Sustainability in the News

Source: Associated Press, 2/5/26

In February 2026 Malaysia announced 'an immediate and full ban on the importation of electronic waste, as the government vowed the country would not be a “dumping ground” for the world’s waste. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement late Wednesday that all electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, would be reclassified under the “absolute prohibition” category effective immediately. This removes the discretionary power previously given to the Department of Environment to grant exemptions for importation of certain e-waste.'

Source: WSIL News 3, 1/29/26

'A team of Southern Illinois University Carbondale physics researchers has received a $523,000 federal grant to explore new ways to make refrigeration and air conditioning more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly...Researchers will investigate whether certain solid materials — such as metals exposed to magnetic fields or pressure — can be used to cool spaces more efficiently than traditional systems, which rely on vapor-compression technology. In conventional refrigeration, a circulating liquid absorbs heat from an area and releases it elsewhere, a process that requires significant amounts of electricity.'

Source: The New Lede, 2/2/26

'In a move that reflects mounting US opposition to a class of harmful insecticides linked to environmental and human health risks, Colorado lawmakers last week introduced a bill to curb the use of neonicotinoids.

The Strengthening Economic and Environmental Decisions (SEED) Act, or SB65, introduced to the state Senate on Jan. 28, would prohibit the use of crop seeds coated with neonicotinoids on farmland unless the buyer obtains a certificate from a government-approved verifier who can certify that the use of the treated seeds is "necessary and appropriate."'

Source: Trellis, 1/20/26

'What is a New York City handbag giant doing in central Illinois, where it lacks boutiques, offices and factories? Tapestry, which runs the Coach and Kate Spade brands, together with Pivot Energy, completed three community solar projects on Jan. 8. They total 13.5 megawatts, enough to power about 2,500 homes. Two more installations will follow those just established in Peoria, Ottawa and tiny Dover, Illinois, in a 15-year partnership, announced in 2023. The five community solar projects will add up to a modest 33 megawatts. However, those clean electrons are instrumental to Tapestry's goal for 2025, which it reached, to count 100 percent renewables across its own operations, according to Logan Duran, global head of ESG and sustainability at Tapestry.'

Source: Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), 1/9/26

Acrylic acid is an industrial chemical that gives disposable diapers their absorbency, makes water-based paints and sealants more weather-proof, improves stain resistance in fabric, and enhances fertilizers and soil treatments. It is converted from a precursor called 3-Hydroxypropionic acid, or 3-HP, which is made almost exclusively from petroleum through chemical synthesis in an energy-intensive process. Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Penn State University have developed a cost-effective, bio-based method to produce 3-HP and validated its commercial potential. 'Their new paper in Nature Communications reports on the development of a high-yield strain of Issatchenkia orientalis yeast for 3-HP production, as well as extensive techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment that demonstrated its commercial viability and environmental benefits.'

Source: UIC, 1/13/26

'UIC researchers are scaling up a system for farmers to produce ammonia in their own backyards. The method, which uses renewable electricity and Earth’s natural resources, appears in the journal PNAS.'

Source: Forbes, 1/17/26

'Switching to a circular electric vehicle (EV) battery economy is essential to meet growing demand and avoid a critical bottleneck in the supply of key minerals, according to a new analysis.

The report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation warns a bottleneck could threaten higher and volatile prices, which in turn could lead to a slower uptake of such vehicles.

It argues only a practical, system-wide circular economy approach can keep pace with market appetite, build resilience in the supply chains, and deliver better value.'

Source: Ksmith@dailyherald.com, Katlyn Smith. “Working toward ‘Net-Zero’ Status.” Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), 2026, p. 4. Access World News, Accessed 2 Feb. 2026. 

The visitor center and animal hospital at the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn, IL is the first "net-zero" designed building in the DuPage County forest preserve system. Solar energy is expected to produce 110% of the facility's needs, and the building also incorporates a geothermal system, double-glazed windows, and extra insulation.

