Goodable

Talk about an unexpected houseguest!

Staff at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore got the surprise of the season when Kipepeo, a four-year-old giraffe who wasn’t known to be pregnant, casually gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The calf made her grand entrance in the early hours of March 27, and zookeepers are still doing double takes.

“Kipi,” as she’s affectionately called, had only arrived at the zoo in November. So when keepers noticed a tiny shift in her behavior on March 26, they thought she might be having an off day—not a whole baby.

But sure enough, by the next morning, Baltimore had a brand-new resident: a 128-pound, six-foot-tall bundle of spotted joy.

Erin Cantwell Grimm, the zoo’s Mammal Curator, explained that giraffe pregnancies last around 15 months. The baby—who hasn’t been named yet—is nursing like a champ and adjusting well to zoo life, while first-time mom Kipi is absolutely crushing it in the parenting department.

We’re just hoping she gave the zookeepers a high-five. Or, at the very least, a very tall head nod.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom welcomed its newest addition, a young Masai giraffe named Tucker, to the Kilimanjaro Safaris’ savannah.
Its mother, Mara, gave birth to the calf earlier this year and park visitors got the chance to see Tucker make his debut on Monday.
The new arrival is the first giraffe born at Walt Disney World Resort since 2021. In an announcement celebrating this new family member, the resort promised its ongoing commitment to wildlife and species protection.

Surprise! This Giraffe Just Unexpectedly Delivered an Adorable Baby

Good News Network

Kids today spend too much time on video games, right? Well, 60-year-old Michelle Statham might challenge that notion. Known online as "TacticalGramma," she enjoys playing Call of Duty from her home in Washington state. Despite the game being marketed mainly to young men, Statham takes pleasure in outsmarting virtual opponents with her sniper skills. Her gaming prowess has also attracted over 110,000 followers on Twitch, a popular livestreaming platform for gamers.

Statham is part of a growing demographic of older adults who play video games in the United States. According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), about 57 million Americans over the age of 50 engage in some form of gaming. Nearly half of those in their 60s and 70s play regularly on PCs, consoles, or mobile devices, while about 36 percent of people in their 80s do so as well.

Video gaming began gaining popularity during the eighties, and many who played early arcade games like Mario Bros. are still gaming today with titles like Super Mario Odyssey. Some studies suggest benefits for seniors who play certain types of video games. For instance, games with expansive worlds such as Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have been linked to increased grey matter in the hippocampus—a region associated with learning and memory.

Will, a 72-year-old retired Naval veteran who prefers simulators like Hunter: Call of the Wild, agrees that seniors should keep up with technology. Speaking to The Guardian about his hobby, he said he often receives heartwarming messages from younger players encouraging him to continue gaming.

Medical researchers note several positive health outcomes from gaming among older adults. These include improved social interactions and memorization skills, along with enhanced reaction speeds through cooperative activities.

However, not all findings are entirely positive; one study found that playing Call of Duty could reduce grey matter rather than increase it. The study's lead author clarified it didn't focus on older adults specifically; thus, seniors proficient enough to navigate such complex games may not face significant neurological risks.

Despite a cranial injury limiting his ability to sit comfortably for extended periods, Will maintains an optimistic view about his pastime: “You’re never too old to respawn.”

'TacticalGramma': The 60-Year-Old Gamer Shattering Stereotypes and Raising Thousands for Charity

Reasons to be Cheerful

In a massive warehouse in rural Michigan, under the hum of grow lights and the faint scent of soil, David Milarch is raising the next generation of climate defenders. Thousands of thumb-sized saplings—sequoias, coastal redwoods, oaks and more—poke out of grow trays at the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit nursery he co-founded. All of them share something rare: they’re descended from some of the oldest and most resilient trees on Earth.

Milarch, 75, isn’t a typical environmentalist. A former gang member and recovering alcoholic from Detroit, he nearly died in 1992 after quitting drinking cold turkey. What happened next changed everything. “I went across for real,” he says, describing a near-death experience where he saw angels who told him he had to return—he had work to do. When he woke up, he committed his life to saving Earth’s last old-growth forests.

“Ninety-eight percent of the old-growth forest has been logged,” he says. “We have to save the remaining two percent. If you were down to the last two percent of your life savings or your gas tank, wouldn’t you do everything you could to make it go further?”

Milarch’s answer: clone the giants.

The saplings in his greenhouse aren’t ordinary seedlings. They’re genetically identical copies of “champion trees”—the tallest, oldest, and strongest survivors, including specimens like the Amos Alonzo Stagg Tree, which towers at 74 metres, and the now-lost Waterfall tree, which once had a perimeter of 43 metres before it was destroyed by wildfire in 2020.

Cloning a 3,000-year-old tree isn’t easy. The process starts with arborists climbing to the canopy to collect the freshest growth, then using a mix of soil and hormones to coax it into rooting. For decades, experts believed cloning redwoods older than 80 years was impossible. Milarch and his sons proved otherwise. “The big old-timers have proven their genetic mettle,” Milarch told journalist Jim Robbins. “They are survivors.”

And so is he.

A fourth-generation tree grower, Milarch has turned his family’s 150-acre farm in Copemish, Michigan, into the headquarters of a global reforestation effort. From this modest base, he sends out clones of ancient trees to places as far-flung as New Zealand, France, Canada, and Wales. His redwoods now grow in Central Florida. His sequoias thrive in Oregon. He’s even delivered saplings to the Pentagon and cloned Methuselah, the world’s oldest bristlecone pine, for a university in Prague.

His work has reached royalty, too: at Queen Elizabeth II’s request, Milarch cloned her favourite 1,000-year-old oak.

But no project means more to him than Detroit.

The city where he grew up—once an industrial powerhouse, now struggling with disinvestment and environmental decay—is home to 225 of Milarch’s donated sequoias, some already more than three metres tall. On four city lots, the nonprofit Arboretum Detroit is growing a sequoia grove in one of the city’s most polluted neighbourhoods, where asthma rates are double the city average.

“It’s the worst environmental area of the whole greater Detroit area,” Milarch says. “It’s a nightmare, and it’s perfect for the message we have for that project and for the rest of the world because every major city has areas like that.”

What sets Milarch apart from most tree-planting initiatives is what happens after the planting. He works with schools, training young people to care for the trees long-term. At his farm, he invites students to “tree school.” In one session, eighth graders stood in a rope circle 36 metres in diameter—the same size as the tree their saplings came from.

“Wow,” they said. That’s the moment Milarch lives for.

“We empower the kids. We teach them, we give them the materials, and we check in on them,” he explains. “We’re propagating the propagators. That’s the paradigm shift.” Every child names their own sapling. “Because kids need to connect with nature,” he says. Later in life, he adds, “they can always run to their tree and get some solace.”

Milarch sees trees as far more than plants. “They understand us, they recognize us, they have feelings and are intelligent,” he says. “They feel pain and scream when you put a saw to them.”

His convictions might sound unorthodox, but science supports much of what he’s doing. Old-growth trees store massive amounts of carbon. Just one percent of the largest trees account for half of the carbon stored in forests. They also support unique ecosystems, filter air and water, and can play a role in mitigating climate change. But because most trees planted today are young or genetically weak, their impact is limited.

Milarch wants to change that by cloning trees that have proven they can survive centuries—and giving them a second life.

“We have geographic amnesia,” he says. “We drive around and think the trees we see are normal. No, no, it’s not normal. It’s death.”

His solution is ambitious. He’s aiming to produce millions of trees using just a few jars of tissue culture. “We can reforest the whole planet with the strongest, toughest, oldest trees,” he says. “It’s the best shot we got at solving climate change.”

