Solar-driven reforming of solid waste for a sustainable future

Taylor Uekert, Christian M. Pichler, Teresa Schubert and Erwin Reisner ()
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Taylor Uekert: University of Cambridge
Christian M. Pichler: University of Cambridge
Teresa Schubert: University of Cambridge
Erwin Reisner: University of Cambridge

Nature Sustainability, 2021, vol. 4, issue 5, 383-391

Abstract: Abstract Approximately 70% of global municipal solid waste is lost to landfills or the environment each year, an emblem of our increasingly unsustainable economic system in which materials and energy are produced, used and promptly discarded. Photoreforming is a sunlight-driven technology that can help disrupt this linear model by simultaneously reclaiming the value in waste and contributing to renewable hydrogen production. This Review examines the advantages and challenges of photoreforming of real waste streams. By reviewing literature on photoreforming and conducting basic techno-economic and life cycle assessments, we identify key pathways for enhancing the impact of photoreforming for a carbon-neutral future.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-00650-x

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