GREEN CHEMICALS
Tackling PFAS and Micropollutants: A Path to Cleaner Chemistry
The persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a defining environmental challenge for the chemical industry. These compounds, often termed “forever chemicals,” resist conventional degradation pathways due to their strong carbon–fluorine bonds and structural stability. Alongside PFAS, a...
EU project seeks to make microalgae mainstream
A consortium of researchers and industries is betting on an underdog they hope will become a sustainability hero of the future: microalgae.
Funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) and running from September 2025 to August 2029,...
Argon recycling: the missing link in reducing Scope 3 emissions for high-temperature and inert-gas-dependent manufacturing
For sectors that rely heavily on controlled atmospheres - such as chemical processing, advanced materials and metallurgy - closed-loop gas recovery presents a practical and commercially viable route to reducing emissions, improving supply chain resilience, and lowering operational costs....
McGill researchers optimise process for converting human urine into clean energy
The study found higher concentrations of urine are most effective in powering microbial fuel cells, which simultaneously remove pollutants and produce electricity
Researchers at McGill University have improved the efficiency of a method for converting human urine into clean energy.
The...
Why decarbonising heat needn’t be on the net zero ‘naughty step’
Huge progress has been made to limit chemicals’ climate impact, but lessons can still be learned from other industries, says Stuart Reid, AMP.
The chemical industry is one of the UK’s most energy intensive sectors. And, like many similar industries,...
Homogeneous Catalyst Recycling in Practice
Florence Luyten, Account Manager at Indaver for precious metal recycling from liquids, explains how advances in recycling technologies are enabling a circular economy for precious metals used as homogenous catalysts.
Why recycle?
Homogeneous catalysts lie at the heart of industrial processes...
North West chemical company earns EcoVadis gold rating for global sustainability
Bury’s Maker Industrial, part of leading chemical supplier and manufacturer The Rakem Group, has been awarded EcoVadis Gold for being in the top five percent of businesses globally for environmentally sustainability and social performance.
Specialising in liquid and powder contract manufacturing for industries including DIY, coatings, inks, paper, plastics and...
Plastics made to order – thanks to level and pressure measurement technology from VEGA
Optimisation of production processes is an ongoing task in plastics manufacturing, and this is also the case at RENOLIT. Traceability and reproducibility of processes are therefore key requirements for the manufacturer. With innovative level and pressure measurement technology from...
Microplastics Removal Technologies: Are We There Yet?
Microplastics have long been in the spotlight because of their environmental impact. But talks on a global plastics treaty recently stalled, highlighting the urgent need for the development of efficient capture technologies. An IDTechExt report looks at promising new...
UK partners advance sustainable shipping with first digital shipment of green chemicals
Grangemouth-based Scottish green chemical producer Celtic Renewables has partnered with digital supply chain and logistics software developer LogChain to make international shipping more sustainable with the first digitalised shipment of green chemicals.
Celtic used LogChain’s private blockchain-based software solution to...
Green ammonia plant prototype powers up, Turning Unused Wind Energy into Zero-Carbon Fuel
A prototype facility designed to manufacture ammonia using renewable electricity is now operational.
ngineers at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Energy Research Unit powered up the facility, marking a significant advancement for the UK’s green energy strategy.
The process...
CCUS: powering our industrial regeneration?
With £9.4 billion earmarked in funding, Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) has been positioned as a critical net zero tool, and a driver of industrial regeneration, skills development and international collaboration. Duncan Lugton, head of policy and impact...
Green chemistry, grey areas – understanding patent protection for sustainable materials
Peter Youle, Senior Associate at Marks & Clerk, explains what green materials, production processes and formulations are (and aren’t) protectable under current IP law and offers actionable tips where the chemical sector may struggle.
Awareness and appreciation of environmental issues...
From boardroom scepticism to c-suite priority: the evolution of bio-based chemicals
Over the past three decades, sustainability in chemicals has gone from being a side note to a fundamental boardroom issue, says Bettina Brierly, Chief Commercial Officer, Celtic Renewables.
In the past, bio-based chemicals were regarded as a curiosity and superfluous...
enaDyne plans to transform chemical production with non-thermal plasma catalysis technology
The Leipzig-based company pioneers fully electric, modular, non-thermal plasma catalysis reactors that convert CO2 into valuable chemicals while abating hard-to-treat emissions, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical manufacturing processes.
