blog posts

• Homes That Survived the 2025 L.A. Fires Are Still Contaminated

  Feb 6, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Capital & Main, 1/16/26

  'After the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, federal officials and private companies led a patchwork of efforts to remove debris and contaminated material from areas that burned and others covered in toxic ash.
  
  One year later, homeowners have had the inside of their houses tested after completing remediation and many found hazardous levels of chemicals including lead and asbestos. Community groups and scientists who have worked together on testing projects are now pushing for a more stringent certification system to ensure families don't move into homes with dangerous levels of pollutants.'

• Britain unveils first national plan to curb 'forever chemicals' risks

  Feb 5, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: France 24, 2/3/26

  'Britain on Tuesday unveiled its first national plan to curb "forever chemicals," seeking to cut risks to human health and the environment, the government said. PFAS, used in products from cookware to food packaging, persist for decades and accumulate in nature, posing threats likely to endure for hundreds of years.' 

  To read the new UK policy paper, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfas-plan/pfas-plan-building-a-safer-future-together.

• 'Fish Mouth' Filter Removes 99% of Microplastics From Laundry Waste

  Feb 4, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Science Alert, 1/4/26

  "Every time a load of laundry is done, millions of microplastics are washed from the fibers of our clothes into local waterways. By some estimates, up to 90 percent of plastic in 'sewage sludge' comes from washing machines. This material is then often used in agriculture as soil or fertilizer, possibly exposing those who eat the resulting crops to these pollutants...Figuring out a way to capture plastic pollutants before they leave our washing machines is challenging work. Current filtration systems available on the market can easily become clogged. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology turned to nature for inspiration. They decided to make a water filtration system that mimics the mouths of some fish, like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies."

  Read about this research in npj Emerging Contaminants.

• Takeaway coffee cups release thousands of microplastic particles

  Feb 3, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: The Conversation, 1/13/26

  In this article for The Conversation, Xiangyu Liu, a research fellow at the School of Environment and Science and Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, describes new research he coauthored that was recently published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials: Plastics.
  
  'My colleagues and I first conducted a meta-analysis – a statistical synthesis of existing research – analysing data from 30 peer-reviewed studies. We looked at how common plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene behave under different conditions. One factor stood out above all others: temperature. As the temperature of the liquid inside a container increases, the release of microplastics generally increases too. In the studies we reviewed, reported releases ranged from a few hundred particles to more than 8 million particles per litre, depending on the material and study design.'

• Temple researchers hope to remove PFAS, microplastics with sustainable treatment method

  Feb 2, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: WHYY-TV/WHYY-FM (Philadelphia), 1/20/26

  'Scientists from Temple University's College of Engineering are researching whether the use of air bubbles can remove toxic chemicals from surface water before it makes its way to people's taps. The goal is to remove harmful PFAS chemicals and microplastics at the same time, and with sustainability in mind. The current mainstay for removing PFAS is effective, but also energy-intensive.' 

  The foam-based technology being studied at Temple can avoid the use of toxic chemicals and is more energy efficient than current PFAS removal methods. See the Temple University press release for additional information.
  
  

• Microplastics are undermining the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon

  Jan 30, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Oceanographic, 1/6/26

  'New research suggests microplastics are disrupting the ocean’s natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide by interfering with marine life and carbon cycles, potentially weakening one of Earth’s most important defences against climate change.' See https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazmp.2025.100032 to read the referenced study.

• Project to develop rare earth element recovery platform receives grant

  Jan 29, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Recycling Today, 12/22/25

  'German biotechnology company Bioweg, in partnership with Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), has secured 1.5 million euros, or $1.76 million, from SPRIND, Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, as part of the Tech Metal Transformation Challenge. The funding will support the development of Bioweg’s platform technology for water-based rare earth element (REE) recovery...The platform technology combines Bioweg's expertise in bioacid production from waste streams for bioleaching with TU Berlin's peptide-based separation technology using column systems. The process operates in water at ambient temperature, applying green-chemistry bioleaching without the use of solvents or high heat, according to a news release Bioweg issues about the grant award. The bio-based acids are generated as a secondary output of Bioweg's fermentation platform, requiring no additional downstream processing, resulting in a low-energy process with a reduced overall CO₂ footprint.' 

