Recycling and Waste News

March 13, 2025

Top Headlines

Scientists Develop Solar-Powered Method to Convert Sewage Sludge Into Green Hydrogen and Animal Feed

Mar. 12, 2025 — Scientists have developed an innovative solar-powered method to transform sewage sludge -- a by-product of wastewater treatment -- into green hydrogen for clean energy and single-cell protein for ...

Amino Acid Assists in Recycling Rechargeable Batteries

Mar. 11, 2025 — A new strategy for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries is based on a hydrometallurgical process in neutral solution. This allows for the extraction of lithium and other valuable metals in an environmentally friendly, highly efficient, and ...

Plastic Recycling Gets a Breath of Fresh Air

Mar. 11, 2025 — Current methods to recycle plastics often use expensive catalysts, harsh conditions and produce toxic byproducts. New process converts PET plastic into monomer building blocks, which can be recycled into new PET products or upcycled into higher ...

Concrete Evidence: Japanese Buildings Absorb 14% of Cement Production's Carbon Footprint

Mar. 5, 2025 — Concrete structures in Japan capture and store about 14% of the CO2 emissions released during cement production, according to a new study. Their findings provide crucial insights for offsetting CO2 ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:17pm EDT

Researchers Develop Enhanced Method for Wastewater Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance

Mar. 3, 2025 — Antibiotic resistance is a global concern that threatens our ability to prevent and treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. To better ...

Highly Radioactive Nuclear Waste: How to Keep It from Oblivion

Mar. 6, 2025 — Sweden's radioactive nuclear waste will be stored in a sealed bedrock repository for 100,000 years. It will be hazardous for a very long time. So how can we ensure that humanity does not forget that ...

Turning Waste Organic Compound Into Useful Pharmaceuticals and Energy Using a Technique Inspired by Photosynthesis

Feb. 27, 2025 — A team has shown that artificial photosynthesis is feasible using organic materials. Using the technique, they successfully synthesized useful ...

Scientists Design Battery That Runs on Atomic Waste

Feb. 25, 2025 — Researchers have developed a battery that can convert nuclear energy into electricity via light emission, a study ...

Microbiologist Calls for Public Vigilance and Urgent Action on the Danger of Raw Sewage in UK Seas

Feb. 26, 2025 — A microbiologist has written an article on the dangers posed by raw sewage in the seas around the ...

Influencer Marketing Can Help Tourism Industry Mitigate Waste, Pollution

Feb. 26, 2025 — Social media influencers who are passionate about environmental causes can help the tourism industry inspire tourists to engage in pro-environmental behavior to help mitigate waste and pollution, ...

Environmental Impact of Unexploded Ordnance in the Baltic Sea

Feb. 26, 2025 — The south-western Baltic Sea has about 3,000 kilograms of dissolved toxic chemicals released from unexploded ordnance, according to a new study. The substances were detected in almost all water ...

Microplastics in Ocean Linked to Disabilities for Coastal Residents

Feb. 26, 2025 — Tiny bits of plastic found in the ocean may be tied to a higher risk of disability for people who live in coastal areas with high levels, according to a preliminary study. The study looked at ...

From Waste to Wonder: Revolutionary Green Grout for Sustainable Construction Practices

Feb. 25, 2025 — Grouting is a widely used construction technique that involves injecting stabilizing materials into soil to ensure structural stability, which is ...

Closing the Recycle Loop: Waste-Derived Nutrients in Liquid Fertilizer

Feb. 20, 2025 — Researchers have succeeded in establishing a method for producing recycled liquid fertilizer that contains high concentrations of ...

New Environmentally-Friendly Mortar Reduces Heat Loss

Feb. 19, 2025 — A mortar made from recycled plastic and silica aerogel which improves insulation and reduces plastic waste has been ...

Biodiversity in England's Rivers Improved as Metal Pollution Reduced

Feb. 19, 2025 — An improvement in freshwater biodiversity in England's rivers was linked to reductions in pollution of zinc and copper, largely due to the decline of coal burning and heavy industry, say ...

Using a Data-Driven Approach to Synthesize Single-Atom Catalysts That Can Purify Water

Feb. 18, 2025 — Researchers tested a strategy for developing single-atom catalysts that may help us develop more efficient methods for water ...

