Sustainable manufacturing and industrial ecology, including cleaner production, life cycle assessment, circular economy, eco-design, and the environmental optimization of industrial processes
3 papersGlobal municipal solid waste is projected to reach 3539 Mt by 2050, with organic waste declining and other types increasing. While the share of waste treated in dumps decreases, the overall trend in waste generation does not show signs of decoupling from economic growth, failing to meet UN SDG targets for waste reduction.
This study demonstrates a method for electrocatalytically upcycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into potassium diformate (KDF), terephthalic acid (PTA), and hydrogen fuel. A nickel-modified cobalt phosphide catalyst facilitates efficient ethylene glycol (EG) oxidation to formate in a membrane-electrode assembly reactor, demonstrating commercial viability under optimized conditions.
Researchers have developed a new layered sulfide material, InSnS-1, that efficiently and selectively captures radioactive cesium even from strongly acidic solutions, potentially useful for nuclear waste treatment. The material showed high capacity, fast kinetics, and maintained its performance under irradiation, demonstrating promise for real-world applications.