• Ireland Tells Data Center Developers To Bring Their Own Clean Energy

  Jan 28, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: CleanTechnica, 1/15/26

  'In December, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities announced a new policy that said any data center wanting a grid connection must install on-site generation or battery systems capable of meeting its full electricity demand. In addition, data center operators will be required to provide power back to the national grid when needed.

  The new guidelines also require at least 80% of the electricity needed to operate a new data center must come from new renewable energy sources. Utilities also have new obligations under the new rules. They will be required to publish regular updates on their capacity to accommodate new connections and submit annual reports on their renewable-energy use and carbon emissions.'

• More microplastics found in rural woodland than city centre - experts warn of potential health risks

  Jan 27, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Euro News, 1/13/26

  'New research from the University of Leeds warns that tiny plastic fragments have been found in greater quantities in rural environments than urban locations. Scientists say trees and other vegetation are capturing microplastic particles from the atmosphere and depositing them in woodlands.

  Published in the journal Environmental Pollution, the three-month study detected up to 500 microscopic particles of plastic per square meter per day in an area of woodland – almost twice as many as collected in a major city centre.'

• Earth’s last 3 years were its hottest on record

  Jan 26, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Science News, 1/13/26

  'The last three years were the hottest on record, a new analysis of global climate data finds. They also mark the first three-year period in which the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — a threshold associated with increased risks to biodiversity, human health and weather extremes.'

  See https://climate.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/custom-uploads/GCH-2025/GCH2025-full-report.pdf for the full report from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and https://climate.copernicus.eu/global-climate-highlights-2025 for interactive highlights.

  
  

• Veggie Patties Fueled by Carrot Scraps? Science Says 'Yum'

  Jan 23, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Food & Wine, 1/12/26

  'U.S. researchers have found a way to transform carrot waste into a sustainable protein source by feeding carrot scraps to edible fungi. Pink oyster mushrooms showed the most promise, producing high-protein yields comparable to those of animal and plant sources while remaining low in fat and rich in fiber. In taste tests, volunteers preferred vegan patties made entirely from fungal mycelium to those made with soy, pointing to a flavorful, eco-friendly new alternative protein.'

  See https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c11223 for complete findings.

• Air pollution might harm children’s eye health

  Jan 22, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Science News Explores, 1/7/26

  'Polluted air is bad for your lungs. That dirty air might also be why many kids need glasses, new data show. This observation comes from a study of vision in about 30,000 school-age children. Kids had better eyesight when air pollution levels were lower, scientists found.'

  See https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf279. 

• Studies link some food preservatives to higher diabetes and cancer risk

  Jan 21, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: The Guardian, 1/8/26

  'Higher consumption of some food preservatives is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer, two studies suggest. The findings, published in the medical journals Nature Communications and the BMJ, may have important public health implications given the ubiquitous use of these additives globally, researchers said. While more studies are needed, they said the findings should lead to a re-evaluation of regulations governing the use of preservatives by companies in products such as ultra-processed foods (UPF) to improve consumer protection worldwide.'
  
  Visit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67360-w and https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-084917 to read the Nature Communications and BMJ articles, respectively.

• New research finds regenerative school meals could feed nearly 8 million more children worldwide

  Jan 20, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: The Rockefeller Foundation, 11/18/25

  'During the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil (COP30), Stanford University, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, released new research that projects school meal programs could reach 8 million more children for the same cost with regeneratively grown staple foods (like rice, wheat, maize, and soy). The analysis draws on data from the Global Survey of School Meal Programs, country food basket data from the FAO, and regional weather and agricultural production data. Climate Resilient School Meals is the first systematic empirical study to assess climate risks to school feeding programs globally. In addition to demonstrating how regeneratively grown staples farmed in ways that restore soil health also improve lives and livelihoods, the report provides recommendations for countries to build greater resilience into food systems through school meal programs, while identifying the “hidden costs” of failing to act.'

• New technology eliminates “forever chemicals” with record-breaking speed and efficiency

  Jan 16, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: ScienceDaily, 12/25/25

  'A new eco-friendly technology can capture and destroy PFAS, the dangerous “forever chemicals” found worldwide in water. The material works hundreds to thousands of times faster and more efficiently than current filters, even in river water, tap water, and wastewater. After trapping the chemicals, the system safely breaks them down and refreshes itself for reuse. It’s a rare one-two punch against pollution: fast cleanup and sustainable destruction.' 

