Dear Colleagues,
Carbon is one of the most heavily extracted materials on the planet, constituting the ingredient that serves as the basis for most of the materials of the modern world—the list ranging from fuels to medicines, solvents, plastics, rubbers, and many more. Without access to carbon and, consequently, these materials, the modern world might grind to a halt. This is especially pertinent in a peak-oil scenario. If we run out of oil and the main supply of carbon goes dry, then how will modern society continue to grow? How will it even maintain equilibrium? Yet, there is a growing body of scientific, technical, and innovative possibilities that use pre-existing materials, which are reprocessed to create the materials of our future. Materials that have been extracted, used, and then spent can be upcycled and circularized back into the economy for continued use. Additionally, materials can be created to have several lifecycles designed into their properties from the outset. In this way, the need to recycle is mitigated, and ultimately, the notion of waste is flipped on its head. Waste is a resource and a commodity, not a burden or a health hazard. Ultimately, the goal is to create materials that are designed to avoid landfill or spillage to our atmospheres at all costs. Once materials enter landfill, they historically end up in the food chain (e.g., microplastic formation from plastics), and once they end up in our atmosphere, they affect the natural environment (e.g., decreased breathing quality due to carbon particles in the air).
This Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing the various methods and materials that can be created that avoid the pathway to landfill. This is a call to action for scientists and engineers to take a cold hard look at the world in which we live. Do you really want your grandchildren to drink the microplastics that our generation created? Do you want them to live on a planet where the air is unbreathable? If such a future sounds grim to you and you have ideas and technologies to avoid it, then this Special Issue is for you. This problem is multifaceted, so the solution will require input from multiple sources and disciplines. We therefore welcome contributions from all disciplines that uncover and educate us on ways and means to keep carbon in the economy and prevent its escape into our living and breathing environment.
Dr. Alvin Orbaek White
Dr. Enrico Andreoli
Guest Editors
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