【推荐1】How many times have you gone outside only to get your foot stuck in chewing gum (口香糖) on the sidewalk, or discovered a mass of Bubbalicious beneath (在……之下) a table or desk? As far as environmental pollution goes, chewing gum is far from our largest problem —but for the average pedestrian (行人), it could well be among the most annoying.

Chewing gum causes plenty of messes for local governments, too. When people leave their used gum on sidewalks, it’s up to cities to pay for clean-up efforts: in the United Kingdom it costs about 150 million pounds every year to cover the costs of removing the sticky gum from public walkways and facilities.

But 25-year-old Anna Bullus has come up with a solution that could turn those used pieces of bright pink gum a lovely shade of green. She spent eight months collecting old gum and working with it in a lab, eventually creating a ball from the material, which she mixed with other materials to create the Bullus Recycled Gum Polymer (BRGP)

“Yes, everyone thought I was mad and a little bit disgusting,” she told The Guardian. But Bullus’ effort has paid off. she’s used the BRGP to create pink bubble-shaped bins (垃圾箱) which can be used to collect used pieces of gum. She’s set up her “bubble bins” around Orpington College as a trail, but hopes to roll them out in more locations before long. Once the bins are full, both the bins and the gum inside them will be recycled to produce more BRGP— at which point, the possibilities are almost endless.

“The amazing thing is that you can use it for any plastic product.” Bullus said. “I’d love to do some waterproof boots, for example. Gum boots, in fact.”

【推荐2】Your morning coffee could be used to make a pair of sneakers, a Finnish startup says. Rens can make new shoes from old coffee, cutting back on waste in terms of space in landfills and methane (甲烷) emissions.

5, 000 supporters promised to invest over $500, 000 to see the sneakers come to life. Up to 21 cups of coffee and 6 recycled plastic bottles are used in each pair of shoes. The sneakers come in 9 different colors and are waterproof and super comfortable. In addition, the sneakers can absorb a peculiar smell, and they are designed to be taken off and put on easily.

Jesse Tran, the co-founder of Rens, wanted to do something to help reduce people’s carbon “footprint”, while offering a pair of everyday shoes that is functional and fashion-forward. “With the improvement of environmental awareness, the knowledge of the circular economy is also increasing. Shoes made from recycled coffee pieces may seem novel to some people, but we wholeheartedly believe that this is just the beginning of a revolution in the clothing technology and manufacturing industry,” said Tran.

So far, 250, 000 water bottles and 750, 000 cups of coffee have been turned into these shoes. The small coffee solid pieces are combined in a low-heat environment with recycled plastic to create a coffee yarn in the upper section of the shoes, while recycled plastic is made into the other parts, and the tree sap (液) that biodegrades (降解) creates the outer sole (鞋底).

While the price is as high as $119 on Amazon, they offer free delivery everywhere, a l-year guarantee on the waterproofing technology, and a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.

【推荐2】Removing footwear before going into someone else’s house is seen as a sign of respect in certain cultures. Yet in the U.S., many worry that this request comes across as rude. But there may be good reason for you to ban shoes indoors.

A 2018 survey showed that a significant 87% of Americans report taking off their shoes while at home. 31% say they will “always” remove their shoes inside their house, while 26% say they do so “most of the time.”

But when it comes to asking guests to do the same, the prevalence is much lower. Around 50% of Americans admit that they never ask guests to take off their shoes. And out of those who specifically say they always take off their own shoes at home, only 25 % said they expect that the same from their visitors.

Maybe you think it’s rude to do so. Or maybe you see it as an inconvenience. Regardless of the reason for your hesitation, experts say you really should be making sure people leave their footwear at the front door. A no shoe policy can help maintain cleanliness and hygiene (卫生).

According to Godoy, a cleaning expert, banning outdoor footwear can “significantly reduce” the amount of dirt being tracked indoors.

Wearing shoes indoors can introduce bacteria and other stuff to your floors, which can build up over time and turn into a real problem. In fact, a major study from microbiologist Charles Gerba found that harmful bacteria such as coliform and E. coli can be detected on the outside of 96% of shoes. These contaminants (污染物) can then be spread throughout the home when people walk around indoors with their shoes on.

“Removing shoes at the door can help prevent the spread of these contaminants and promote a cleaner, healthier living environment,” says Zeeshan Afzal, a medical doctor.