As the world’s supply of lithium nears depletion, researchers are looking at fungus as a solution to the issue. Lithium is used in the batteries of electric cars and smartphones, and what researchers are finding is that fungus can naturally eat up old batteries and spit out lithium, along with cobalt, another valuable material. Typical battery recycling is energy-intensive and costly, but a fungus based recycling process could be more cost-effective while saving energy.
Fungus could be the answer to recycling smartphones
More of Today's Solutions
How kites and ancient design are replacing fuel in Antarctic exploration
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The last time a team completed a comparable crossing of Antarctica's interior, they burned through roughly 170,000 liters ...
Read MoreIs this nut the most underrated sleepy-time snack? Here’s what the slee...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM You're doing everything right at bedtime: you stay away from screens after nine, take a soothing dark shower, ...
Read MoreEarthworms: a natural solution to farms’ wastewater
Royal Dairy in Royal City, Washington has a problem that's common to dairy farms. The hundreds of millions of gallons of water used by ...
Read MoreHow Swim Sista Swim Is Redefining Water Confidence for Black Women in the UK
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Language, Identity & Belonging Welcome to the second week of The Optimist Daily’s Annual Local Changemakers series. Each ...
Read More
