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Purdue Innovation Could Make Recycling More Profitable
By: Steve Martin
Hasler Ventures LLC plans to scale up to commercial levels a Purdue University patented technology that may accelerate the volume of waste plastic recycling.
The innovation is called Low-Pressure Hydrothermal Processing. It promises an economically and environmentally safe way to transform polyolefin plastic, the most common form of plastic, into gasoline, diesel fuel and other high-value items. Developed by Linda Wang, the Maxine Spencer Nichols Professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, the research was published in a 2021 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Fuel.
The United Nations estimates that more than 8 million tons of plastics flow into the oceans each year. Of all the plastics produced over the past 65 years (8.3 billion tons), about 12% have been incinerated and only 9% have been recycled. The remaining 79% have gone into landfills or the oceans. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2050, the oceans will hold more plastic waste than fish if the waste continues to be dumped into bodies of water.
“The key to solving this problem is to make it economically more attractive to collect and process the plastic waste stream into higher-value products at a significantly lower conversion cost,” said Dan Hasler, CEO of Hasler Ventures. “Current methods including incineration, pyrolysis and mechanical recycling have all proven to be ineffective or too costly, both financially and environmentally. They have not been able to draw the required private investment at a scale sufficient to divert the vast majority of the global 350 million tons of plastic waste produced annually from the landfill. We believe we can demonstrate first at pilot scale that hydrothermal processing is a less-expensive approach to produce fuels from plastic than from crude oil, making it a profitable venture to collect and process plastic, keeping it out of landfills and oceans.”
Purdue has put significant effort in this area for many years, said Mung Chiang, Purdue’s executive vice president for strategic initiatives and the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering. “Solving this plastic waste problem will greatly benefit the environment and future generations,” Chiang said.
The recently invented conversion process incorporates hydrothermal liquefaction and efficient separation. Once the plastic is converted into oil or naphtha, it can be used as a feedstock for other chemicals or further separated into monomers, specialty solvents, or other products. The clean fuels derived from the polyolefin waste generated each year can satisfy 4% of the annual demand for gasoline or diesel fuels. Some results of Wang’s study were published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering in 2019 and Fuel in 2020 and 2021. A video about the process is available online.
Hasler Ventures is collaborating with American Resources Corp. (NASDAQ:AREC) to use its Indiana-based chromatography pilot plant, currently in development, to demonstrate the technology.
Mark Jensen, president of American Resources Corp., said, “Once proven, the commercialized Purdue innovation could change perceptions about recycling plastics. We’re excited to support this environmentally critical project.”
K.D.A.P. – Influences
You may know Kevin Drew as the leader of Toronto indie-rock ensemble Broken Social Scene but let’s imagine that he wasn’t. Instead, let’s imagine that the young man who spent his early 20s obsessing over Brian Eno’s ambient works, Morricone soundtracks, Chicago post-rock and the early Warp Records catalogue never left the basement, never met his future BSS partner Brendan Canning in 1999 and never discovered a wider community of musicians. Now take that kid, time-travel him to 2021, hand him a smartphone with a DIY beat-making app, and drop him in a forest somewhere in the south of England. The result would sound something like Influences.
The album is different from his previous works in that it’s more of an abstract electronic music album. Kevin shared the video for the album’s opening track, “The Slinfold Loop”. On the track he says: “We live in a society that’s based on selling yourself back to yourself. It’s created an underground battle to constantly be searching for ‘true identity’. We wanted to create a video presentation that promotes exploring over searching and brings the mystical slide-show of never-ending opinion to the forefront of this battle. We used available footage from the World Wide Web from other artists and cut together a blender of images to tell a love story about continuing to move forward amongst the never ending information of how one is supposed to live.”
Yes, like many records you’ll hear this year, Influences was a product of the pandemic. But it doesn’t so much capture the sound of lockdown as it does liberation, music unbound from the laws of traditional song structure and the crowd-pleasing pressures of fronting a popular rock band. The truth is, Kevin had been itching to make a record like this well before the world stopped turning in March 2020. After his two decades of playing with Broken Social Scene left him with a chronic back injury and a dearth of fresh songwriting inspiration, he longed for both a physical and aesthetic retreat, and to reconnect with the therapeutic powers of instrumental music that he first experienced as a teenager. The pandemic simply provided him with the time and space to finally make it happen, as he spent the summer of 2020 riding out COVID’s first wave in the London area.
