Environmental impacts recycling technologies

Many applications, especially in electrochemistry, rely on the use of expensive and rare metals, like Pt, Li, and rare-earth elements. In the synthesis of micro- and me-soporous materials, costly structure-directing agents are sometimes applied. The reduction of catalyst mass and the prevention of waste formation, for instance by recycling of synthesis additives, are therefore highly topical research issues. The practicability of future technologies based on catalysis will depend on the availability of efficient catalysts composed of abundant elements prepared by robust, preferentially aqueous-based synthesis methods and the reduction of environmental impacts arising from catalyst manufacture. 

W. H. Prokop, Technological and Environmental Impacts on the Rendering Industry, in D. A. Franco and W. Swanson, eds.. The Original Recyclers, The Animal Protein... 

As a result of die increasing amount of raw materials that is used to manufacture foamed products and their environmental impact in waste streams the awareness to reduce the use of these materials and to stimulate re-use and recycling is growing. However, these processes are limited by the complexity of the waste streams and high costs involved in re-use and recycling of foams. A possible solution could be found in materials from Biorelated Polymers Sustainable Polymer Science and Technology Edited by Chiellini et al., Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001 3... 

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