To him, it’s not just a mission. It’s a mandate. One handed down by angels, yes—but rooted firmly in the soil.

Why Sequoia Trees Are Thriving in the Heart of Detroit

In Fullerton, California, a unique summer camp is giving high school students the chance to learn practical skills from an older generation. Every Tuesday and Thursday in July, the Golden Connections Club meets at Olive Community Services for a program that teaches teenagers how to sew, cook, iron, and more. The twist? Their instructors are senior citizens.

Leena Albinali, the club's founder and a rising high school sophomore, started this initiative with a clear goal: bridging the gap between generations. "There’s so much wisdom that lives in our older generation," she says. "We want to learn from them—not just about skills, but about life."

The idea came to Leena after noticing that many of her peers lacked basic household skills like sewing on a button or ironing a shirt. She saw this as an opportunity to connect with elders who have these skills in abundance. So she enlisted some friends and formed the Golden Connections Club.

Each week the camp offers both craft and cooking sessions. One day might involve folding spring rolls; another could focus on stitching techniques. While there’s plenty of laughter and some crooked seams along the way, perfection isn’t the goal. It’s all about connection.

Olive Community Services aims to reduce loneliness among seniors while also empowering youth through meaningful interactions. Many participants come from underserved and immigrant backgrounds, adding layers of cultural exchange to the experience.

These interactions create new traditions while passing down old ones. As one camper put it, "I thought it was just going to be cooking. But I didn’t expect to make a new friend who’s 80."

Some lessons are best learned through personal interaction rather than textbooks or online tutorials. They’re passed down hand to hand, story by story.

This initiative highlights how intergenerational activities can benefit both young people and seniors alike by fostering relationships and preserving valuable skills across ages.

Grandmas and Teens Unite: The Summer Camp Bridging Generations Through Timeless Skills

Science Daily

Astronomers have made a significant discovery that could change our understanding of the outer reaches of our Solar System. Using the Subaru Telescope, researchers identified a small celestial body beyond Pluto. This object, temporarily named 2023 KQ14, offers insights into the formation and evolution of the distant parts of our cosmic neighborhood.

This discovery comes from the FOSSIL survey project (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which leverages the Subaru Telescope's wide field capabilities. Observations in March, May, and August 2023 led to spotting this tiny body. Follow-up checks are planned for July 2024 using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Astronomers also dug into older data from various observatories to trace its path over an impressive 19 years.

What's particularly intriguing about 2023 KQ14 is its classification as a "sednoid." Only three other objects share this rare designation. Sednoids are known for their peculiar orbits far from Neptune’s gravitational influence. Numerical simulations conducted by the FOSSIL team suggest that while 2023 KQ14's current orbit differs from its sednoid peers, they had remarkably similar paths around 4.2 billion years ago.

The different trajectory of 2023 KQ14 highlights a more intricate outer Solar System than previously thought. It also adds new constraints to theories regarding Planet Nine, a hypothetical planet believed by some to exist beyond Neptune. Dr. Yukun Huang of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan remarks on this finding: "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis."

These findings prompt questions about past events that might have influenced these unusual orbits. Dr. Huang speculates that "it is possible that a planet once existed in the Solar System but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today."

Dr. Fumi Yoshida offers further insight into what's at stake with this discovery: "2023 KQ14 was found in a region far away where Neptune's gravity has little influence." The presence of such objects suggests something extraordinary happened during their formation era.

The Subaru Telescope has proven itself instrumental in these findings, one of only a few capable telescopes on Earth able to make such discoveries at great distances from our Sun. Dr. Yoshida shares optimism for future research: "I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System."

A Mysterious Fossil Discovery is Challenging Our Understanding of Planet Nine

Robin Williams will forever be known as a Hollywood legend.

Whether it was teaching us about life as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting, or showing us how to love and laugh as Mrs. Doubtfire, or the way he embodied John Keating in Dead Poets Society, the beloved Oscar winner was one of a kind. His humor, his charm, and his kindness are fondly remembered to this day. 