But while the aptly-named Influences marks a return to the early inspirations that first prompted Kevin to make music some 25 years ago, it expresses those old impulses through an entirely new language, and exercises them in a completely different environment. This isn’t a basement record; it’s an outdoor record, written in real time during long walks through the woods of Slinford and along the canals of Islington on the smartphone production software Endlesss. For Kevin, this app wasn’t some mere time-killing toy, but a tool that completely transformed his approach to making music, its simple interface presenting him with infinite new possibilities and reigniting a childlike sense of experimentation. Instead of jamming with musicians, he was now interacting with his natural environment, intuitively switching up his beats and arrangements in response to changes in environmental stimuli, be it the discovery of a new vista or a cyclist whipping by and nearly killing him. The easy-flowing, artistically freeing nature of the music’s creation is reflected in the alias Kevin eventually adopted for the project KDAP, a.k.a., Kevin Drew a Picture and by the time he returned to Toronto following his UK retreat, he had accumulated nearly 45 song sketches.
Influences is positively pulsating with life, a kaleidoscopic constellation of strobe-lit electronics, rippling rhythms, and gleaming digital melodies that tap into a very 2021 feeling of existence.
Health and Wellness Company Plexus Contributes Greatly to the Economy
A new independent study by the L. Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University shows Plexus Worldwide (Plexus®), a leading health and wellness company, had an estimated $128.5 million gross domestic product (GDP) economic impact in Arizona and more than $1.1 billion GDP impact on the U.S. economy in 2020. The study analyzed the scope and scale of Plexus’ economic impact and investment across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
“The purpose of this study was to measure the economic impact of Plexus’ U.S. operations in the state of Arizona and in each market where the company does business including Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand in 2020,” said Dennis Hoffman, Director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. “Our findings show the tremendous impact that Plexus has had, including a $1.15 billion economic impact on the global GDP and more than $128.5 million economic impact in the local Arizona community.”
Highlights of the 2020 economic impact study include:
- $1.15 billion GDP impact on the global economy
- $1.1 billion GDP impact on the U.S. economy
- $128.5 million GDP impact on the state of Arizona
- $791.6 million in U.S. labor income
- 8,593 U.S. jobs supported
- $26.8 million in sales tax revenues to state and local governments, responsible for $59.1 million GDP, 619 jobs, and $41.9 million labor income in the U.S. economy.
“Everyday Arizonans deserve opportunities to build better lives for themselves and their families. As Arizona’s senior senator, I’ll continue supporting economic opportunities helping Arizonans grow and thrive in their own direction. I look forward to working with our business leaders and independent business owners as we continue to expand jobs and fuel economic recovery,” said Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
Plexus is dedicated to changing lives and promoting health, wellness, and success. “Our products, team members, and Ambassadors are the foundation of these goals, which is why we are committed to the highest standards of quality,” said Tarl Robinson, CEO and Founder of Plexus. “Thanks to our hardworking leaders and employees, and in a year like no other, Plexus was able to grow and have a real impact on economies at the local, national, and global communities where we operate.”
This study demonstrates that Plexus is a major economic driver, contributing millions to the U.S. economy, including $95 million in labor income statewide. “In 2020 alone, Plexus supported more than 9,000 jobs worldwide, with a total of $821.6 million in total earnings for our employees and hundreds of thousands of Ambassadors, who serve as independent business owners,” said Kim Drabik, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at Plexus.*
Plexus, a privately held company was established 13-years ago in Arizona, has more than 400 employees at its Scottsdale headquarters, which consists of a 73,000 square foot office building and 28,000 square foot warehouse. In 2020, Plexus welcomed more the 462,000 new Ambassadors and customers, growing the number of Ambassadors receiving monthly income by 23%.
About Plexus Worldwide
Plexus Worldwide, LLC, is a leading health and happiness company featuring health and wellness products that enable people to improve their lives and well-being. With hundreds of thousands of independent business owners (“Ambassadors”) worldwide, Plexus is among the top 30 largest direct sales companies globally according to Direct Selling News. The combination of Plexus products and opportunities help individuals to meet their health-wellness and financial goals.
