Sustainability in the News

Source: The New Lede, 4/1/26

"A new study of pesticide exposure in Peru finds a mechanistic association between exposure and cancer, and shows how “complex pesticide mixtures” can contribute to the development of cancer in people, even at exposure levels currently deemed safe. The authors of the study, published in Nature Health, said the findings call into question classical toxicological approaches that are based on the evaluation of isolated substances and the setting of safety thresholds, and demonstrate the importance of looking at the impacts of multiple pesticide mixtures."

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 4/6/26

"Converting carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons could become a cleaner alternative to producing fossil fuels. Now, a team of researchers in China has envisioned a strategy using “molecular fences” to trap reaction intermediates, increasing the conversion rates and energy efficiency of the process (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c02917). This process is especially selective toward the production of ethylene, the principal pillar of the petrochemical industry, with an annual global production of about 225 million metric tons."

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 4/3/26

"Climate-savvy travelers are likely aware of the global impact of flying. The aviation industry is working hard to decarbonize, but carbon dioxide emissions are only half the story. Contrails—clouds of condensed water that trail behind a jet—may be just as important as carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming. This makes eliminating contrails an attractive target for climate action. New research led by scientists at the German Aerospace Center suggests that it won’t be easy: Removing soot emissions doesn’t prevent contrail formation (Nature 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10286-0)."

Source: The New Lede, 4/2/26

"People living near concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in California, Texas and Iowa suffer from higher rates of cancer, suggesting that the air and water pollution from the massive farms may be playing a role, according to a new study. The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, comes just weeks after a years-long report in Iowa found the state’s agricultural chemicals and CAFO pollution are, in part, behind its rising cancer rate. In the new study, Yale University researchers examined the rates of all cancers over the past 20 years in Texas, California and Iowa counties along with the density of CAFOs in the counties. High exposure counties were defined as those in the top 25% of CAFO density for their state. The researchers found rates for all types of cancers were 4% higher in highly exposed California counties, and 8% higher in highly exposed Iowa and Texas counties when compared to counties with lower CAFO density.  They found certain cancers were more strongly associated with CAFO density in each state. For example, stronger links were seen for bladder cancer in California, colorectal cancer in Iowa, and lung and bronchus cancer in Texas."

Read the full study at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2026.124298.

Source: Turkiye Today, 4/5/26

"Microplastics can reduce production in aquaculture systems by as much as 18%, according to a new study by researchers from Istanbul University, who warn that urgent measures are needed to protect sustainable food production. The research, carried out by Professor Nuray Erkan and Gokhan Tuncelli at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, examined how microplastic exposure affects farmed aquatic species within a controlled production system. The team modeled an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system, a method that combines different species across the food chain to mimic natural ecosystems and improve efficiency. In this setup, rainbow trout, freshwater mussels, and duckweed (a small floating aquatic plant) were cultivated together. Published in Aquaculture International, the study exposed systems to 10–20 micrometer polyethylene microplastics through feed and water for 45 days. This was followed by a 45-day depuration phase to allow organisms to clear the contaminants. When microplastics were present in both feed and water, the system’s total biomass production dropped by 18%. Researchers also observed that fish growth performance declined at certain stages compared to the control group, while duckweed production decreased as well. Although mussels did not show a consistent drop in filtration capacity, the overall efficiency of the system was negatively affected, indicating that microplastics can disrupt production balance even when some species appear less impacted." 

Read the full study at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-026-02508-z. 

Source: Interesting Engineering, 4/7/26

"Chinese researchers have just developed a revolutionary sodium battery that can effectively eliminate thermal runaway, one of the most dangerous failure modes, by forming a so-called smart firewall inside the cell. The research was carried out by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It was led by Yong-Sheng Hu, PhD, a professor at the Institute of Physics, who specializes in advanced materials for sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries. For the project, the team built a self-protecting, non-flammable electrolyte that physically blocks thermal runaway in sodium-ion batteries. This marked the first time such a level of safety has been achieved in high-capacity cells."

Source: The National, 3/19/26

"Loganair, the UK's leading regional airline has made aviation history, completing the first-ever electric flight in Scotland alongside BETA Technologies, a US electric aerospace company. The company will fly BETA's ALIA CTOL, a battery-powered fixed-wing aircraft, from Glasgow to Dundee, marking a breakthrough moment for low-emission flight in Europe."

