Sustainability in the News

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: 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: The Conversation, 9/3/25

A Georgia Tech computer engineering professor who specializes in high-performance computing explains how data centers can be designed and managed to reduce their energy use.

Source: Trellis, 8/21/25

In a footwear first, a new Allbirds’ sneaker features material that has been recycled from polycotton waste. The Remix runners, which retail for $140, are made with lyocell recycled by startup Circ from used polycotton T-shirts and other textiles. The midsoles are recycled from manufacturing-scrap foam by partner Blumaka, and the laces are made of recycled polyester.

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: American Chemical Society, 8/18/25

More than half of the 7.5 million bales of cotton produced annually in the U.S. will be used in clothing manufacturing. The finishing techniques used to make cotton fabric smooth, water-repellant and resistant to wrinkling can be detrimental to the environment and the wearer. Now, researchers propose a method for using cottonseed oil as a “greener” and safer alternative to formaldehyde and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, when finishing cotton fabrics.

Taylor Kanipe, a graduate student at North Carolina State University (NC State), presented her results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), held Aug. 17-21.

Source: Washington Post, 10/28/25

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

Source: U.S. Right to Know, 9/11/25

Pesticides banned years ago in the European Union are drifting through the skies and turning up in clouds above France, raising concerns about how long these toxins persist and how far they can travel, with potentially harmful global health impacts, according to a pathbreaking new study.  The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology, is the first to detect dozens of agricultural chemicals—including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other substances—suspended in cloud water droplets. That means pesticides not only linger in the environment but also move through the atmosphere and fall back to Earth in rain or snow, sometimes at levels exceeding European safe drinking water limits, the research suggests. 

Source: Trellis, 4/30/25

Years of persistence and experimentation led to a biodegradable coffee pod that improves brewing performance. Keurig Dr Pepper backed the innovation once it proved both sustainable and appealing to consumers. Collaborating with customers and potential competitors were key for development.

Source: Stockholm University, 2/21/25

Hair conditioners typically contain 20–30 ingredients, many derived from petroleum and oleochemicals, raising concerns about sustainability and environmental impact. A new study published in Science Advances, demonstrates that micellar lignin gels can effectively stabilize emulsions with natural oils, reducing the need for synthetic surfactants and complex stabilizers commonly used in commercial formulations. The research team, led by Mika Sipponen at Stockholm University, sought to explore lignin, a common and renewable component in wood biomass, as a multifunctional component for hair conditioning.

Source: University of Leicester, 5/2/25

A new technique that uses soundwaves to separate materials for recycling could help prevent potentially harmful chemicals leaching into the environment.  Researchers at the University of Leicester have achieved a major milestone in fuel cell recycling, advancing techniques to efficiently separate valuable catalyst materials and fluorinated polymer membranes (PFAS) from catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs). 

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: 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: 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: Packaging Insights, 6/11/25

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada have cultivated a mushroom species that can be used to produce a biodegradable material suitable for use in packaging.

Source: NPR, 5/8/25

More than half of Black and Latina women in Los Angeles who participated in a new study regularly used personal-care products containing a known carcinogen. Study participants photographed the ingredient lists of all the products they used at home over the course of a week. The journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters published the study Wednesday.

Of 64 women, researchers found that 53% reported using soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, skin lightener, eyeliner, eyelash glue and other beauty products that contained formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives — toxins found to cause cancer in humans.

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: 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: 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: The Conversation, 8/19/25

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers analyzed public records, government documents, and sustainability reports compiled by top data center companies and found that technology companies don’t always reveal how much water their data centers use.

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: 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: Medical News Today, 7/24/25

Vishal Midya is the corresponding author of a new study recently published in the journal eBioMedicine that found exposure to a class of synthetic chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)Trusted Source — also known as "forever chemicals" — may increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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: 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: 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: Horizon Magazine, 7/1/25

Green art conservation methods developed by EU-funded researchers are setting new standards and proving useful far beyond museums, from cosmetics to agriculture. 

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: Flinders University, 6/27/25

A major discovery by an interdisciplinary team of experts in green chemistry, engineering and physics at Flinders University in Australia has found a safer and more sustainable approach to extract and recover gold from ore and electronic waste. The glistening gold-extraction technique, unveiled in the leading global journal Nature Sustainability, promises to reduce levels of toxic waste from mining and shows that high purity gold can be recovered from recycling valuable components in printed circuit boards in discarded computers. 

The new process uses a low-cost and benign compound to extract the gold. This reagent (trichloroisocyanuric acid) is widely used in water sanitation and disinfection. When activated by salt water, the reagent can dissolve gold. Next, the gold can be selectively bound to a novel sulfur-rich polymer developed by the Flinders team. The selectivity of the polymer allows gold recovery even in highly complex mixtures. The gold can then be recovered by triggering the polymer to “un-make” itself and convert back to monomer. This allows the gold to be recovered and the polymer to be recycled and reused.

Source: The Guardian, 9/7/25

Sam Shoemaker’s record-setting voyage shows the promise – and limits – of fungi as a plastic alternative. 

Source: PBS News Hour, 7/28/25

It may sound like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but diverting food waste from the landfill and converting it into electricity has become a real thing. William Brangham visited Ben & Jerry's Vermont ice cream factory and the operations next door to find out how it works.

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: 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.

CNN, 7/30/25

Thousands of microplastics so small they can penetrate deep into the lungs are in the air you breathe in your home and car, a new study has found.

