Volunteer committee helps the MIT community live and work sustainably
The Working Green Committee is made up of MIT staff committed to encouraging reuse and recycling of goods, and reducing waste.
Recycling plastics from research labs
With sustainability in mind, MIT’s EHS Lab Plastics Recycling Program gathers clean plastics from 212 MIT labs, recycling some 280 pounds per week.
Fiber “barcodes” can make clothing labels that last
Drawing inspiration from butterfly wings, reflective fibers woven into clothing could reshape textile sorting and recycling.
Rescuing small plastics from the waste stream
PhD student Alexis Hocken is working with manufacturers to keep their products from (literally) falling through the cracks in the recycling process.
MIT PhD students shed light on important water and food research
J-WAFS Fellows discuss their inspiration for pursuing challenges in water and food systems.
MADMEC winner identifies sustainable greenhouse-cooling materials
Prizes in the materials science competition also went to a waste-monitoring device and a nanofiber-based yarn.
New process could enable more efficient plastics recycling
Cobalt-based catalysts could be used to turn mixed plastic waste into fuel, new plastics, and other products.
Could we make cars out of petroleum residue?
A new way to make carbon fiber could turn refinery byproducts into high-value, ultralight structural materials for cars, aircraft, and spacecraft.
J-WAFS announces 2021 Solutions Grants for commercializing water and food technologies
This year’s projects address mobile evaporative vegetable preservation, portable water filtration, and dairy waste reduction.
Diving into the global problem of technology waste
Students in STS.032 (Energy, Environment, and Society) learn about environmental and health consequences of discarded electronics.
Top collegiate inventors awarded 2021 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize
Student inventors recognized on World IP Day for groundbreaking, patentable solutions to issues related to maternal health, energy efficiency, and plastic waste.
Could we recycle plastic bags into fabrics of the future?
Engineers have developed self-cooling fabrics from polyethylene, a material commonly used in plastic bags.
InEnTec: Turning trash into valuable chemical products and clean fuels
Climate goals expand impact of MIT waste-processing spinoff that capitalizes on a process called plasma gasification.
Chemists make tough plastics recyclable
New method for producing thermoset plastics allows them to be broken down more easily after use.
Unlocking the secrets of a plastic-eater
Graduate student Linda Zhong and professor of biology Anthony Sinskey are studying the plastic-devouring enzyme PETase as a way to improve recycling.