Source: Environmental Health News, 1/9/26

"A recent study published by The Lancet Planetary Health examined the public health risks of exposure to a mixture of common plasticizer chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA) and eight phthalates. 

In short: 

• Exposure to the mixture of nine plasticizer chemicals was associated with an increased risk of death from all causes, as well as an increased risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease. 
• Reducing overall population exposure to this mixture could prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year. 
• These risks were only found in people who had lower concentrations of vitamin D and vitamin B9 (folate) in their blood, suggesting that vitamins may help play a role in mitigating harm from exposure. "

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.

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.

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.

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.' 

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.

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.

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.

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.'

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.'  

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Source: Washington Post, 10/28/25

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Source: American Chemical Society 10/12/25

Researchers are finding extraordinary new uses for what we throw away. Beet pulp may help crops resist disease, while composted coconut fibers could replace peat moss. Discarded radish and beet greens are rich in bioactive compounds that boost gut health and protect cells. Food waste is rapidly becoming a source of sustainable solutions for both agriculture and health.

Source: University of Maryland, 10/27/25

A team of researchers has developed a floral-scented fungus that tricks mosquitoes into approaching and dying. The fungus emits longifolene, a natural scent that irresistibly draws them in. It’s harmless to humans, inexpensive to produce, and remains potent for months. This innovative biological control could be crucial as mosquitoes spread with climate change.

Source: Inside Climate News, 10/23/25

Farmers trying to minimize nitrate running off their fields and contaminating water are partnering with the Wetlands Initiative to build “smart wetlands.”

Source: Ohio State News, 10/24/25

Researchers from The Ohio State University recently discovered that common edible fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, can be grown and trained to act as organic memristors, a type of data processor that can remember past electrical states. Their findings showed that these shiitake-based devices not only demonstrated similar reproducible memory effects to semiconductor-based chips but could also be used to create other types of low-cost, environmentally friendly, brain-inspired computing components.  The study was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Source: New Food Magazine, 10/6/2025

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have launched an online tool designed to track agricultural byproducts and help industry find new uses for them, potentially turning food waste into valuable resources. The Byproduct Database, developed by the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, catalogues leftovers such as fruit skins, nut shells and pulp, highlighting opportunities for reuse across the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors.

Source: Associated Press, 10/7/25

Every night some 74,000 gallons (280,000 liters) of water are frozen at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital used to get all of its air conditioning from a conventional system found in most U.S. buildings, but now 27 tanks of ice sustain a network of cold-water pipes keeping operating rooms at safe temperatures and patients comfortable. This type of thermal energy storage, also known as ice batteries, is being added to buildings in the U.S. for its ability to provide cool air without releasing planet-warming emissions.

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 10/17/25

Arsenic is a potent carcinogen and one of the world’s most dangerous drinking-water contaminants, particularly in South Asia, where millions are exposed through groundwater. Removing the toxin from groundwater helps protect public health but leaves behind sludge laced with arsenic, which is expensive and hazardous to dispose of properly. Researchers in Denmark have now found a way to turn that toxic waste into something valuable: high-purity elemental arsenic, a material in growing demand for green electronics and batteries (Sci. Adv. 2025, DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adz5816).

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 10/17/25

Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire because they use liquid electrolytes made of flammable organic solvents. A new water-based electrolyte with the texture of kids’ play slime promises to make batteries safer. Because it dissolves in water, the quasi-solid electrolyte also allows for easy recycling of valuable metals from batteries, says Shintaro Yasui of the Institute of Science Tokyo, who reported on the work at the Materials Science and Technology conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 29. In addition, the material is easy to make from lithium salts and water at ambient conditions using mechanochemistry. “We don’t need any dry rooms or glove boxes,” Yasui says.

Source: Forbes, 10/22/25

The demand for Lithium-ion batteries might be on the rise, but how many of us are aware they contain harmful PFAS compounds, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”? The use of such compounds is obviously not good for the environment, and the search is now on for alternative compounds, which can be used in the next generation of batteries.