Wednesday

In today’s issue, we’ll take a look at:

• A new way to recycle the hardest plastics

• What’s really going on under the forest floor

• Where to get all of your printing done

• Sunset of the day in Michigan

• How to access your paycheck early

Did You Know

Bamboo grows so fast that some species can grow over ___ feet in a single day.

Scroll to the bottom for the answer.

A New Way to Recycle the Hardest Plastics

Black plastic, like coffee cup lids and food containers, is one of the hardest types to recycle. Sorting machines identify plastics by shining light on them, and black items absorb it rather than reflecting it back, so they slip through undetected and end up in landfill.

Researchers at Cornell and Princeton found a way around this using the very thing that makes the problem. Black plastic contains a compound called carbon black, which absorbs light and converts it into heat. Grind the plastic into a fine powder, expose it to bright LED light or sunlight, and that heat breaks the material down into reusable building blocks.

It works on real-world waste, not just clean lab samples. Applied to used food containers and coffee lids, just over half the material converted back into something usable, and sunlight outdoors performed better than the lamps did. The team even recycled the leftovers back into new plastic, closing the loop.

It is not ready for industrial scale yet. But it is a genuinely clever piece of thinking, turning a material's most inconvenient property into the solution.

What Is Really Going On Under the Forest Floor

You have probably heard that trees talk to each other. The idea of a "wood wide web", where forests share food and send warnings through underground fungi, has become one of the most beloved stories in nature writing. The truth underneath is a little quieter, and arguably more interesting.

Here is what is not in doubt. Nearly all plants form partnerships with fungi in their roots, a relationship called mycorrhiza that stretches back hundreds of millions of years. The fungi thread through the soil, pulling up water and nutrients, and the tree pays them in sugars. It is one of the oldest working arrangements on Earth.

What researchers have questioned is the bigger claim. When scientists reviewed the evidence, they found the amount of carbon actually passing between trees tends to be small, and much of it stays in the fungi rather than reaching a neighbor. The warning-signal idea turned out to rest on thinner ground than the popular version suggests.

None of this makes the forest floor less remarkable. It just means the story is still being written, and that a partnership between a tree and a fungus is worth marveling at on its own terms.

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Thank you to Staples for sponsoring The Canopy.

Sunset of the Day

Today's breathtaking sunset comes from The Canopy reader Wendy, who captured this golden moment over East Bay in Michigan.

The glowing horizon, streaked with soft clouds, reflects beautifully over the rippling water, while the shoreline’s rocky edge adds a peaceful contrast. It's the kind of view that makes you pause and take in the beauty of nature’s quiet magic.

Thank you for sharing this stunning scene, Wendy. Have a sunset that left you in awe? Send it our way, we’d love to feature it.

Image courtesy of The Canopy reader, Wendy.

Thank you to Klover for sponsoring The Canopy.

Reflections:

🌎 Did You Know: Bamboo grows so fast that some species can grow over three feet in a single day.

🌅 Sunset Of The Day: The sun can provide the most beautiful photography. That's why we're eager to see your favorite sunrise or sunset photos. Reply to this email with your best sun-based pictures for a chance to be featured!