Recycling news: 2026

Research & science Electroactive Thermally-Induced Shape Memory PEG-Plasticized Polymer Nanocomposites Based on TPU/PLA with CNC and MWCNT Responsive polymers have attracted considerable attention over the past two decades due to their potential in advanced functional applications. The practical implementation of these materials often requires multicomponent systems comprising polymer blends and functional nanofillers. In this study, a highly efficient stimuli-responsive nanocomposite was developed, based on thermoplastic polyuret… Journal of Polymers and the Environment (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Sustainable Lignin–Acrylonitrile Copolymers via Aqueous Free Radical Polymerization for Carbon Materials Development This study investigates a bio-based precursor for carbon materials by directly copolymerizing unmodified LignoBoost lignin (LB) with non-fossil derived acrylonitrile (AN) via aqueous free radical polymerization (FRP), forming lignin–polyacrylonitrile (PAN) graft-type copolymers. In contrast to conventional approaches, the process avoids organic solvents and lignin functionalization. Key paramet… Journal of Polymers and the Environment (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Synthesis and Application of Xanthan Gum based Supported Magnetic Ionic Liquids as a Green Catalyst for one-pot Synthesis of Thioether linked 4-Hydroxycoumarin Derivatives Compared to neat magnetic ionic liquids (MILs), supported ionic liquids (SILs) provide notable provide notable benefits, particularly in terms of facile separation and reusability, while significantly mitigating common limitations. MILs often suffer from disadvantages such as high cost, potential toxicity, and challenges associated with product isolation. To address this issue, a xanthan gum ba… Journal of Polymers and the Environment (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Two-Stage Microwave-Thermal Treatment Process for Depolymerization of Polyurethane in Deep Eutectic Solvents Polyurethane (PU) is widely used across various industrial sectors. Its strong chemical resistance renders conventional recycling methods inefficient. Developing greener and more energy-efficient depolymerization strategies is therefore essential. Previous methods for DES-based depolymerization of PU usually require high temperatures and long reaction times. This study proposes a two-stage micr… Journal of Polymers and the Environment (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Enhanced weathering of lizardite-rich sand in seawater: effects of pH and CO ₂ pressure on carbonate formation for climate change mitigation Enhanced weathering (EW) of serpentinized peridotites is being investigated as a potential approach for ex situ CO ₂ sequestration in both coastal and open-ocean environments. Previous studies on serpentine minerals have provided important insights into their geochemical reactivity, highlighting their preferential dissolution behavior and enhanced weathering potential under natural conditions. … Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Structural abnormalities in erythrocytes and a potential denucleation process induced by metformin, compromising cell viability in specimens of Astyanax lacustris (Pisces, Characidae) Hematological studies in fish are sensitive indicators of physiological and pathological changes caused by aquatic pollution, including pharmaceutical contaminants. Among these pollutants, metformin is one of the most prevalent and has been associated with adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, its impact on fish erythrocyte morphology remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the… Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Emissions from a diesel engine with an air intake system under obstructed conditions Incomplete combustion in internal combustion engines leads to efficiency losses and increases in pollutant emission levels. For combustion to be complete, a well-balanced air–fuel mixture is essential, and this balance depends on the characteristics of the air intake system. In this context, the present study investigated the effect of five restriction levels (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) applie… Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Springer) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Iceberg-driven constraints on colony–foraging connectivity result in severe decline in chick counts for the Coulman Island emperor penguin colony Communications Earth & Environment (Nature Portfolio) · 23 Jul 2026 Research & science Status, threats and conservation of Earth’s migratory birds - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science How to use AI to make a graphical abstract in minutes - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Non-epitaxial perovskite polariton laser diode operating under direct current - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Electronic-resonance enhanced molecule for perovskite solar cells - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Prior therapy defines mutation profiles in childhood cancer at relapse - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science A global molecular code for birth order and neuronal identity in Drosophila - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Exceptional brain and ecological diversity in the earliest snakes - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science A longer, hotter reality surrounds marine heat waves, research reveals Anyone who has boiled a pot of water understands that it takes both time and energy to raise the temperature, so it may come as a surprise to learn that scientists have long treated marine heat waves (MHWs) as isolated events. New research led by William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School is challenging that narrative by providing a framework to characterize an ecosystem's cumulative heat exposure f… Phys.org — Environment tag feed · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Marine animals first colonized empty seashells about 470 million years ago An international study led by researchers from the University of Tartu shows that approximately 470 million years ago, a significant ecological change took place in the world's oceans: For the first time, the interiors