  The technology was developed by researchers at Rice University. Their results were recently published in Advanced Materials.

  NOTE: Sustainability in the News will not be published on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but will return on 1/20/26.

• Toxic substances in PET bottles scrutinized by researchers

  Jan 15, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Packaging Dive, 1/6/26

  'PET bottles — both virgin and recycled — contain a dozen leachable plastic additives and at least a dozen more hazardous chemicals that were not intentionally added, according to a small study published in late 2025. The findings add to a growing body of research on chemical leaching from plastics and come as new rules requiring recycled material boost demand for recycled PET. The analysis, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts journal, found that virgin and recycled products can leach chemicals that have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive problems. The study did not, for the most part, quantify levels of the chemicals.'  

• Semi-transparent photovoltaics cost-competitive only up to 50% transparency

  Jan 14, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: PV Magazine, 1/6/26

  'Researchers from Spain found that semi-transparent PV systems are commercially viable only up to about 50% transparency, as higher transparency sharply reduces efficiency and increases system costs. Their analysis shows that declining power density, and not balance-of-system or financing factors, is the main driver of higher LCOE, even in high-irradiation regions.' 

  See https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2025.125003 for the study referenced in this news article.

• Tiny Fiddler crabs are hoovering up and breaking down microplastics, study finds

  Jan 13, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: EuroNews, 1/2/26

  'A new study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, tracked a population of Fiddler crabs – which grow no bigger than the width of a Post-It note – in a highly polluted mangrove forest on the north coast of Colombia. Here, years of urban and agricultural expansion have degraded the mangrove systems, resulting in some of the highest levels of plastic contamination reported anywhere in the world. Despite this, researchers found that the arthropods were “thriving” and are able to ingest and break down large quantities of small plastic particles in the sediment. With the reputation of being an “ecosystem engineer”, these crabs can break down plastics within days, acting much faster than sunlight and waves...Researchers warn that the fiddler crab’s fascinating ability may come at a cost – potentially releasing harmful nanoplastics into their tissues and subsequently into the food chain.'

• New method for removing PFAS from groundwater

  Jan 12, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: University of Minnesota, 12/17/25

  A new study led by researchers from Brown University, the University of Minnesota, Jacobs Engineering, Arq Inc., and the U.S. Navy demonstrates a potential solution to the challenge of mitigating PFAS in real-world situations. Specifically, researchers wanted to see whether a specially-engineered, ultra-fine carbon material called colloidal carbon product (CCP) could be injected underground to trap PFAS in groundwater. 

• Microplastics Are Leaking Invisible Chemical Clouds Into Rivers and Oceans

  Jan 9, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: SciTech Daily, 12/14/25

  Scientists have found that microplastics drifting through rivers, lakes, and oceans steadily release a wide range of dissolved organic chemicals into the water. These chemicals change over time, with sunlight playing a major role in how they form and break down. The research offers the most detailed molecular-scale look so far at how microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter, known as MPs DOM, develops and changes in natural aquatic environments. 

• 8 Million Tons of Plastic Tornadoes Are Churning in Our Oceans, Scientists Say

  Jan 8, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Popular Mechanics, 12/16/25

  In a new study published in the journal Chaos, scientists Larry Pratt and Irina Rypina from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts turned to 3D modeling to understand how microplastics move in chaotic environments like the ocean. Because oceans are so vast, gathering sampling data isn’t an option. So the researchers delved deep into modeling how tiny particles move in a 3D fluid, and found that microplastics tend to eventually form an “idealized eddy” (circular current) that closely resembles a kind of closed-loop tornado of ecological destruction. 

• Nearly 7,000 of the world’s 8,808 data centers are built in the wrong climate, analysis finds

  Jan 7, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Tom's Hardware, 12/17/25

  Nearly 7,000 of the world’s 8,808 operational data centers are located in climates that fall outside the temperature range recommended for efficient operation, according to a new analysis that maps global data center locations against long-term climate data. While only a minority are in regions that are persistently too hot, the findings underline how economic, political, and network realities often outweigh environmental suitability when companies decide where to build.

