pyrrhotite – has now been identified.