Industrial waste gases, long seen as a major contributor to climate change, could soon be captured and repurposed into everyday household products such as shampoo, detergent, and even fuel.
Industrial waste gases, long seen as a major contributor to climate change, could soon be captured and repurposed into everyday household products such as shampoo, detergent, and even fuel.
A new study led by Professor Jhuma Sadhukhan and co-authored by Professor Jin Xuan at the University of Surrey has successfully demonstrated the environmental benefits of turning CO₂ emissions into key chemical ingredients. Researchers for the first time assessed the entire life cycle of converting waste gases from steel and paper mills into chemical components (surfactants) for essential consumer goods.
The study, published in the Journal of CO2 Utilization, found the approach reduces global warming potential (GWP) by around 82% for paper mill emissions and nearly half for the steel mill industry compared to fossil-based surfactant production – highlighting a promising pathway to bring the UK closer to its Net-Zero targets.
Read more at University of Surrey
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