of empty mollusk shells began to be used as habitats. This marked the emergence of a new ecological niche and was a crucial step in the development of a marine ecosystem similar … Phys.org — 'waste' search feed · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Variability of land water availability sensitivity to model resolution: disentangling the influences of runoff and soil water Fluctuations in land water availability (LWA, defined as the difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration) may increase drought risks and widely affect management of water resources. Globally, LWA are mainly produced by model simulations due to evapotranspiration observation being rarely available. Based on the atmospheric model intercomparison project simulations at four horizontal … Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science An assessment of the alignment of the COP28 energy pledges with the Paris Agreement goals COP28 marked the first time that climate negotiations at the highest level, i.e. an official conference of the parties’ (COPs) decision, indicated clear energy-related milestones for urgent climate action by adopting specific renewable energy and energy efficiency targets for 2030, and phasing down fossil fuels by 2050. These milestones are meant to serve as yardsticks to guide the path towards… Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Asymmetry of El Niño and La Niña precipitation diversity El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) precipitation diversity exhibits pronounced phase-dependent asymmetry over the tropical Pacific. Observations indicate enhanced precipitation diversity over the western North Pacific during La Niña and over the equatorial central Pacific during El Niño. This asymmetry is associated with the positively skewed distribution and intensified extremes of tropical p… Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Expansion versus intensification: oxygen-volume distribution shapes contrasting OMZ responses to deoxygenation Ocean deoxygenation is driving widespread changes in major oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), yet the mechanisms underlying their contrasting responses to similar forcing remain poorly understood. Here, we examine observed changes from 1965 to 2022 across six major OMZs using a water-mass transformation framework that quantifies the redistribution of ocean volume in oxygen space. We find that intense… Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Long-term energy security strategy in an era of new and compounding risk Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Large-scale circulation-conditioned attribution of the historic 2024 Spanish extreme precipitation On 29 October 2024, Turís, Spain, recorded an unprecedented 24 h precipitation total of 771 mm, triggering one of the deadliest floods in Europe since 1900. Although recent attribution studies demonstrated that anthropogenic warming may have contributed to the event, the extent to which atmospheric circulation variability shaped its exceptional magnitude remains unclear. Using multi-source high… Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Small-scale farmers critical to curbing deforestation linked to forest-risk commodities Deforestation remains a critical challenge despite increasing global attention. Voluntary and market-based initiatives have proven insufficient to reverse this trend. In response, the European Union introduced the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), requiring information for several forest-risk commodities (e.g. palm oil, soy, rubber, cocoa, and coffee) to enforce deforestation-free standards acro… Environmental Research Letters (IOP) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Alarm over hospital lung admissions for children in England’s poorest postcodes - UCL | University College London UCL News · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science CRISPR–Cas regulates expression of embedded anti-phage defence systems - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Precise DNA base editing using AlphaFold3-based contact modelling - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science New Stanford lab asks, what could catch us off guard? - Stanford Report Stanford Report · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science NC State To Lead National Effort To Accelerate Chemistry, Materials Research North Carolina State University has been awarded a four-year, $20 million award from the National Science Foundation to leverage advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous labs to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery in chemistry and materials science. NC State University News · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Tertiary lymphoid structures harbour stem-like tumour-specific T cells - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science A vector-based strategy for olfactory navigation in Drosophila - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Teaching Ideology and Ideological Teaching - Springer Nature Link Circular Economy and Sustainability (Springer) · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science AI-redesigned starting points and outcomes enhance protein evolution - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Subnuclear genome compartmentalization controls bivalent chromatin activity - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Structural basis of the RNA-editing cascade in trypanosome mitochondria - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Planetary-mass exosatellite detected around the substellar companion of a star - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Brown bullhead catfish melanoma represents a novel transmissible cancer - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science The planktonic microbiome of the Great Barrier Reef - Nature Nature subject feed — Environmental Sciences · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Promotions 2025-26 - Successful List - UCL | University College London UCL News · 22 Jul 2026 Research & science Advanced Photocatalysts for PFAS Removal: From Fundamental Mechanisms to Sustainable Water Treatment Solutions Advanced Sustainable Systems, Volume 10, Issue 7, July 2026. Advanced Sustainable Systems (Wiley) · 22 Jul 2026