ETH Zurich Turns Food Waste Into CO2 Beads, Capturing 97 Milligrams Per Gram

3 articles · Updated · The Weather Channel · Jun 24

ETH Zurich researchers converted whey and tofu byproducts into porous protein beads that remove carbon dioxide directly from air in lab tests.
1 gram of the material captured 97 milligrams of CO2—about 10% to 50% more than conventional direct air capture materials—after proteins were formed into amyloid fibrils and loaded with potassium hydroxide.
Room-temperature regeneration is a key advantage: a mild acid and base spray released the trapped carbon in about 10 minutes, avoiding the heat-intensive step used in many existing systems.
30 capture-and-release cycles showed little performance loss, and the team said the material could eventually be repurposed as fertilizer or biofuel after thousands of cycles.
The technology is still limited to small, controlled lab settings, but the researchers argue it could scale into a cheaper carbon-removal option that also diverts food waste from landfills.

Sources

The Weather Channel22h ago

ETH Zurich Researchers Develop Food Waste Beads for Efficient CO2 Capture

Earth.com22h ago

ETH Zurich Develops Food Waste Protein Beads for Low-Energy CO2 Capture

The Cool Down22h ago

New beads made from dairy and tofu waste pull CO2 from thin air

Could the secret to affordable carbon capture be hiding in dairy and tofu waste?

A protein linked to disease can now pull CO2 from the air. Is this our climate game-changer?

Game-Changing Carbon Capture: Protein Beads from Whey and Tofu Waste Deliver High-Efficiency Direct Air Capture

Overview

ETH Zurich researchers have made a significant breakthrough in climate change technology by developing a novel direct air capture system that uses protein beads to remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. These protein beads are created from food industry waste, such as whey and tofu byproducts, making the approach both sustainable and innovative. The method not only offers an effective solution for capturing atmospheric CO₂ but also transforms waste materials into valuable resources for environmental remediation. This inherently sustainable technology marks a promising step forward in scalable and eco-friendly carbon removal.

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