• How sewage can be used to heat and cool buildings

  Jan 6, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Associated Press, 12/19/25

  Wastewater flushed down the drain can be used to heat and cool homes and buildings in a sustainable way and climate experts say it is an untapped source of energy due to its stable temperature. And good news, the buildings don’t smell. 

• How Batteries Could Play a Role in Data Center Rollouts

  Jan 5, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Inside Climate News, 12/11/25

  With data center developers in Texas and most other states now commonly deploying fossil fuel generators as backup power sources, a nascent industry from the renewable side of power generation—battery storage—has started elbowing its way into the fast-growing sector. A new report by Oxford-based Aurora Energy Research detailed how adding battery storage to a site could improve data centers’ power quality, provide flexibility and reduce transmission congestion, while offering an opportunity to reduce emissions. 

• The perfect polymer? Plant-based plastic is fully saltwater degradable and leaves behind zero microplastics

  Jan 2, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Phys.org, 12/17/25

  In a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers led by Takuzo Aida at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) in Japan report a new type of plastic made from plant cellulose, the world's most abundant organic compound. The new plastic is strong, flexible, and capable of rapid decomposition in natural environments, setting it apart from other plastics marketed as biodegradable. 

• Rutgers researchers create plastics that self-destruct at programmed speeds

  Dec 31, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Rutgers University, 11/26/25

  Yuwei Gu, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, was hiking through Bear Mountain State Park in New York when inspiration struck.  If nature can build polymers that serve their purpose and then disappear, Gu reasoned, perhaps human-made plastics could be made to do the same. Gu already knew that natural polymers contain tiny helper groups built into their structure that make chemical bonds easier to break when the time is right.  In a study published in Nature Chemistry, Gu and a team of Rutgers scientists have shown that by borrowing this principle from nature, they can create plastics that break down under everyday conditions without heat or harsh chemicals. 

• Factory Farms in Iowa Generate 110 Billion Pounds of Manure Per Year. No One Tracks Where It's Going.

  Dec 30, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Inside Climate News, 12/4/25

  Manure management planning could prevent fertilizer pollution. But an antiquated system isn’t doing enough to track manure, a former state employee says.

• Supposedly “safer” substitutes for BPA continue to drive metabolic disease globally

  Dec 29, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Environmental Health News, 12/5/25

  A recent analysis published by Science of The Total Environment found that exposure to bisphenol chemicals — including BPA and its replacements BPS and BPF — were responsible for over 127 million cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome globally in 2024. 

• Glue strong enough to tow a car made from used cooking oil

  Dec 26, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Live Science, 12/8/25

  Scientists have converted waste cooking oil into various recyclable plastics with exceptional strength — and some were even durable enough to tow a car. Turning nonedible waste into useful polymers is a sustainable way to create new materials, the researchers said in a new study published Nov. 28 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

• Epic Cleantec unveils first-ever commercial beer made from recycled shower and laundry water

  Dec 24, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: BusinessWire, 11/18/25

  Epic Cleantec ("Epic") recently announced the launch of a groundbreaking commercial beer made with highly purified recycled water from showers and laundry — now available to consumers across the United States. Shower Hour IPA and Laundry Club Kölsch, Epic’s two beer styles, are category-defining brews made with a uniquely sustainable ingredient: recycled water. Crafted in partnership with the award-winning team at Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company in San Carlos, CA, the beers use water from buildings where Epic operates advanced onsite reuse systems. The water is cleaned with modern, state-of-the-art technology to ensure it’s exceptionally pure. 

  
  

• Microplastics have widely varying effects on soil

  Dec 23, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Eos, 10/29/25

  As global plastic production has ballooned, small fragments of plastic have infiltrated rivers, sea ice, and even our brains. When the minuscule fibers and shards seep into soils, they change how the soil interacts with water, according to a new study. The study, published in Vadose Zone Journal, measured water retention and conductivity in soils from three regions of Germany with and without four different microplastics. The researchers found that a plastic concentration of just 0.4% by mass can change how quickly water flows through soil, depending on both the type of plastic and the type of soil. The altered hydraulic properties likely result from the hydrophobic nature of plastic and the microplastic particles changing the arrangement of individual soil granules, the authors said.

