Themed collection Circularity showcase

The market share of low-cost battery chemistries, which offer little to no recycling profitability with current methods, is growing. Design for circularity could be the key to reducing costs and enhancing sustainability for these batteries.

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

Plastics in oral healthcare: innovations to move away from landfills to create value and sustainable care.

Upcycling silicon from waste solar panels into Li-ion batteries as anodes is a potential solution to handle the ever-growing solar waste.

Biocatalysts raised by the green chemistry and circular chemistry principles can constitute the most important and efficient strategy for achieving many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals launched by the UN.

We examine drivers and benefits of adopting circular economy practices for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), a promising low-cost PV technology, identifying key challenges and reviewing research progress towards achieving a circular economy for PSCs.

This review covers the recent work on the electrochemical valorization of CO₂ towards key industrial compounds like carboxylic acids, urea and dimethyl carbonate by combining the eCO₂RR intermediates with other active (in)organic reagents.

In this review we discuss the application of electrochemical hydrogenation for pyrolysis oil upgrading, thus facilitating a circular polymer economy and low-carbon fuel production.

This review draws the similarities between electroreforming of biomass and plastic derivatives and highlights the pretreatment of raw solid waste, the innovation in catalyst design, and mechanism investigation of waste derivative conversion.

Future sustainable approach of bioenergy production that uses microalgae–bacteria consortium to produce bioelectricity and biofuel for industrial and daily activities.

Ginger waste is an increasingly available renewable feedstock, which is rich in biobased chemicals and materials as well as a source of bioenergy. Ginger waste is explored as a feedstock leading to a potential zero-waste biorefinery.

To verify if PET mechanical recycling is feasible, we need to acknowledge chemical and material property variations. This review highlights the relevance of the connectivity of these variations as a function of the number of recycling cycles.

An overview on lignin modification and applications possibilities is provided. Importantly, a quantitative comparison of all discussed literature procedures in terms of sustainability is included.

Survey and comparison of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic processes for acceptorless dehydrogenation of glycerol and ethanol based on green metrics.

While our society is facing the challenge of accumulating plastic waste, this review discusses recent advances towards polymer circularity with an emphasis on manipulations of the monomer–polymer equilibrium to create chemically recyclable polymers.

The large amount of food waste generated globally has significant adverse environmental impacts, highlighting the need for a historic resolution to achieve sustainable managment of food waste as well as its circular economy.

Catalytic depolymerization of polyester plastics toward closed-loop recycling and upcycling

Utilizing waste streams to produce bio-based products has the potential to promote a circular economy. In addition, by incorporating biowaste into the circular economy, the production of sustainable bioproducts and bioenergy can be enhanced.

A novel approach for the efficient recovery of polypropylene from waste carpet feedstock utilising a solvent based method.

A photooxidation method was reported to facilitate the efficient degradation of polystyrene (PS) in air using porphyrin-based porous organic polymers (PPOPs). The method is mild and effective in promoting the degradation of different PS derivatives.

Metal-free biomass alcohol oxidation in synergy with CO fuel production.

We propose a recycling strategy for tough polymers based on microparticles. The "microparticle-based" concept allows materials recycling without loss of their properties (‘closed-loop’ recycling).

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.

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.

A catalyst-free, sustainable methodology was developed for effortless synthesis of quinoxalines by milling 1,2-diamines and various 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds in a mini cell homogenizer at 4000 rpm for 3 min. The method has a near-zero E-factor.

Protein metabolism is a wonderful example of polymer recycling. A random mixture of proteins gets digested into amino acids, which then can be used by cells to produce whichever protein is needed at the time of synthesis.

A systematic exploration of milling parameters was performed for improving reduction of cobalt from LCO cathode by aluminium, followed by magnetic extraction.

Analysis of over 700 chemical production routes showing that decision making towards more environmentally sustainable pathways is enhanced by combining mass- and energy-based process metrics with simplified life cycle impact indicators.

The incorporation of modified bacterial cellulose derived from agricultural waste improves biodegradable composites by reducing oxygen permeability and accelerating biodegradation while maintaining mechanical properties.

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.

It is proposed to transform electronic waste into electrocatalytic devices, with the aim of producing nanomaterials and reducing the carbon footprint, thus completing a full cycle of recycling and reusing materials.

Ethyl levulinate is a promising advanced biofuel and platform chemical that can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass by ethanolysis processes.

Polymer separation layers facilitate the disassembly and recycling of composites made from printed electronics.

An efficient and solvent-free chemical upcycling of polycarbonate and polylactic acid plastic waste into valuable monomers to promote a circular and resource-efficient economy using SBA-15 functionalized basic ionic liquid catalysts is presented.

Cs₂AgSbCl₆ double perovskite (DP) has been synthesized through many solid-state and solution routes.

Glycol lignin acts as a simultaneous UV absorbent, antioxidant, and mechanical reinforcement in polyolefins, thereby reducing carbon emissions and facilitating effective mechanical recycling.

Solvolysis of elastane in blended fabrics using tert-amyl alcohol and KOH (cat.) provides elastane monomers and a fibre matrix. The process is especially useful for polyamide/elastane blends, providing a possibility for fibre-to-fibre recycling.

Surface plastics and microplastics commingled with biomass are emerging pollutants in the marine environment.

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

To improve sustainability of lithium-ion battery electrodes there is a need to design in recycling at the manufacturing stage.

Vacuum pyrolysis of waste polystyrene foam over a spirit lamp flame for 20 minutes produced 98% pure styrene without needing fractionation or purification, which promises a convenient closed-loop chemical recycling system.

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.

Flexible screen-printing technology modified with nano/material coating boosted the manufacturing of highly sensitive electrochemical sensors for fast and easy-to-handle tests in different application fields.

Polyethylene was selective converted into methylated aromatics over the catalysts of aluminosilicate MFI zeolite nanosheets (s-ZSM-5) and mesoporous MFI zeolite modified with zinc species (Zn/meso-ZSM-5).

A product-oriented electrolyzer design offers a remarkably high nitrate-to-ammonia performance on a simple nickel electrode in an aqueous NaOH/KOH/H₂O electrolyte.

Various routes for the valorisation of biogas towards methane and methanol and for electricity or hydrogen storage is assessed.

An integrated extraction–separation process: extraction and selective separation of chlorophylls and betalains using thermoreversible aqueous biphasic systems.