Coffee Grounds and Reishi Mushroom Spores Can Be 3D Printed Into a Compostable Alternative to Plastics

Feb. 18, 2025 — Researchers developed a new system for turning used coffee grounds into a paste, which they use to 3D print objects, such as packing materials and a vase. They inoculate the paste with Reishi ...

Nanoplastics at Lofty Heights

Feb. 13, 2025 — Nanoplastics -- plastic particles smaller than 1 m -- are widely dispersed because of their low weight. A research team now shows the extent to which glaciers at an altitude of more than 3,000 m in ...

Recyclable Plastic for the Printer

Feb. 13, 2025 — The possibilities for material design and production of plastic components are being expanded through 3D printing technology. However, there is a shortage of recyclable polymers that meet the ...

The Next-Generation Solar Cell Is Fully Recyclable

Feb. 12, 2025 — Researchers developed a method to recycle all parts of a solar cell repeatedly without environmentally hazardous solvents. The recycled solar cell has the same efficiency as the original one. The ...

Research Finds That Certain Packaging Materials Can Show 70% Lower Emissions Than Alternatives

Feb. 12, 2025 — A comprehensive assessment sought to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of replacing polyethylene, or PE, packaging like bags, films and containers with alternative materials, including ...

Turning Car and Helicopter Exhaust Into Thermoelectric Energy

Feb. 11, 2025 — Combustion engines, the engines in gas-powered cars, only use a quarter of the fuel's potential energy while the rest is lost as heat through exhaust. Now, a study demonstrates how to convert ...

Examining the Potential Environmental Effects of Mining the World's Largest Lithium Deposit

Feb. 10, 2025 — A trove of lithium-rich brine exists underground in Bolivia. Researchers conducted the first comprehensive chemical analysis of wastewater associated with mining the ...

Partnership Working Key to Unlocking EV Battery Recycling Problem

Feb. 4, 2025 — Recyclers, battery manufacturers, and electric vehicle manufacturers must work together to revolutionize lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling processes to meet ever-growing demand for electric ...

Tiny Copper 'Flowers' Bloom on Artificial Leaves for Clean Fuel Production

Feb. 3, 2025 — Tiny copper 'nano-flowers' have been attached to an artificial leaf to produce clean fuels and chemicals that are the backbone of modern energy and ...

Building a Circular Future: Study Reveals Key Organizational Capabilities for Sustainability

Feb. 3, 2025 — A recent study by management scholars underscores the importance of organizations' dynamic capabilities for greener business practices. Analyzing data from 139 manufacturing companies, the ...

Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries Cuts Emissions and Strengthens Supply Chain

Jan. 31, 2025 — Researchers compared the environmental impacts of lithium-ion battery recycling to mining for new materials and found that recycling significantly outperforms mining in terms of greenhouse gas ...

Groundwater in Arctic Is Delivering More Carbon Into the Ocean Than Was Previously Known

Jan. 30, 2025 — A relatively small amount of groundwater trickling through Alaska's tundra is releasing huge quantities of carbon into the ocean, where it can contribute to climate ...

Chemical Looping Turns Environmental Waste Into Fuel

Jan. 29, 2025 — Turning environmental waste into useful chemical resources could solve many of the inevitable challenges of our growing amounts of discarded plastics, paper and food waste, according to new ...

Optical Fiber Sensor Provides Simple and Sensitive Detection of Arsenic in Drinking Water

Jan. 29, 2025 — Researchers have developed a new optical sensor that provides a simple way to achieve real-time detection of extremely low levels of arsenic in ...

Common Plastic Pigment Promotes Depolymerization

Jan. 29, 2025 — This startling mechanism for promoting depolymerization relies on an additive that many plastics already contain: a pigment called carbon black that gives plastic its black color. Through a process ...

Green Phosphonate Chemistry -- Does It Exist?

Jan. 29, 2025 — Phosphorus is a critical raw material that should be recycled more efficiently. There is also a need for more environmentally friendly production methods for organic phosphorus compounds. A recently ...

Research Leads to Viable Solution for Polycotton Textile Waste Recycling

Jan. 29, 2025 — Researchers present a solution to the challenging problem of recycling poly-cotton textile waste. The process starts with fully removing all cotton from the fabric using superconcentrated ...