Engineering team receives $3.6M to combat plastic waste

Plastics transformed engineering in the past century, but they also transformed the environment in ways that will take millennia to repair. Washington University in St. Louis is leading a new effort to address the grand challenge of developing the next generation of high-performance, sustainably sourced and biodegradable plastics that advance engineering while also protecting the environment.

Chula’s Potassium Liquid Soap from Used Cooking Oil for a Greener Environment and Circular Economy

A researcher from Chulalongkorn University’s Institute for Environmental Research has made it possible to transform used vegetable oil into potassium liquid soap that cleanses effectively, is water soluble, 100% biodegradable, and safe for the wastewater treatment system.

Q&A: Making Earth-friendly electronics

April 21, 2022 The very components that make electronics fast and easy to use also make their disposal an environmental nightmare. Components of smartphones, computers and even kitchen appliances contain heavy metals and other compounds that are toxic to us…

The biodegradable battery

The number of data-transmitting microdevices, for instance in packaging and transport logistics, will increase sharply in the coming years. All these devices need energy, but the amount of batteries would have a major impact on the environment. Empa researchers have developed a biodegradable mini-capacitor that can solve the problem. It consists of carbon, cellulose, glycerin and table salt. And it works reliably.

Making cleaner, greener plastics from waste fish parts

Derived from crude oil, toxic to synthesize, and slow to degrade, polyurethanes are not environmentally friendly. Today, researchers discuss a safer, biodegradable alternative derived from fish waste that would otherwise likely be discarded. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2021.