Themed collection Circular Economy

The global ambition is to reach a net zero waste and emissions society by 2050.

Chemistry has a vital role in enabling the reductions in greenhouse gases, stewardship of material resources and new production processes needed to bring net CO₂ emissions to zero by 2050, keeping within 1.5 °C of global warming.

The Composites Industry needs to participate in future circular chemical economies. Cooperation, standardisation and increased availability of transparent industry data for life cycle analysis, are seen as critical to a more sustainable future.

Current European (EU) policies, such as the Green Deal, envisage safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) practices for the management of chemicals, which cogently entail nanomaterials (NMs) and advanced materials (AdMa).

The complexity of lignocellulosic biomass valorisation was identified, and a novel assessment method is proposed to facilitate the decision-making process.

Catalysis is a crucial tool to efficiently address the recycling and upgrading of polymeric waste within the context of a circular economy, providing affordable and selective methods for waste valorization.

This review has focused on the concept of upcycling, which involves utilizing PET waste as a raw material for the production of value-added products such as monomers, fine chemicals, hydrogen, or carbon materials.

Latest advances in hydrometallurgical recycling open new sustainable processing options beyond efficient recovery of metals towards direct recycling and upcycling of the NMC active materials.

The advent of lithium-ion battery technology in portable electronic devices and electric vehicle applications results in the generation of millions of hazardous e-wastes that are detrimental to the ecosystem.

Global warming potential (GWP, kg CO₂eq per kg product) is key to assess the greenness of reactions in LCAs. Equations are developed to estimate GWP, using available parameters like “conversion”, “substrate loading”, “reaction time” or “temperature.

Material flow analysis of chemicals in the United States highlights low recycling rates, substantial climate change and human health impacts, and the potential for a circular economy to reduce waste and drive sustainability in the chemical industry.

β-Keto-enamine POPs, synthesized in water at relatively low temperatures, without catalysts, and using common glassware, exhibit a competitive adsorption capacity and high selectivity for CO₂ over N₂ at 298 K (1 bar).

Bio-based epoxy networks were synthesized using a vanillin-based epoxy monomer and bio-derived diamines. These networks were recycled using both acidic depolymerization and transimination methods. Reprogramming was achieved using different amines.

Here we report the scaled-up synthesis of α-pinene-derived monomers, using less hazardous/toxic reagents. The application of these terpene-derived monomers as high T_g components in copolymer coatings with high biobased content is also investigated.

The coupling of carbon materials with magnetic materials, available in the black mass of spent lithium-ion batteries results in a high microwave-absorbing material.

Abundant biopolymers derived from wastes were used to prepare bio-based films, resulting in notable enhancements in their properties and promising potential as effective adsorbent materials.

Neem resin-derived CDs (NR-CDs) exhibited a quantum yield of 21%, allowing them for multiple applications in sensitive detection of Fe²⁺ ions, and also in the degradation of multiple dyes in the presence of NaBH_4.

We propose an affordable and safe route to recover palladium in its metallic form from waste fashion items and recycle it in electronic devices.

Fiber surface functionalization can play a dual role in the development of fiber reinforced polymer composites; improving the overall performance and enabling recovery of high-quality fibers.

An experimentally guided, early-stage techno-economic analysis reveals how ionic liquids can be economically adapted at scale through novel recycling methods to unlock their environmental benefits when used as solvents for nanoparticle syntheses.