Today would have been his 74th birthday. To celebrate his everlasting legacy, here are seven incredible things Robin Williams did that most people don’t know about.

1. The time he became a doctor for Christopher Reed

When Christopher Reeves was paralyzed, Robin Williams put on scrubs, burst through his hospital door, and pretended to be a Russian doctor. He said he was a proctologist and needed to do an exam ASAP.

Reeves said it was the first time he'd laughed since his accident.
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E61f0hQWYAYAIhh?format=jpg&amp;name=360x360">
2. The time he added a special clause in his contract


After he became famous, Robin Williams had a special clause in his contract: for every movie or event he did, the hiring company had to hire a certain number of homeless people in the area and give them work.<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E61f_nVXoAMc52G?format=jpg&amp;name=900x900">
3. The time he testified to the US senate about the homelessness crisis
In the 1990's, Robin and his friend, Whoopi Goldberg, testified before the US Senate, asking them to end the homelessness crisis.

He spoke with compassion, hope, and his classic Robin charm.

"You can't keep picking people up. You have to stop them from falling."

<a href="https://twitter.com/Goodable/status/1550143887825567751" target="_blank">It's one of the most powerful speeches you'll see.</a><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTSIu90WYAEM5qR?format=jpg&amp;name=small">

4. The time he recorded a special message for the crew of Discovery
Discovery was the first space shuttle to launch into orbit after the Challenger disaster in 1986. To boost their morale, Robin Williams recorded this surprise wakeup message for them.

"Gooooood morning Discovery!"

<a href="https://twitter.com/Goodable/status/1417900567658123266" target="_blank">The reaction in the control room was priceless</a>.<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DK-G1NxWsAEThxY?format=jpg&amp;name=small">


5. The time he went out of his way to make someone laugh
Robin was once in a coffee shop in San Francisco at 2:30am, when he saw a man who was depressed. The man had just lost his parents.

Robin walked over, sat next to him, and made him laugh.
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E61hUpaXIAQPpGc?format=png&amp;name=medium">

6. The time he stood up for his costars
While filming Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin Williams' child co-star was expelled from school because she couldn't attend classes in person.

When Robin found out, he personally wrote this letter to the principal, insisting they allow her to stay.
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E63YEY0XEAcqf1Y?format=jpg&amp;name=small">

7. The time he stood up for his costars (again)
Robin Williams starred alongside Ethan Hawke in the film Dead Poets Society. At the time, it was only Hawke’s second film, and he was still trying to make a name for himself.

One day, after the movie wrapped up, Hawke got a call from an agent. He told him “Robin Williams says you’re going to do really well” and signed him. It’s what helped Hawke begin his career.
<img src="https://imgix.ranker.com/user_node_img/50129/1002579310/original/1002579310-photo-u132827612?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=650">

Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a father, a husband and everything in between. Happy Birthday, Robin.

Remembering The Legacy of Robin Williams on His 74th Birthday

Science Alert

Your dog's personality might be shaping how they react to TV shows, according to new research from Auburn University in Alabama. This study could be useful for improving how we care for and train our furry friends.

Researchers collected data from 453 dog owners whose pets showed an interest in television. The findings revealed that dogs with more excitable personalities were more likely to track on-screen objects. On the other hand, those with fearful or anxious tendencies tended to respond to non-animal stimuli like doorbells or cars.

"These results suggest that television viewing habits may be predicted by aspects of a dog's personality," the researchers noted in their published paper. They also pointed out that dogs might interpret objects on TV similarly to how they do in real life, despite the difference between two-dimensional screens and their three-dimensional environment.

The study found that dogs generally responded more to animals shown on TV than to objects like cars. On average, canine viewers spent just over 14 minutes watching TV during each session. Interestingly, factors such as age, sex, breed, or even how long a dog had been exposed to TV didn't significantly influence their viewing habits.