Snoop Dogg Celebrates World Gin Day with His Own Gin INDOGGO
The Dogg father himself, Snoop Dogg celebrated World Gin Day with his very own INDOGGO® Gin like a boss! Terrence J and Snoop’s son Cordell Broadus hosted the rooftop celebration for a specialty curated pairings lunch where the crew sipped on the INDOGGO Long Beach Lemonade’s, The INDOGGO Remix & the classic INDOGGO Gin N Juice as they dined on shrimp tacos and pasta primavera. Snoop Dogg joined his son and crew for the pool party at the Highlight Room where the entire rooftop was decked out with INDOGGO® bottles, swag and decorations.
The hosts made sure the drinks kept flowing and sent out multiple rounds of gin & juice cocktails along with bottles of INDOGGO to all the guests. The DJ spun all of Snoop’s legendary hits and made sure to play the cult classic “Gin N Juice” on repeat as it got the crowd pumped every time and turned the entire space into a giant Karaoke session. Always one to support his fans, Snoop stopped to take pictures with all the guests before grabbing some INDOGGO® to go and making rooftop cheers for World Gin Day!
About Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is a legendary rapper known for his many albums, his laid back demeanor partially as a result of his affinity for marijuana, and for his work outside of music including his cookbook, work on WWE WrestleMania, and his charity work and advocacy for many causes such as the Flint Water Crisis and the legalization of marijuana. 
Rolls-Royce Makes Custom Car for Children’s Hospital
Every motor car that is meticulously handcrafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce is unique, with its own story and inspiration. But one Bespoke project has a special place in the affections of the marque’s 2,000-strong workforce – and it recently returned to the company’s Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence, at Goodwood, for some much-needed TLC.
The Rolls-Royce SRH belongs to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, where it performs a vitally important role: young patients on the paediatric day surgery unit use it to drive themselves to theatre when the time comes for their operation, rather than walking or being wheeled on a trolley. This simple yet ingenious idea transforms what would otherwise be an anxious, intimidating moment into a truly memorable and enjoyable experience for children, parents and staff alike.
Since the car entered service in 2017, it has conveyed no fewer than 2,000 brave youngsters in true Rolls-Royce comfort and style. But inevitably, its singular working condition, the marque is unaware of any other Rolls-Royce being routinely driven along corridors by unlicensed children in a state of nervous excitement had exacted a toll on its beautiful Bespoke bodywork and paint.
The car was therefore recalled to the Home of Rolls-Royce for its first 100,000m* service, lovingly carried out by specialists from the Bespoke Team and other technical and craft departments, to restore it to its original condition.
The car was built in 2017, when the hospital asked Rolls-Royce if it could repair the original theatre transport – an electric plastic Jeep – that had succumbed after suffering one too many traumatic injuries of its own. The marque respectfully declined, offering instead to create a new one, to Rolls-Royce standards.
A small team designed and constructed a Bespoke bodyshell in fibreglass reinforced with carbon-fibre, complete with the marque’s iconic Pantheon grille. The bonnet strips were ‘real’ ones cut to length; the two-tone finish was applied exactly as it would be on a full-size commission, with the wheel covers, seats and coachlines all perfectly color-matched.
The seat was hand-made from wood, with padding upholstered in medical-grade vinyl, hot‑welded to eliminate seams that could trap dirt. The team also designed a custom aluminium footwell that lifts out for cleaning.
In keeping with a Bespoke project, a number of components were individually created, including handcrafted treadplates, 3D-printed dash, wheel caps and spacers and trim pieces. As a true Rolls-Royce, it is completed with a laser-etched RR badge and its own Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.
Electric power provides the authentic noiseless Rolls-Royce driving experience; and like its road-going counterparts, its speed is limited, in this case to 4 mph. The project took around 400 hours to complete.
Following its service and repairs, the car has now returned to the Hospital to resume its humble but transformational duties.
Linda Collins, Day Surgery Unit Sister, said, “The servicing of our mini Rolls-Royce is perfect timing as we transition out of Covid restrictions and begin to restore our paediatric surgical services. Once again, our youngest patients can experience the full use of the car as part of their journey to surgery. This helps to take the emphasis away from the procedure they’re undergoing and focus on the unique experience of driving a genuine Rolls-Royce while being safely supervised through the hospital corridors. A huge thank you to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for helping to keep our beloved little car in tip top condition.”