• Plastic pollution is worsened by warming climate and must be stemmed, researchers warn

  Dec 22, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Imperial College London, 11/27/25

  A new review from Imperial academics, published in Frontiers in Science, is calling for urgent action to avoid irreversible ecological damage by stemming the tide of microplastics entering the environment. Climate change conditions turn plastics into more mobile, persistent, and hazardous pollutants. This is done by speeding up plastic breakdown into microplastics - microscopic fragments of plastic - spreading them considerable distances, and increasing exposure and impact within the environment. The authors urge eliminating non-essential single-use plastics (which account for 35% of production), limiting virgin plastic production, and creating international standards for making plastics reusable and recyclable.

• Are mushrooms the future of insulation?

  Dec 19, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Washington Post, 10/28/25

  Scientists in Alaska are working to develop a sustainable and affordable fungus-based solution for insulation.

• Research-based dye makes polyester greener

  Dec 18, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: University of Leeds, 11/6/25

  Fizzy water was the key to making polyester dye less harmful to the environment in the creation of a new method developed by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Leeds spin-out company, SwitchDye.

• New ‘liquid metal’ composite material enables recyclable, flexible and reconfigurable electronics

  Dec 17, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: University of Washington, 10/22/25

  Researchers at the University of Washington created a recyclable composite material made of tiny droplets of liquid metal infused into a stretchy polymer. The new material is flexible, self-healing and can be made conductive without additional components. The droplets can be connected easily together to form an electrical circuit and could one day replace many traditional circuit boards.

• Building sustainable data centers: Innovations in materials and energy use

  Dec 16, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Azo Materials, 11/10/25

  From rare earth recycling to AI-managed cooling, engineers are racing to make data centers less wasteful and more resilient.

• Wetland plant-fungus combo cleans up ‘forever chemicals’ in a pilot study

  Dec 15, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: American Chemical Society, 10/14/25

  Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys: They trap sediments, absorb excess nutrients and turn pollutants into less harmful substances. Now, the list of pollutants wetland plants can remove includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). From a greenhouse study, researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology report that moisture-loving yellow flag irises and fungi on their roots are a promising combination for PFAS removal. As part of a constructed wetland, this pair could effectively treat contaminated wastewater.

• Switching to electric stoves can dramatically cut indoor air pollution

  Dec 12, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Stanford University, 12/2/25

  For millions of Americans, staying indoors offers little protection from dangerous air pollution, according to a new Stanford University-led study. The paper, published Dec. 2 in PNAS Nexus, reveals that gas and propane stoves expose people to substantial amounts of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to health problems that include asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, preterm birth, diabetes, and lung cancer. Replacing gas stoves with electric reduces nitrogen dioxide exposure by over a quarter on average across the U.S. and by half for the heaviest stove users, according to the findings. Previous studies have measured nitrogen dioxide pollution from gas stoves, but this is the first study to measure exposure to nitrogen dioxide outdoors and indoors nationally.

• New York City bill aims to ban toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting gear

  Dec 11, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: The Guardian, 12/2/25

  A new bill proposed in the New York city council would ban the use of toxic Pfas "forever chemicals" in protective gear worn by the city’s 11,000 firefighters. The New York fire department is the nation's largest firefighting force, and approval of the legislation would mark a major win for advocates who are pushing for safer "turnout gear" alternatives across the US. Massachusetts and Connecticut last year became the first states to ban the use of Pfas in turnout gear, and Illinois enacted a ban this year.

• How Wastewater Plants are Becoming Green Energy Hubs

  Dec 10, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Waste360, 12/2/25

  Greater Peoria Sanitary District (GPSD) treats 20 to 25 million gallons of wastewater each day and uses some of the resulting biogas to heat its boilers while flaring the rest. But now the Illinois utility has other plans for some of the excess and is banking on monetary and environmental returns. That biogas will be converted to renewable natural gas (RNG), injected into the natural gas pipeline, and sold as transportation fuel—a slow but steady growing trend among water utilities looking to reduce their emissions while capitalizing on their waste byproduct. And they have the ideal feedstock. Their gas is high in methane and low in nitrogen, meaning its energy-rich and requires relatively minimal treatment steps.