One noteworthy observation was that there wasn't much difference between auditory and visual stimuli for these dogs. Whether it was something seen or heard on TV mattered less than what type of stimulus it was; a barking dog or revving car caught their attention more than anything else.

"Further evaluation of these behaviors could result in appropriate application of television interventions in shelters based upon individual dog temperament," stated the researchers. They emphasized that this understanding could help use TV as an enrichment tool for pets or screen programming that might stress them out.

However, it's essential to remember that this study focused only on dogs already interested in television and relied on owner reports. So while it provides valuable insights into canine behavior toward television content, generalizing these results should be done cautiously.

The Dog Television Viewing Scale (DTVS), developed through this research, offers a promising method for better assessing what grabs dogs' attention on screen. This tool can now facilitate further studies into what our four-legged companions prefer when tuning into the tube.

With dedicated networks for dogs already available, understanding their preferences seems timely. "These results inform towards the perceptual experience of companion dogs and potential dog welfare interventions," concluded the researchers.

Your Dog's TV Habits Reveal A lot About Their Personality, According to a New Study

BBC News

A small herd of goats is taking on a big job in one of Britain’s most important Roman sites.

The North York Moors National Park Authority has brought in Golden Guernsey goats to help maintain a new one-mile (1.6km) illustrated trail around Cawthorn Roman Camps—an archaeological site made up of 2,000-year-old earthworks once used by Roman legions.

Their task? Eat.

“They're doing exactly what goats do best and eating their way through the vegetation that was beginning to encroach on the archaeology and is quite dense in places,” said conservation officer Jacob Lawson. “This is a 10-week trial and something we've never done before, but it's sustainable and a low-impact way to protect one of Britain's most valuable Roman sites, and so far it's been extremely positive.”

The goats, from Mossy Oaks at Castle Howard, have a reputation for specialist grazing, helping control overgrowth in sensitive areas where heavy machinery would be too damaging. At Cawthorn, they’re being used to clear invasive scrub, brambles and bracken threatening the visibility and preservation of the historic earthworks.

The newly installed Edge of Empire trail includes artwork and information boards designed to immerse visitors in the Roman military history of the region. It traces the network of forts and temporary camps that once played a strategic role in Rome’s expansion across northern Britain.

According to the park authority, Roman legions pushed north from their fortress in York, building outposts like Cawthorn to secure territory and confront local tribes, including the Parisi and Brigantes. Military roads connected the network, and archaeological evidence suggests that Cawthorn was more than just a training ground.

“Cawthorn is an extraordinary example of Roman military strategy, preserved in the peaceful heart of the North York Moors,” said Miles Johnson, the park's head of historic environment. “The site consists of a complex of earthworks, including two forts and a temporary camp with an unusual layout. At one point it was thought the camps were only used for training troops, but now we believe they had a strategic role in exercising control over local tribes and perhaps for short-term occupation during the construction of military roads across the region.”

Johnson said the new trail offers visitors a way to experience this history in a “meaningful and accessible” format. The route has been designed with accessibility in mind, featuring sections suitable for wheelchair users and all-terrain buggies. There are no steps or stiles.

To protect the goats during the grazing trial, signs along the trail remind visitors to keep dogs on leads. Livestock worrying is a criminal offence under UK law, and authorities are urging pet owners to be especially cautious while the goats are at work.

The trial is one part conservation, one part creative storytelling. It combines land management with public engagement, and if successful, could be repeated elsewhere.

For now, the goats continue to graze quietly among the ruins—modern-day recruits helping preserve the legacy of Roman soldiers from two millennia ago.

Goats to the Rescue: Unusual Allies are Protecting Ancient Roman Trail

Engineers from around the globe, with a little help from artificial intelligence, may have developed the whitest coating ever made. This new thermal coating could be a big win for cutting energy costs by keeping buildings cooler.

