Researchers have developed a sustainable, inexpensive two-step process that can upcycle organic carbon waste -- including lignin, a difficult-to-breakdown material that gives plants their structure.

To upcycle the polymers of discarded plastics, chemists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory invented a way to generate new macromolecules with more valuable properties than those of the starting material ...

Polyethylene, or PE, is one of the most commonly produced plastics in the world. It is used primarily for making grocery bags, trash bags and packaging films and wraps as well as food containers, ...

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is durable and holds up against moisture and corrosion. That makes it a good plastic for pipes, construction material, and medical devices. But its high chlorine content also ...

The research scope covers upcycled ingredients used across different application areas, including food, beverage, and dietary supplements. The analysis focuses on understanding the current ecosystem ...

Instead of relying on virgin plastics or single-use materials, companies are increasingly turning to upcycled cotton, denim, ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Prize winning business and health care journalist who writes about the future of food, sustainability and plant-based eating. May ...

Garbage is a big problem in the United States. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. generated about 292 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2018; the ...

When nature designed lignin — the fibrous, woody material that gives plants their rigid structure — it didn’t cut any corners. Incredibly slow to break down, lignin is so sturdy and long lasting that ...

ORNL's invention may change plastic's environmental fate by rearranging polymeric building blocks to customize the properties of plastics. Molecular subunits link to produce polymer chains that can ...