Source: Interesting Engineering, 2/25/26

"A perovskite-based hybrid device developed by researchers at the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS) in Spain can operate simultaneously in rain and sunshine, overcoming the hurdles of using solar cells in cloudy conditions. The innovation is expected to boost deployments of the Internet of Things (IoT) and outdoor sensors used for monitoring structures and environmental conditions, a press release said."

Source: Canary Media, 3/9/26

'When rockets blast off Earth, they rely on tiny metal powders to help propel them into space. Now, an emerging group of startups and scientists is hoping to harness these particles for something more terrestrial: producing carbon-free energy for factories. Powdered iron can be combusted in industrial boilers to supply the hot water and steam needed to produce everything from beer and baby formula to paper and plastic resins — without directly emitting carbon dioxide. The concept is about a decade old, but companies are just starting to make serious inroads to put the technology into practice.' Dutch startup Renewable Iron Fuel Technology, or Rift, recently reported raising almost 114 million euros ($131 million) in private financing and public grants to develop its first commercial project. 'Rift will initially use a small amount of virgin iron powder, sourced from industrial suppliers. But the goal is to continually recycle the ashes — which are pure iron oxide — to make new fuel. When combined with low-carbon hydrogen, iron oxide splits into water and iron powder, the latter of which will be returned to the boiler.'

Source: Anthropocene Magazine, 3/10/26

'Most people think climate change will primarily affect other people, a new analysis of previously published research reveals. The findings illustrate a well-known cognitive bias known as “overoptimism,” specifically a variety called “overplacement,” which describes how people tend to rate their own risks as less likely and less severe than those of others. This tendency can make people less likely to take action to reduce their own risks by, say, quitting smoking or getting vaccinated. Overly optimistic risk perceptions could also make people less likely to support climate action, the researchers say.'

For full details, see Sandlund I., et al. “Meta-analytical evidence of a self-other discrepancy in climate change-related risk perceptions.” Nature Sustainability 2026.

Source: Inside EVs, 1/30/26

'Used EVs are now the cheapest cars to own over a 10-year vehicle life period, according to a new study from the University of Michigan published in Environmental Research Letters. In short, a three-year-old electric mid-size SUV can offer an average lifetime savings of $13,000 compared to a new gas-powered mid-size SUV. Meanwhile, a used gas SUV from the same category can deliver a lifetime savings of just $3,000, according to the study’s authors.'

Source: The Week, 3/3/26

'Scientists have created a “sustainable, highly efficient” method to “upcycle plastics to value-added acetic acid,” which is the main component of vinegar, said a study published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. The process is a “bio-inspired cascade photocatalysis using iron atoms embedded in carbon nitride,” said a release about the study. It is similar to “how certain types of fungi break down organic matter using enzymes.”'

Source: University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) Newsletter, March 2026

'CSS faculty Ben Goldstein, with co-authors Estefany Cabanillas and Mark Lefsrud, published a new study comparing controlled-environment lettuce farming to conventional agriculture across Canada, finding that controlled-environment agriculture can reduce water and land use, but the environmental benefits hinge on local energy grids. In provinces with low-carbon energy grids, like Quebec, the climate change impacts of controlled urban farming are lowered. In contrast, in carbon-heavy grids like Alberta, emissions exceed those of conventional farms. The results underscore that urban agriculture’s sustainability depends on low-carbon energy sources and geography, suggesting controlled-environment agriculture should be prioritized in cities with low-carbon energy grids or alongside renewable energy sources.'

Read the study in Agronomy for Sustainable Development.

Source: The New Lede, 3/10/26

‘A genetically modified wheat under development in the US would increase the use of an herbicide that is linked to soil, water and fetal harm, according to a new report. The report, from the environmental organization Friends of the Earth (FOE), comes six months after agricultural organizations announced they are partnering to develop what would be the first genetically modified (GMO) wheat, called HB4, commercially available in the US. Proponents of HB4 say it is drought-tolerant and will bolster food security and help farmers grow wheat in a changing climate. FOE said that HB4 — which was approved by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2024 — would prompt more use of the herbicide glufosinate, which scientific studies have linked to premature births, impaired fetal development, kidney problems and disruption of the gut microbiome. HB4 is engineered to withstand glufosinate, which can be sprayed directly on the wheat and will only kill weeds. The FOE report also warns that HB4 could hamper US exports since not all importing countries accept GMO wheat, and it would harm US farmers that are not using GMO wheat by contaminating their fields.’