• Reuse and return schemes could help eliminate plastic pollution in 15 years, says report

  Dec 9, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: The Guardian, 12/3/25

  The 66m tonnes of pollution from plastic packaging that enters the global environment each year could be almost eliminated by 2040 primarily by reuse and return schemes, significant new research reveals.

• Microplastics in brains, bloodstreams: I-Team investigates contamination, efforts to measure risks

  Dec 8, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: ABC7 Chicago, 12/3/25

  Politicians, advocacy groups, and governors, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to jump start a water monitoring program to track the microplastics in drinking water.

• The EV battery tech that’s worth the hype, according to experts

  Dec 5, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Inside Climate News, 11/9/25

  Major battery breakthroughs seemingly happen every day, but only some of that tech ever leaves the lab. Here's what’s is actually going to change EVs and what’s just a dream.

• ‘It’s not too late’: New Cornell study maps the environmental cost of AI and how policy could limit the damage

  Dec 4, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Inside Climate News, 11/10/25

  When Cornell University systems engineer Fengqi You started modeling the environmental footprint of data centers three years ago, the AI boom was just beginning. Even then, You and his colleagues noticed that resource planning was missing from the conversation. They wanted to bring real numbers to AI's physical footprint. You and his team recently published a paper in Nature Sustainability that quantifies their enormous resource consumption.

• A growing number of ‘repair cafes' are popping up around the world to curb consumer waste

  Dec 3, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Inside Climate News, 11/11/25

  Local communities are hosting events where people can bring in their broken goods for repairs—free of charge.

• Breaking down rare earth element magnets for recycling

  Dec 2, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Ars Technica, 10/20/25

  Electronic waste is a treasure trove of rare earth elements (REEs), but separating out these materials for recovery and reuse is no easy task. A team of researchers from Rice University says it has developed a better way to separating REEs from waste magnets found in discarded electronics. The process uses less energy and isn’t nearly as emissions and pollution intensive as current methods. The team describes the technique in a paper recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

• Startup ‘SeaSol’ seeks to convert seaweed into compostable food packaging, replacing plastic

  Dec 1, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: University of Connecticut, 10/8/25

  University of Connecticut PhD candidate Yidan Zhang is CEO of a startup called SeaSol Technologies, Inc. (DBA SeaSol), which is converting seaweed into a functional coating that makes food packaging compostable and high performance. The SeaSol team has developed a low-cost process that pares down the seaweed conversion process from 14 steps to one.

• To study how PFAS moves in the air, MPCA turns to pine needles

  Nov 28, 2025 4:15 pm

  Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 11/5/25

  Volunteers across all of Minnesota’s 87 counties have been busy carefully plucking pine needles from coniferous trees in their neighborhoods and collecting them in plastic bags. Why? They’re gathering clues about how PFAS move through the air so the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) can better understand how to protect Minnesotans from PFAS pollution. Air monitoring equipment can detect PFAS in the air, but it has limitations. It requires a fenced-in area with electricity, trained staff to operate the monitoring equipment, and expensive analysis only available at a few laboratories. Pine needles, on the other hand, become a natural and much less expensive way to gather data.

• Space pollution levels in the atmosphere are rocketing

  Nov 27, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 11/18/25

  As more rockets and satellites in low Earth orbit burn up in the atmosphere at the end of their lives, the amount of introduced vapors and particulate matter there is dramatically rising. A new study under review in Advances in Space Research calculates just how much waste this traffic is injecting into Earth’s upper atmosphere. The results show that last year, the mass of metals introduced to the atmosphere by human activity annually nearly doubled from the levels seen from 2015 to 2020. For 24 different elements, this influx now contributes more mass than natural sources. Both records are on track to be shattered this year.

• Required PFAS testing at Minnesota WWTFs

  Nov 26, 2025 9:00 am

  Source: BioCycle, 11/18/25

  On September 1, 2025, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) began requiring all wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) intending to apply biosolids to agricultural land or used for reclamation projects to collect at least one representative sample of their biosolids and test it for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) each year using draft EPA Method 1633A. The results from this sample must be received prior to biosolids being applied to land.