Migos – Culture III
Migos (Quavo, Offset and Takeoff) proudly present their anticipated new album, Culture III out now via Quality Control Music/Motown Records. It is available on their official store with a limited Gallery Dept. capsule collection. Get it HERE.
The anxiously awaited third installment serves as the finale of the blockbuster Culture trilogy. As a knockout climax, it spotlights their nimble ad-libs, bulletproof bars, head-spinning hooks, and irreplaceable chemistry. Not to mention, it’s stacked with A-list co-stars, including Drake, Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Future, Polo G, Youngboy NBA the late Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke to name a few. They celebrate the release with the music video for “Modern Day.” Between the jet-skis, rare automobiles, private planes, and smoke, Migos trade equally high-octane rhymes in this luxurious big screen-worthy visual. Watch it HERE.
They’ve taken over the game with one major move after another this week in support of the album. After setting social media on fire with the tracklisting and artwork reveal, they graced the stage of NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a performance of the new record “Avalanche.”
Dressed to the nines in black suits complete with black fedoras and shades in the music video, they deliver a smooth and slick rendition of the tune accompanied by a full band, uplifting this anthem with horns, live drums, and guitar solos.
Today, they will throw the ultimate PORTL party with the Migos Culture III Hologram. They’re set to host the hologram appearance simultaneously at 6pm ET via PORTL at select locations in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Last month, they paved the way for the album with “Straightenin.” It has already racked up north of 52 million worldwide streams and 21+ million views on the music video. Plus, it holds the #5 spot on Spotify’s Rap Caviar and popped off as “#1 Most Added at Urban Radio.“ Meanwhile, its predecessor, “Need It” [feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again], has amassed 94.3 million Spotify streams and 56 million YouTube views on the music video.
Culture stands tall in the pantheon of great hip-hop series. The original platinum-selling Culture bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2017 and garnered two 2018 GRAMMY nominations, including “Best Rap Album” and “Best Rap Performance” for the Billboard Hot 100 #1 “Bad & Boujiee” [feat. Lil Uzi Vert]. On its heels, Culture II elevated Migos to rarified air. It capture #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and pick up a double-platinum plaque. To date, they have gathered 25 billion streams and 68 billion YouTube views.
The internet and the game have been begging for Culture III for three years, and now Migos have delivered.
The culture belongs to them.
Rob49 – 4 God
Buzzing New Orleans artist Rob49 delivers his widely anticipated full-length project 4 God. The masterfully produced body of work features Rob’s signature Louisiana slang, delivered with a gruff musical cadence that is a refreshingly new sound out of New Orleans–shot through with the velocity of contemporary trap styles. 4 God’ is out now on all digital retailers HERE.
About Rob49
Rob49 arrived on the scene fully-formed, as though he’d been practicing for his first studio session his whole life. The deep-voiced New Orleans artist started rapping officially only a short while ago, but you wouldn’t know it—already people are calling him “baby Soulja Slim” for his magnetic presence and confidence on the mic. Listening to songs like the local anthem “Pent House,” it’s clear these sorts of accolades are earned. Across his propulsive flows, Rob raps with a natural energy and an easy assuredness, putting on for his neighborhood and remembering those he’s lost.
From early in his life, Rob49 had the DIY mentality instilled in him. Born in New Orleans in 1999, and growing up at the intersection of projects in the 4th and 9th Wards (that’s where the “49” in his rap handle comes from), Rob had to adapt to the harsh realities of his environment on his own, part of where the energy in his music originates. That energy has translated to co-signs from Say Cheese founder Shawn Cotton and Mississippi State basketball star Lamar Peters. Since his first studio session, he’s put in work, culling beats from YouTube and local producers. In 2020 alone he put out three propulsive tapes—4our the World, Vulture, and Krazy Man—building buzz in his city. It’s no mystery: on each project he sounds unbelievably poised and possessed by the beat, breathlessly digging into stories about his hood and come-up.
12AM × Jutes – Ski Mask
Prolific storyteller 12AM has enlisted Canadian R&B artist Jutes for his latest single “Ski Mask” out now via Sony Music Canada.