Research teams from the University of Texas-Austin, National University of Singapore, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Umea University in Sweden collaborated on this project. Their AI-driven method created materials known as "three-dimensional thermal meta-emitters," which allow for selective heat emission. This means more efficient cooling and heating.

Professor Yuebing Zheng from the Texas school's mechanical engineering department co-led the study. He explained, "Our machine learning framework represents a significant leap forward in the design of thermal meta-emitters." By automating material creation, they achieved superior performance that wasn't possible before.

The team tested four materials and confirmed one’s effectiveness by applying it to a model house. When exposed to direct sunlight for four hours at midday, the roof coated with this meta-emitter was 5 to 20 degrees Celsius cooler than those with commercial white and gray paints.

This cooling effect has practical implications. In hot climates like Rio de Janeiro or Bangkok, such cooling could save about 15,800 kilowatt-hours annually in an apartment building. To put it in perspective, a typical air conditioning unit uses roughly 1,500 kilowatt-hours each year.

Besides improving energy efficiency in buildings, these materials could tackle urban heat islands by reflecting sunlight and emitting heat at specific wavelengths. They also hold promise for space technology; managing spacecraft temperatures by efficiently reflecting solar radiation is crucial.

The research goes beyond traditional applications. These coatings could enhance textiles and fabrics used in clothing and outdoor gear. Applying them to vehicles could reduce interior heat buildup when cars are parked under the sun.

Traditionally, designing such materials required slow trial-and-error methods—limiting their potential due to complex geometries like thin-film stacks that often fall short on performance measures. Zheng noted that this approach often leads to suboptimal designs.

Co-author Kan Yao highlighted how machine learning fits well here: "Machine learning may not be the solution to everything but... it is particularly suitable for designing high-performance thermal emitters."

Revolutionary AI-Designed Roof Paint Promises to Cut Cooling Costs and Combat Climate Change

Euro News

In 2014, a Dutch design student named Dave Hakkens shared a set of open-source plans online for a plastic recycling machine. His idea was simple: make plastic recycling cheap and accessible enough for anyone, anywhere, to do it. What followed was anything but small.

Three people independently built the machine that same year. Soon after, Hakkens' concept grew into Precious Plastic, a grassroots effort that has since become a global movement. Now, more than 2,000 plastic recycling initiatives in 56 countries are part of the Precious Plastic community—many of them powered by machines built using Hakkens' original designs.

“All we wanted was more plastic recycling,” says Jerry de Voos, who joined the project in 2017 to help develop the third version of the machines. “Often, we had an idea from what others had done or what we thought the community would benefit from. Then we’d seek funding, and when we were happy with the results, we would share them online.”

That open-access model has remained at the heart of the project. Everything from machine blueprints and tutorial videos to product designs and business tools is freely available online. People can buy the machines pre-made or build them using off-the-shelf parts. The emphasis is on replication, adaptability, and shared learning.

The plastic problem isn’t going away

That kind of innovation is badly needed. Despite decades of effort, plastic waste is still one of the most persistent environmental threats facing the planet. According to UN estimates, only about 9 percent of plastic is recycled. The rest ends up buried, burned, or drifting through ecosystems. By 2050, it’s expected that 99 percent of all birds will have ingested plastic.

Recycling infrastructure in many parts of the world is limited or nonexistent. And virgin plastic, made from fossil fuels, remains significantly cheaper than high-quality recycled material. Add rising energy and labour costs, and the financial case for scaling plastic recycling—especially for small players—starts to fall apart.

Precious Plastic has never aimed to fix the global plastic problem on its own. But it has managed to reframe the conversation: from mass-scale industry to local action, from centralised waste systems to community-led solutions.

“Precious Plastic was one of the first projects where you could have small, personal solutions to bigger challenges and thereby make people feel like they could contribute to solving the issue,” says de Voos.

