{"id":176156,"date":"2026-04-27T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T05:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=176156"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T11:50:10","slug":"turning-co2-from-urban-waste-into-useful-consumer-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/turning-co2-from-urban-waste-into-useful-consumer-products\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning CO2 from urban waste into useful consumer products"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\"Formic
Formic acid, first discovered in ants, could soon be produced from captured CO2<\/sub>, opening the door to more sustainable consumer products.
\u00a9 frank60, Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Europe\u2019s cities emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Two essential urban services \u2013 waste incineration and wastewater treatment \u2013 are among\u00a0the biggest contributors to municipal CO2<\/sub> emissions in the EU.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These systems are vital for public health and urban life, yet they produce emissions that are difficult to eliminate entirely. But what if that CO2<\/sub> did not have to go to waste?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an international group of researchers, urban carbon pollution presents an opportunity. Working together in the EU-funded WaterProof<\/a> initiative, they are\u00a0developing a way to capture CO2<\/sub> from these processes and convert it into\u00a0formic acid: a simple, highly versatile chemical used across many industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This could allow emissions from waste incinerators and wastewater to be turned into the cleaning products under our sink, or even the leather on our shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning a problem into a resource<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Efforts to tackle climate change focus largely on renewable energy, electrification and improved efficiency. But some sources remain stubbornly hard to eliminate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSome emissions are difficult to stop,\u201d said Annelie Jongerius<\/strong>, an electrochemist and programme manager at Dutch chemical company Avantium, which coordinates the research.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

One option is to capture the CO2<\/sub> and store it underground. But the WaterProof team is exploring a more circular alternative: keeping carbon in use rather than locking it away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt would be nicer if we could use it,\u201d Jongerius<\/strong> said. \u201cAt the same time, we need alternatives to fossil feedstocks for producing chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you take CO2<\/sub> from wastewater, turn it into a product, and then use that product to clean your toilet so it flows back into the wastewater system, you create a complete loop.” – Annelie Jongerius, WaterProof.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That challenge is particularly visible at facilities like those operated by Dutch waste management company HVC, which runs two major waste incinerators in the Netherlands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe have to take in whatever waste society produces,\u201d said Jan Peter Born, HVC\u2019s waste-to-energy innovation manager.<\/strong> \u201cWe have no means of regulating CO2<\/sub> emissions, apart from encouraging people to buy less and recycle more.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

HVC already captures some CO2<\/sub> and sells it to greenhouse farmers, who use it to\u00a0increase the yields of crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers. But this is only a partial solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMost of the CO2<\/sub> administered to the plants is released again through the greenhouse roof,\u201d Born<\/strong> explained. \u201cFrom our legal perspective, it\u2019s a delayed emission. It is the farmer who achieves the emission reduction as he avoids gas-firing to produce CO2<\/sub>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The WaterProof researchers aim to go a step further by turning captured carbon into useful products that keep it out of the atmosphere for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From CO2 to cleaning products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of the WaterProof innovation is an\u00a0electrochemical process\u00a0that converts captured CO2<\/sub> into formic acid using renewable electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s one of the simplest conversions you can make,\u201d said Jongerius<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