The hard-hitting track encompasses infectiously melodic vocals escorted by 12AM’s ability to captivate audiences with his storytelling prowess. With lyrics outlining love and what can be put on the line to keep it, “Ski Mask” is one of many chapters to come.
“Me and Jutes have been wanting to put out a song for so long together but we had to have the right one.. we made a couple records here and there but once I freestyled the hook for ‘Ski Mask’ we both knew this was the one. He laid his verse down and bodied it and it made me step my game up on my verse,” explains 12AM.
“Ski Mask” arrives as a follow up to “come over” and “Voices” whose success resulted in early rotation on Apple Radio 1, premieres with Travis Mills and media coverage from cultural tastemaker Lyrical Lemonade, among others. Adding to mainstream radio and media coverage, praise for upcoming releases can be seen on social media from artists such as Travis Barker, Tyla Yaweh, and Elijah Woods.
Los Angeles-based, Ottawa native Matthew Dubois, better known as 12AM, is an emerging alternative R&B singer stemming from the ever-expanding Canadian music scene. Earning love from streaming platforms and radio alike, 12AM’s releases have landed consistent debuts on new music playlists in the US and Canada, garnering early support in rotation on Apple Music 1 Radio which led to premieres with Travis Mills for “love dies” and “come over.” Notably 12AM boasts over 15 million streams with 6 million of those branching from viral tracks: “Voices” and “come over.”
No stranger to media coverage and acclaim from tastemakers, praise can be seen coming from industry key players such as Lyrical Lemonade who said “12AM has been having a massive year without being able to tour, the Canadian [and LA-based] artist has an innate ability to craft big choruses which is why more and more artists are tapping in to use his melodic talents.”
A prolific storyteller, 12AM consistently writes for other artists as well as himself. 12AM can be seen frequently working with Elijah Woods and Omer Fedi (Kid Laroi “Without You”), (24kGoldn & Iann Dior “Mood”) and (Lil Nas X “Montero”) also regularly working with producers Midi Jones, Bizness Boi, and NGHT NGHT. Apart from writing and making music, 12AM has an extensive touring background, in his most recent run touring North America with Souly Had, 12AM completed over 30 show dates on a single tour amassing sold out venues in Salt Lake City and Toronto. Touring accolades include dates with Internet Money, Iann Dior, Jez Dior, 24kGoldn, Jutes, and Trevor Daniel. A one-of-a-kind artist, 12AM’s passion and pain shine through his music-making and unique narrative ability.
With highly anticipated upcoming releases with Travis Barker, Jutes, and Pyrex, paired with the heavy hitting management team of Tes Siyoum (Tyla Yaweh) and Alec Strasmore (ex-Post Malone), 12AM is creating the pathway for a summer 2021 takeover. 12AM’s repertoire is only at its inception, the future looks incredibly bright for the multifaceted and highly talented singer.
Clairo – Blouse
Clairo revealed her new single, “Blouse,” as well as the news of her forthcoming sophomore studio album, Sling, will see its global release on July 16th via FADER Label/Republic Records.
Written and recorded in up-state New York at Allaire Studios, Sling was co-produced by Clairo and Golden Globe/GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Jack Antonoff and was announced last night following Clairo’s live performance of “Blouse” on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The American singer-songwriter also shared the album artwork along with the announcement that in addition to FADER Label, she has since signed a worldwide deal with esteemed label giants Republic Records.
Praised for her diary-worthy stories earmarked by her devilishly sharp commentary and angelically intimate vocals. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer has quietly threaded these stories into the fabric of popular culture since she first surfaced as a phenomenon out of her dorm bedroom. Following the success of her 2018 debut, Diary 001 EP, Clairo unveiled her 2019 full-length debut album, Immunity. The now 22-year-old received critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NME, NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and more.
Beyond performing on TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and most recently The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she has notably sold out headline tours as well as joined the bills of Coachella and Lollapalooza. Clairo’s growing catalog includes the platinum-certified “Pretty Girl” and gold-certified “4Ever” and “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” in addition to “Are You Bored Yet?”—her platinum collaboration with Wallows. To date, she has amassed over 3 billion streams and counting. In 2021, she turns the page on the next chapter with her highly anticipated sophomore album, Sling—out worldwide on July 16th.
