News | Sustainability at Georgia Tech

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From groundbreaking research and innovative teaching to campus operations and community initiatives, these stories showcase our commitment to progress and stewardship.

New Composter to Enhance Campus Waste Reduction

Description

Pictured left to right: Members of the Office of Sustainability Abby Bower, Jennifer Chirico, and Steve Place welcome the new large-scale compost vessel to campus.

Mercury ID

678573

Nov 07, 2025

A grant from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division enabled the acquisition of the large-scale compost vessel.

Researchers Develop Biobased Film that Could Replace Traditional Plastic Packaging

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A biologically based film made from natural ingredients found in plants, mushrooms, and food waste

Mercury ID

678529

Nov 04, 2025

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a biologically based film made from natural ingredients found in plants, mushrooms, and food waste that can block moisture and oxygen as effectively as conventional plastics

Peatlands’ ‘Huge Reservoir’ of Carbon at Risk of Release

Yurt-like test chambers in a natural boreal spruce bog in northern Minnesota (provided).

Mercury ID

678444

Oct 23, 2025

Researchers analyzed data from 10, yurt-like test chambers in a natural boreal spruce bog in northern Minnesota.

New Method Uses Collisions to Break Down Plastic for Sustainable Recycling

Description

The high impact between the metal balls in a ball mill reactor and the polymer surface is sufficient to momentarily liquefy the polymer and facilitate chemical reactions.

Mercury ID

678329

Oct 10, 2025

Researchers have developed a method to break down PET, one of the world’s most widely used plastics, for sustainable recycling using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals.

Storms Are Changing — Should the Hurricane Scale Change Too?

Mercury ID

678307

Oct 09, 2025

Georgia Tech expert Zachary Handlos joins a growing conversation about whether the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale adequately reflects the full range of hurricane hazards in a changing climate.

Decades in the Making: Seeing the Full Impact From Air Pollution Reductions

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Iridescent clouds before sunset / Source: NOAA

Mercury ID

678151

Sep 26, 2025

Georgia Tech researchers analyze seasonal differences of SO₂ and sulfate concentrations in the atmosphere over decades to determine the long-term impact of sustained air quality control efforts.

What Happens When AI Comes to the Cotton Fields

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A researcher works in a cotton field in Jenkins County, Georgia, as part of a project on AI and pesticide use. Dorothy Seybold

Mercury ID

678243

Sep 23, 2025

A Georgia Tech team is piloting AI-powered sensors to help cotton farmers optimize pesticide use.

Why Do Big Oil Companies Invest in Green Energy?

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A flare burns natural gas at an oil well on Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/BidenMethaneEmissions/bd59009031284cb2be… Photo/Matthew Brown</a>

Mercury ID

678053

Sep 17, 2025

Despite the relatively modest scale of investment in clean energy by oil and gas companies so far, there are several business reasons oil companies would increase their investments in clean energy over time.

New Links in Air Pollution and Dementia

Mercury ID

678035

Sep 16, 2025

Scientists team up to better understand how certain types of air pollution increase the risk of developing dementia.

Meet the Microbes: What a Warming Wetland Reveals About Earth’s Carbon Future

An aerial photo of the SPRUCE experiment.

Description

An arial photo of the SPRUCE experiment.

Mercury ID

678030

Sep 16, 2025

A new study is unearthing how and why peatlands are producing carbon dioxide and methane.

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