Science and sustainability

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has been with us for over a year. More than 500,000 people have lost their lives in the US, and our economy has been severely disrupted, with businesses closing and millions out of work. Government intervention and public health policies have indeed helped mitigate the devastating effects of the pandemic. But to truly bring the pandemic under control, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach led by science and technology, particularly through the development and availability of safe and effective vaccines, diagnostic tests, and therapeutics.

While combating the pandemic is a top priority, we need to continue focusing on other equally important but longer-range concerns. These include population growth, depletion of natural resources, and environmental pollution. Existential threats from worldwide floods, drought, and food shortages brought about by climate change are clearly at our doorstep. These and other critical issues are included in the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.

The American Chemical Society has made great strides advocating for sustainability in the chemistry community, fostering innovation and collaboration, and promoting sustainable chemical manufacturing. Many activities relating to research, education, policy, industrial collaboration, and innovation are ongoing by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute, the Committee on Environmental Improvement, and various technical divisions and local sections.

As scientists and engineers, we can advocate for and contribute to sustainability by keeping up with and participating in its research and development. Because sustainability covers many areas, such as food, clean water, health, renewable energy, manufacturing, and climate action, the R&D programs present many opportunities.

An example of sustainability R&D is to convert commodity agricultural materials into value-added products, such as bioplastics, specialty chemicals, and industrial and consumer goods. These biobased materials are sustainable, biodegradable, and nonhazardous. Another opportunity is in food waste. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, about 30–40% of the US food supply goes uneaten; however, ongoing research is being done to convert at least a fraction of this waste into value-added products. For example, the Waste Is Delicious initiative in the Netherlands is converting food waste into soaps, soups, and ciders, among other consumer products.

Advances in packaging technology have greatly extended the shelf life of foods. New technologies include antimicrobial agents in packaging films, improved antioxidants, and smart sensors to check for spoilage.

Many pharmaceutical companies have improved their manufacturing processes for making some products greener and more sustainable. With the pandemic, there is a need to make manufacturing more efficient, cost effective, and sustainable. The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency, has recognized many of these companies for technologies that minimize waste, conserve water and energy, and use safer reagents.

For clean water, membrane technologies and various adsorbent materials have been used to remove toxic substances from water. For example, the use of a purifier packet containing a flocculant clarifying agent and disinfectant can remove bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and heavy metals to transform contaminated water into clean, safe drinking water in remote areas without access to a municipal water supply.

Much R&D is devoted to the ongoing challenges of plastics disposal, particularly microplastics in our oceans. Efforts are also being made to recycle plastics or to design plastics that can easily degrade into harmless substances or be chemically recycled. Additive manufacturing is another approach that can reduce material waste, production steps, and inventory.

Renewable sources of energy are needed to help mitigate the environmental impact of climate change. The production of biofuels from switchgrass, corn stover, or other land plants or algae has the added benefit of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

At the upcoming ACS spring meeting in April, there will be several presidential symposia relating to sustainability. Many of the topics mentioned above will be covered in these symposia. I encourage you to attend and participate in these (virtual) symposia.

▸ Sustainability: Advances and Applications (Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)

▸ Ideas from Mind to Market: International Collaborations (Division of Small Chemical Businesses)

▸ Chemistry and the Future of Plastics (Committee on Science)

▸ Plastics and the Oceans: Chemistry for the Journey Ahead (Committee on Environmental Improvement)

▸ Advances in Renewable Energy and Fuels (Division of Energy and Fuels)

▸ COVID: Lessons Learned (Division of Professional Relations)

We miss the in-person contacts at virtual meetings, but we save time by not having to rush from one place to another and can listen to more presentations. By removing the need to travel, virtual meetings also contribute to sustainability by reducing air pollution and carbon emissions. Please make the most of this meeting and find new ways to network and collaborate with colleagues. I hope to see many of you at this meeting. I welcome your ideas at h.cheng@acs.org .

Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.