New metrics and low‑carbon methods target plastic waste and cement emissions

Researchers from the University of Montpellier and the University of Southern Denmark have introduced a "Particle Plastic Footprint" (PPF) to measure the total release of micro‑ and nanoplastic particles over a product's life cycle. Their analysis shows that only about 1 % of global plastic is recycled in a closed loop, while the majority ends up in landfills or the environment, creating a massive, long‑term source of hazardous particles that traditional carbon‑footprint assessments overlook.

In a separate study published in ACS Energy Letters, a team of engineers demonstrated an electricity‑driven cement production process that cuts energy demand by roughly 70 % and lowers CO₂ emissions by about 98 % compared with conventional methods. The breakthrough offers a pathway to decarbonise a sector responsible for roughly 8 % of global CO₂ emissions, complementing the new PPF metric's broader view of environmental impact beyond greenhouse gases.