Turning textiles into raw materials
We talk to Robert Speight and Adrian Jones about recovering fabric waste at BlockTexx.
If they can’t be used second-hand, is it possible to recycle old clothes? What about recycling other fabrics and textiles? An Australian company, BlockTexx
, has recently received funding to build a textile recovery facility in Queensland. Using technology developed by Queensland University of Technology researchers, the plant will take old textiles and turn them into raw materials that can be used by other industries.
One of the central problems with textiles is that they’re often a mix of completely different chemicals – such as cotton and polyester. This makes them very difficult to turn into new, high-quality products. The separation-of-fibre technology (S.O.F.T.) process developed by QUT, however, separates the polyester and cotton in textiles completely, allowing them to be used for other purposes.
Year 11 student Breannan Moir practices on the Life Skill Pedestrian Safety VR program
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Students at Mackay District Special School are benefiting from virtual reality learning, courtesy of Endeavour Foundation.
The disability service provider has worked with Queensland University of Technology and other developers to create unique VR learning tools to teach people a range of life and work-related skills including how to use an ATM, catch public transport, and drive a car or forklift truck.
Mackay District Special School’s deputy principal Sereta Uitenweerde said students were already using the technology to improve skills and build confidence.
Experiencing first-hand the challenges facing Indigenous students at school, Goreng Goreng man Professor Chris Sarra has been a champion of improving education methods and outcomes through his ‘Stronger Smarter’ approach.
Date Time
Study of Victoria’s assisted dying prospective approval process in practice
Victoria is the first Australian state to enact assisted dying laws and one of only two places in the world where a government department must issue a permit before the patient can receive assisted dying.
Study is first internationally to look at how Victoria’s pre-approval process for VAD operates from doctors’ perspective
32 doctors involved in lawful voluntary assisted dying in VAD’s first year of operation interviewed
Not only the law but also the technology behind the process needs careful consideration to avoid barriers to VAD for eligible patients, study found.