Each year - and this is in Britain alone - we apparently throw away approximately 500'000 tonnes of tyres; as such, and due in part to their incredible durability, the disposal of disused tyres is seen as one of the largest waste problems in the world. Below are ten examples of tyre recycling that really capture the imagination, and serve to remind us that the trusty tyre is actually an incredibly versatile object that can, with a little imagination, be transformed into a wide range of different products.

The majority of those lucky enough to have visited a beach in their lifetime will have experienced what is essentially a common sight at the coast; a strip of golden sand; a few dozen sunbeds; calm blue sea and clear skies. Of course, things aren't always normal depending on your location.

Here are some incredible, uncommon sights at the beach.

We're all guilty of taking ink for granted. Yes, you can use it to leave a mark on a piece of paper, but it's capable of so much more. Below, we take a close look at seven extraordinary uses for ink. You'll be amazed by what a versatile substance it is. We explore ink that explodes, ink that glows in the dark, ink that's sticky and ink that could soon be used to save thousands of lives each year. After reading this, you'll never underestimate ink again.

10 oustanding mazes...

Here's a lovely photo to celebrate a Tuseday.

Take a look at the first five photographs below and then have a quick guess as to the materials used to create the beautiful green sections of the room's ceiling. If you fancy taking a guess, scroll down slowly so as not to see the spoiler picture.

Seeing as such an enormous amount of the earth's surface is taken up by water, it makes sense to start floating things other than traditional boats on it. I came across a picture of the floating church below the other day and following my initial surprise was quickly reminded of the floating camping patch I read about a couple of weeks ago. It does seem that most things can, and will be, floated on water. And why not?

Rubber ducks - in their original state at least - have been floating around bathtubs for decades, oblivious to the fact that the enormity of their fame has resulted in a number of strange variations and events being produced in their honour. From rubber duck races to enormous floating replicas, rubber ducks are truly a part of our culture. For example...

For some reason there are hundreds if not thousands of large outdoor hand sculptures around the world, the majority of which seem to be reaching towards the sky in an attempt to escape life below ground. I'm a big fan of all things creepy so thought I'd show you 4 of the best examples. Here they are.

When I found out about Nikolai Sutyagin's incredible handmade wooden home early last year, I claimed (rightfully so in my opinion) that it was the coolest skyscraper in the world, so it's extremely depressing to learn that the Russian's creation was demolished earlier this year.

How do you like them, Apple?

You'd be forgiven for thinking the ladies in the photo below were employees behind the check-in desk of an airport, but they aren't. They're actually staff working behind the information desk at Airport Walk in Nagoya, a shopping mall which was opened in October 2008 in a disused terminal at Nagoya Airport in Japan.

Unless you're dendrophobic - in which case it would possibly be the worst sight on Earth seeing as Ents luckily don't exist - there's something eerily romantic and comforting about streets and paths lined with trees, especially when their branches grow to the point where they arch over the road itself and meet in the middle to form a natural tunnel. Of course there a thousands of these green passageways around the planet so this is obviously a small selection, but I thought I'd share a few examples of one of nature's many visual treats.

I was just reading the Direct Villas blog and I found this awesome picture of Mickey's Forest: