Researchers are converting our sludge, scraps and smog into higher-value products

Less than 10% of the approximately 7 billion tons of plastic waste ever generated has been recycled.

Argonne scientists are developing methods to recover and reuse precious metals and other valuable materials from batteries and devices at their end of life.

A circular economy closes production loops in industry, turning waste into feedstock for the creation of new products.

Great Lakes ReNEW is a Regional Innovation Engine awarded by the U.S. National Science Foundation .

The team is developing a network of interconnected sensors across the Great Lakes region to monitor levels of different materials present in wastewater in real time.

Many of the existing processes to recover recyclable materials from electronic devices are inefficient, energy intensive or expensive.

Argonne chemist Di-Jia Liu is working to connect the sources of our otherwise emitted carbon to industries that can use it as a raw material for some of the most-produced fuels and chemicals in the U.S. The team is creating more efficient catalysts and developing a CO2 conversion device.

The device works at low temperatures and pressures compared with existing technologies.