An electrical current drives the reaction in a specialised cell, reducing CO2<\/sub> into formic acid. Because the system runs on renewable electricity and uses waste-derived carbon, it reduces reliance on fossil-based raw materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process may also offer additional benefits. In an electrochemical cell, two reactions take place at the same time, one at each electrode. While the WaterProof team focuses on converting CO2<\/sub> into formic acid, they have also explored pairing this with a second reaction that produces hydrogen peroxide and related compounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These substances can help break down stubborn pollutants in wastewater, including residues from pharmaceuticals and pesticides. However, this part of the process is still at an early stage and is not being implemented in the current demonstration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team is testing their CO2<\/sub>-derived formic acid in eco-friendly cleaning products such as toilet and surface cleaners.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt performs exactly the same as conventionally produced formic acid,\u201d Jongerius<\/strong> said. \u201cIt\u2019s the same molecule.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Beyond cleaning, the project is exploring the use of CO2<\/sub>-derived formic acid in leather tanning. While the acid can be used for all types of leather, the team is currently working with Icelandic company Nordic Fish Leather to bring eco-friendly fish leather \u2013 a more sustainable alternative to traditional cattle-based leather \u2013 to market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scaling up for real-world impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the chemistry is promising, scaling up is the next challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on earlier EU\u2011funded research, the team is now working on a large-scale pilot unit in which multiple electrochemical cells are stacked together, increasing the volume of CO2<\/sub> that can be processed.\u00a0If successful, it will pave the way for commercial\u2011scale plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The modular design allows the system to be adapted to different sites, from wastewater plants to incinerators. The aim is to demonstrate the WaterProof process in the summer of 2026, showing that a fossil fuel-free production chain can operate under real-world conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such systems could eventually be integrated into urban infrastructure, turning cities into hubs for circular chemical production rather than sources of emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recovering valuable materials from waste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The potential of the work being carried out goes beyond carbon reuse. The researchers are also exploring how formic acid can be used to recover valuable materials from waste streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By combining it with other compounds, they are developing deep eutectic solvents \u2013 low-toxicity liquids capable of dissolving and binding to metals in waste so that the metals can be extracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe have no means of regulating CO2<\/sub> emissions, apart from encouraging people to buy less and recycle more. – Jan\u2011Peter Born, WaterProof.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Many valuable materials end up in incinerator ash and wastewater sludge, including copper, lithium, cobalt, and even small amounts of gold \u2013 all critical for modern technologies and the green transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HVC already uses mechanical processes to recover metals, separating heavier particles from ash in a process similar to gold panning. But this produces mixed metal streams that are less valuable. The new solvents could allow more precise separation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThese eutectic solvents can be tailored to target specific metals,\u201d Born<\/strong> said. \u201cThat means you could recover individual materials rather than mixtures, which increases their value.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, economic realities remain a barrier. Gold is the only recovered metal that commands a decent price, Born explained. For many others, including rare earths, the market price is still too low to justify the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This raises broader questions about policy and priorities, particularly as demand for critical materials continues to grow: how much societies are willing to subsidise recovery from waste, and whether strategic value should win out over purely market\u2011driven decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing the loop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This kind of \u201cwaste-to-resource\u201d thinking is gaining traction across Europe. New EU rules planned for 2026 aim to make recycled materials more widely available \u2013 and more widely used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If successful, they could help turn circular ideas like those behind WaterProof into everyday reality, supporting Europe\u2019s ambition to lead the world in circular production by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By linking carbon capture, chemical production, water treatment and material recovery, the researchers are bringing together multiple elements of that vision in a single system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jongerius<\/strong>, the concept is both practical and symbolic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIf you take CO2<\/sub> from wastewater, turn it into a product, and then use that product to clean your toilet so it flows back into the wastewater system, you create a complete loop,\u201d she<\/strong> said. \u201cIt is the ultimate example of the circular economy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Europe\u2019s cities emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Two essential urban services \u2013 waste incineration and wastewater treatment \u2013 are among\u00a0the biggest contributors to municipal CO2 emissions in the EU. These systems are vital for public health and urban life, yet they produce emissions that are difficult to eliminate entirely. But what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":176177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"EU-funded researchers are turning carbon emissions from urban waste into everyday household products \u2013 from cleaning liquids to leather","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571,17143],"tags":[6843,10744,12330,10416,16621,17663,21182,10408,25002,10743,26825],"supplier":[742,2317,5585,24610,20384],"class_list":["post-176156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","category-recycling","tag-biochemicals","tag-carboncapture","tag-ccu","tag-circulareconomy","tag-cleaningproducts","tag-fakeleather","tag-formicacid","tag-greenchemistry","tag-urbanwaste","tag-useco2","tag-wastewatermanagement","supplier-avantium-technologies-bv","supplier-european-commission","supplier-european-union","supplier-horizon-europe","supplier-nordic-fishleather-ehf-iceland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176156"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176197,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176156\/revisions\/176197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176156"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=176156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}