Scaling small-scale recycling

That mindset has translated into tangible results. In Singapore, a company called Plastify now runs a PET bottle collection program and recycles hospital packaging waste into products, including official merchandise for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. In Italy, a startup called Plastiz transforms waste from traffic lights and coffee pods into construction and design materials.

In Ukraine, even war hasn’t stopped progress. No Waste Ukraine, which launched a Precious Plastic workshop in the midst of conflict, has produced café furniture, branded gifts, and notebooks from recycled plastic. The initiative is trying to change cultural attitudes toward waste. “We’re trying to make waste sorting a cultural norm,” says project lead Khrystyna Baranovska, “and to replace the old Soviet-era shame, when recycling was seen as a sign of poverty, with a new sense of pride and identity.”

Success—and its limits

But the model isn't without its challenges. Much of Precious Plastic’s work has relied on volunteers. De Voos recalls working alongside 11 others “almost daily for free.” It worked for a while, but not forever. “At some point, people have to pay the rent.”

That’s partly why development on version five of the machines is currently paused. Funding dried up. Still, de Voos remains optimistic. “The machines are out there and they are as relevant now as back then. Anyone can pick up where Precious Plastic left off.”

What’s missing, he says, is government support and public recognition for the people doing the work. “It would be great if there was greater appreciation for people working in the recycling industry, and if the government would share the responsibility and back local initiatives.”

Recycling can’t do it alone

The bigger issue is one of scale. According to the UN Environment Programme, around 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year. Most of it isn’t designed to be easily recycled, and many types can’t be turned back into the same quality of material. That makes genuine circularity nearly impossible, even for the most advanced recycling systems.

Some companies are pushing alternatives—like Notpla’s seaweed-based edible packaging in the UK or a Japanese material that dissolves in seawater. But none of them are mainstream yet.

That could change. This August, global leaders are set to debate a new plastics treaty. If passed, it could force manufacturers to rethink how plastic is made in the first place. If not, change may once again fall to bottom-up solutions like Precious Plastic.

For now, the machines are still online. The plans are still free. And for anyone willing to try, the chance to turn waste into something better is just a download away.

Meet The Global Movement Turning Plastic Waste Into DIY Treasures

David Harrison first laid eyes on Peggotty when he was just 17. It was 1955, and the 1935 Austin 10 had been a gift from his father. The car became his pride and joy, a trusted companion through the early years of adulthood. For decades, he held onto it.

But time moved on. Harrison, now 86 and living at Cofton Park Manor Care Home near the Birmingham-Worcestershire border in England, hadn’t seen Peggotty in years. The car had left his life quietly, the dream of restoring it fading with age.

That changed on Saturday, when Peggotty came back.

The classic car, lovingly restored by new owner Brian Artus, rolled up to the care home as part of a surprise visit organized by Harrison’s partner, Netta Darke. Residents, staff, and Harrison’s family looked on as he was wheeled outside and greeted with the sight of his old friend, gleaming and road-ready once again.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Harrison said, visibly moved as he admired the car’s condition. “She’s doing rather well.”

Darke said the idea came to her after seeing a leaflet for the care home’s open day, which mentioned a classic car display. That detail sparked something. “David has always talked so much about Peggotty,” she said. “It was only about seven or eight years ago when it became clear that he was never going to restore it.”

She contacted Artus through family connections. He purchased the Austin 10 and spent the next five years restoring it—piece by piece, panel by panel—until it looked like it had just rolled off the line.

Darke had no doubt the surprise would be emotional. “I know there will be tears—tears of happiness, tears of memory, tears that we all shed at times when we look back on the lives we have led.”

Harrison’s reaction was a mix of joy, nostalgia, and understated humour. Asked what it had been like to drive Peggotty all those years ago, he grinned: “Great fun... but pretty bumpy.” He added he would still love the chance to drive it again.

For now, just seeing Peggotty again seemed to be enough. A quiet but powerful reminder that some connections—like the one between a man and his first car—don’t fade with time. They just wait for the right moment to return.

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