A groundbreaking study by Illinois Sustainable Technology Center researcher Hong Lu and his team addresses a major hurdle in transitioning U.S. commercial aircraft to sustainable aviation fuels. They developed a cost-effective method to convert waste polystyrene, a common hard plastic, into ethylbenzene, an additive that enhances the performance of sustainable jet fuels. This innovative approach not only improves fuel characteristics but also offers a practical solution for reducing reliance on fossil fuels in aviation.