German start-up enaDyne -which specialises in fully electric, non-thermal plasma...
Pyrolysis oil: decarbonising petrochemicals one drop at a time
Nirav Shah, Global Director (Growth Fields, Re-refining, LNG/Gas processing) at Evonik, explores the integration of pyrolysis oil into refining and petrochemical processes, the hurdles that come with this, and the innovative solutions driving adoption at scale.
Sustainability initiatives have been...
Rubber recycling breakthrough could “slash” emissions
A UK company is believed to be the first plastic chemical recycling specialist to commercialise ‘char’, a byproduct of its TAC™ chemical recycling process.
Launched under the name TACFILLER by Plastic Energy, the company claims the product “offers a lower-carbon,...
From compliance to competitive edge: why emissions reporting is a must for chemical sector
George Hudson, UK Business Development Manager for GoNetZero, explains why accurate emissions reporting is now essential for compliance and credibility.
Accurate emissions reporting is not just about compliance anymore – it is fast becoming a baseline expectation for doing business.
The...
Net Zero, Smarter: Flexible Energy Solutions
Discover how forward-thinking leaders are turning decarbonisation into a competitive edge
The UK chemical manufacturing sector remains a powerhouse of the economy,
underpinning around 96% of all manufactured goods and contributing £25 billion to GDP
each year, as stated by the Chemical...
Red tape, green chemistry: Turning sustainability regs into a growth catalyst
Sustainability regulations are a make-or-break moment for the industry. However, instead of treating regulation as a cost center, what if chemical firms could use digital tools to turn sustainability into a growth driver, says Stephen Reynolds, Industry Principal, Chemicals,...
Industrial waste turned into world-first green chemistry
A major research centre to position the UK as a global leader in clean technology has been launched by the universities of Newcastle, Sheffield and Nottingham.
Great British (GB) Chemicals will help replace fossil petrochemicals and recycling industrial waste using...
Who Will Lead the Plastics Revolution?
Europe’s chemical recycling requires over €400 billion in cumulative capex to compete with virgin plastics production – who will lead?
Despite impending mandates and ambitious corporate targets, chemical recycling in Europe remains nascent today mostly due to unattractive economics, according...
Measurement holds key to leaner, cleaner performance in chemical industry
Producing many of the everyday products that we take for granted, the chemical industry is a major contributor to air and water emissions, as well as a significant consumer of energy. Peter Cologne, UK & Ireland Sales Manager for...
New lab and pilot plant for feedstock renewables firm
Bedford-based C-Source Renewables is celebrating a major milestone with the opening of its new microbiology and waste valorisation laboratory and pilot plant.
The company – which specialises in sustainable waste solutions - began as a university dissertation and has since...
INEOS Invests £30m to slash emissions at Hull site by 75%
INEOS has completed a major £30 million investment at its Hull manufacturing site, converting the facility to run on clean-burning hydrogen instead of natural gas.
The result is a 75% cut in carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking around...
Turning emissions into valuable products
Many processes which were once considered waste can now be valorised. Dr Alexander Krajete, CEO of emissions treatment specialist Krajete, explores how waste gases can be repurposed into useful products.
missions valorisation pathways
Valorisation is the process of increasing the value...
Mass-spectrometry technique boosts enzyme screening speed by up to 1000 times
Scientists have developed a new technique to screen engineered enzyme reactions, which could lead to faster and more efficient creation of medicines and sustainable chemicals.
Enzymes are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions, turning one substance into another. In labs, scientists...
Reduce and remove: The two-pronged approach to the PFAS problem
The discussion surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), driven by the persistence and bioaccumulation of these “forever chemicals” in ecosystems and human bodies, has reached a critical juncture.
With some 5,000 PFAS compounds utilised in industries from food packaging to...
Worm Slime Could Revolutionise the Future of Sustainable Bioplastics
McGill researchers aim to harness the natural process that lets slime shift from liquid to fibre.
A new discovery about the slime ejected by velvet worms could revolutionise sustainable material design, according to a study by McGill University researchers.
Their findings...
e-methanol plans for CO2-reduced supply chains
The HyLion network in Scotland plans to produce CO2-reduced hydrogen from renewable energies and convert it into e-methanol
The network’s overarching aim is to establish a transnational, European end-to-end supply chain for CO2-reduced hydrogen and e-methanol. The plan is to...
