Plastic roads: A Singapore-based start-up is transforming how plastic waste is managed by turning it into materials for building roads. Using innovative technology, plastic waste, including contaminated materials like hospital disposables, is processed into NEWBitumen, an alternative to conventional road materials. This innovation has already diverted significant amounts of plastic from incineration, including through a project that used NEWBitumen to pave a green driveway. By offering a sustainable solution to the plastic waste crisis, the initiative highlights how industries can reduce reliance on natural resources. It proves that one person's trash can truly become another's pathway forward.
Waterway wonder: Near Haunaut, Belgium, the Sart Canal Bridge masterfully blends into the landscape, making its engineering brilliance easy to overlook. Spanning 498 metres, this impressive structure serves as both a road and a waterway, supporting a canal that transports massive quantities of water. Built on challenging terrain, the bridge stands strong and durable with innovative construction techniques. Part of the Canal du Centre, it connects major waterways and facilitates both cargo and passenger movement, boosting regional efficiency. Beyond its utility, it has become a popular spot for tourists, offering stunning views, and a testament to human ingenuity. Sometimes even bridges make waves!
Time painter: Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport features a unique art installation a clock where the time appears to be painted by hand. Created by Dutch designer Maarten Baas as part of his Real Time series, the piece uses video to show a man in overalls meticulously painting and wiping the clock's hands minute by minute. The clock hangs prominently in the airport lounge, blending functional design with performance art, and capturing the attention of millions of travellers each year. With its red bucket, yellow cloth, and subtle nods to Dutch art icons, the piece invites travellers to reflect on the passage of time in a new, thought-provoking way. In this airport, watching the clock has never been so fascinating.
Desert blooms: South Africa's Namaqualand turns into a breathtaking sea of flowers after winter rains. The once-barren land comes alive with bright orange, pink, and yellow blooms, creating a stunning and temporary natural wonder admired by many. This region hosts countless unique plants, including tough annuals that quickly grow and scatter seeds, and hardy bulb plants that spring to life after lying dormant underground for months. Known for its exceptional variety of bulb flowers, Nieuwoudtville is a standout spot to witness this vibrant transformation, earning it the title of a true floral paradise for avid nature enthusiasts, botanists, and photographers worldwide.