The particles are likely the result of the degradation of plastic-filled objects such as carpet, curtains, furniture and textiles and the plastic parts of car interiors, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.

Lozano-Onrubia, G., Castillo-Pazos, D. J., Grieger, K., Wheeler, M., Grignon, E., Pazoki, F., Gallenstein, R., Castilla-Acevedo, S. F., Fan, F., Musa, E. N., Beena, N. C., Ahuja, H., Popoola, O., Battaglia, A. M., Kaur, G., Alahakoon, I., Chipangura, Y. E., Aransiola, E., Moumbogno Tchodimo, F. C., … Moores, A. (2025). Industry’s Path to a Greener Future: A Perspective on Current Sustainable Practices and Areas of Opportunity. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 13(19), 6849–6874. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c00741

Abstract: Chemistry is directly and indirectly related to some of the most polluting industries, making it exceptionally critical for chemists to act and develop novel solutions toward more sustainable industrial practices. In this perspective, participants of the 2023 ACS Summer School on Green Chemistry & Sustainable Energy describe state-of-the-art developments that the chemical industry has spearheaded to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute toward achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Herein, we illustrate a variety of methods that the chemical industry has employed, ranging from technological factors, such as using catalysis, implementing AI to reduce energy-intensive processes, and developing carbon capture technology and sustainable fuels, to socioeconomic factors─incorporating circularity, society targeted innovation and education, and developing successful collaborations between the private and public sectors. This perspective aims to trigger discussions and highlight how multifaceted approaches are necessary to support the transition to a greener industrial sector.

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: 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: University of Cambridge, 7/27/25

An analysis of studies incorporating data from almost 30 million people has highlighted the role that air pollution – including that coming from car exhaust emissions – plays in increased risk of dementia...In a paper published in The Lancet Planetary Health, a team led by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature to examine this link further. This approach allowed them to bring together studies that on their own may not provide sufficient evidence, and which sometimes disagree with each other, to provide more robust overarching conclusions. In total, the researchers included 51 studies, including data from more than 29 million participants who had been exposed to air pollutants for at least one year, mostly from high-income countries. Of these, 34 papers were included in the meta-analysis: 15 originated in North America, 10 in Europe, seven in Asia, and two in Australia. The researchers found a positive and statistically-significant association between 3 types of air pollutant and dementia.

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: AZO Cleantech, 7/18/25

A recent study, published in npj Science of Food, investigated microplastic contamination in milk, fresh cheese, and ripened cheese, providing one of the most detailed assessments yet of plastics in dairy products. The research team used advanced spectroscopic techniques to analyze the size, shape, colour, and concentration of microplastics in these widely consumed foods. 

Source: Medical University of Vienna, 7/15/25

Although the respiratory system is one of the main entry points for microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the air into the body, little is known about the effects of these tiny particles on the lungs. Researchers at MedUni Vienna have now demonstrated for the first time that MNPs can trigger malignant changes in lung cells that are associated with the development of cancer. The findings were published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials and once again underline the urgent need for action to reduce plastic waste.

Source: University of Tokyo via Phys.org, 10/10/25

Some industrial processes used to create useful chemicals require heat, but heating methods are often inefficient, partly because they heat a greater volume of space than they really need to. Researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, devised a way to limit heating to the specific areas required in such situations. Their technique uses microwaves, not unlike those used in home microwave ovens, to excite specific elements dispersed in the materials to be heated. Their system proved to be around 4.5 times more efficient than current methods.

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: University of California San Diego, 6/13/25

As artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing continue to expand, the demand for data processing—and the heat it generates—is skyrocketing. Currently, cooling accounts for up to 40% of a data center’s total energy use. If trends continue, global energy use for cooling could more than double by 2030. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new cooling technology that could significantly improve the energy efficiency of data centers and high-powered electronics. The technology features a specially engineered fiber membrane that passively removes heat through evaporation. It offers a promising alternative to traditional cooling systems like fans, heat sinks and liquid pumps. It could also reduce the water use associated with many current cooling systems.

The advance is detailed in a paper published on June 13 in the journal Joule.

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: 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.'

Medical Express, 7/25/25

Researchers at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health found that certain kinds of long-lasting chemicals firefighters are exposed to may affect the activity of genes linked to cancer and other diseases. The findings appear in the journal Environmental Research. The study is among the first to connect common industrial chemicals called PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—to changes in microRNAs, or miRNAs, which are molecules that act as guardrails to help control gene expression.

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: RMIT University via Phys.org, 8/20/25

A new wastewater treatment system developed by RMIT University researchers could help prevent fatbergs—solid masses of fat, oil and grease (FOG) that clog sewers and cost water utilities globally billions to remove each year. A team from RMIT's Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Center has developed a solution that combines a redesigned grease interceptor with a smart chemical treatment—more than doubling fat removal rates in commercial kitchen wastewater. The new design features a series of physical barriers, or baffles, inside a grease interceptor to slow wastewater flow and separate larger fat particles. A small dose of alum, a common water treatment chemical, is then added to clump smaller, suspended fats for easy removal.

The research article, "Performance optimization for the removal of fat, oil, and grease from food service establishment wastewater using a novel grease interceptor," is published in ACS ES&T Water.

Source: University of Michigan, 1/20/25

Water desalination plants could replace expensive chemicals with new carbon cloth electrodes that remove boron from seawater, an important step of turning seawater into safe drinking water. A study describing the new technology has been published in Nature Water by engineers at the University of Michigan and Rice University.