A novel high-performance membrane of nanoporous graphene could facilitate the capture of carbon dioxide from industrial waste streams. The 2D graphene structure, just 20nm thick, allows gas to transit easily through the membrane (Energy & Environmental Science, doi: 10.1039/c9ee01238a).

At a time when the focus on plastics is centred on sustainability and recyclability, the main attention is on post-consumer waste – post-industrial waste is mainly ignored. One polymer that does figure in post-industrial waste, however, stands out due to what many in the industry say is its undeserved poor reputation: polyvinylchloride (PVC). While the polymer has often been criticised, they claim it can fairly be described as one of the more sustainable and recyclable of all the thermoplastic resins.