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 3/11/26

‘Cobalt and nickel, bound together in lithium-ion battery cathodes, are difficult to separate during battery recycling. Researchers have now found a way to tease the elements apart electrochemically with the help of tartaric acid, which is found in grapes and is a wine-industry by-product (Sci. Adv. 2026, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec7956).'

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 3/9/26

'Ski waxes that incorporate organic fluorine help winter athletes glide better on snow. Fluorine-containing waxes have been banned from competitions since 2023 because of concerns about PFAS. This year's Winter Olympics was the first to deploy the fluoro wax test, which is based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to detect carbon-fluorine signatures.'

Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 3/4/26

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and MIT have converted plastic waste into a microbe-friendly food source to build an upcycling pipeline that turns the waste into a variety of useful products. They engineered the bacterium Pseudomonas putida to convert polyethylene terephthalate, a main class of single-use plastics found in containers like water bottles, into pyruvate, a molecule that most organisms rely on to generate the cellular energy and biomass that sustain them. The researchers also developed a series of specialist microbes, each of which consumes pyruvate to produce a unique end-product. Such products include biopolymers and enzymes used in medicine, chemicals and fuels used in engineering, and electricity for powering electronics. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 3/4/26

Olefin epoxidation is a process used to generate epoxide chemicals, which are the backbone of the textile, plastic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. The current industry-standard process uses harsh peroxides, which are difficult to dispose of safely and emit carbon dioxide, to facilitate oxidation reactions. Water can be used as an oxidant instead of peroxides, but its O-H bonds are difficult to break, requiring high-temperature conditions. That makes using water as an oxidant highly energy-intensive and further contributes to CO2 emissions. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemistry professor Prashant Jain's research group, with colleagues from the Universidade de São Paulo and Northwestern University, demonstrated a method combining the power of electricity and energy from visible-light photons to break the H-O-H bonds in water, effectively turning water into an oxidant without requiring high-temperature heating.

Read their study, published by the American Chemical Society, at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c18709.

Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2/26/26

Scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step biochar water-treatment module. A one-year field trial demonstrated that the system reduced both nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from farmland. The study, published in the Journal of Water Process Engineering, also included a techno-economic analysis that found that the bioreactor-biochar system could become a cost-effective alternative to current edge-of-field practices while achieving better water-quality outcomes. The team was led by Hong Zhou and Wei Zheng of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

Source: Science, 2/18/26

'Science fiction definitely saw this one coming. Writers for the Superman, Star Trek, and Mission Impossible franchises all dreamed up the idea of storing libraries of data in glass. Now, Microsoft researchers say they are bringing this vision closer to reality by storing nearly 2 terabytes (TB) of data—enough for hundreds of thousands of photos or hundreds of hours of video—in coaster-size plates of glass. The new approach, described today in Nature, could archive data for thousands of years, simply and cheaply.'

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 2/6/26

'Seawater has tons of lithium, but it is present at a concentration of just 200 parts per billion (ppb) and is drowned by sodium and other more abundant ions. Efficiently extracting lithium from the sea requires increasing its concentration and not nabbing sodium in the process.

Materials such as hydrogen manganese oxide (HMO) that selectively adsorb lithium are one solution, but they are slow. So researchers engineered a seesaw-like device based on HMO that boosts lithium concentrations by more than 15-fold in seawater (Device 2026, DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.101028). Using just sunlight and gravity, the device captures 70% more lithium than the adsorbent would on its own. And as it rocks back and forth, it casts off unwanted salts that build up on its surface.'

The research team consisted of Hao-Cheng Yang and Zhi-Kang Xu of Zhejiang University, Seth B. Darling of Argonne National Laboratory, and colleagues.

Source: Phys.org, 2/2/26

'A University of Missouri researcher is pioneering an innovative solution to remove tiny bits of plastic pollution from our water. Mizzou's Susie Dai recently applied a revolutionary strain of algae toward capturing and removing harmful microplastics from polluted water. Driven by a mission to improve the world for both wildlife and humans, Dai also aims to repurpose the collected microplastics into safe, bioplastic products such as composite plastic films...The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.'

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.