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Houston researchers propose model to scale e-waste recycling

critical research

Jian Shi, Chuyue Wang and Kailai Wang have developed a model that aims to make recycling e-waste economically viable and help recover critical minerals needed for EVs. Photo courtesy UH.

The “missing link” in critical minerals may have been in our junk drawers all along, according to new research from the University of Houston.

Jian Shi, an associate professor in the UH Cullen College of Engineering, and his team have unveiled a new supply chain model that aims to make e-waste economically viable and could help make large-scale recycling possible.

Shi, along with professor Kailai Wang and graduate researcher Chuyue Wang, published the work in a recent issue of Nature. Their study outlines how gold, lithium and cobalt from discarded electronics can be kept circulating in the U.S. through the process of “urban mining.” It was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) through the Vehicle Technologies Office.

The team’s research found that e-waste is the fastest-growing solid waste stream in the world. When waste from smartphones or tablets is left unmanaged, the devices can leak hazardous waste and pose significant fire risks due to aging batteries. Additionally, when they are shipped off to foreign landfills, the U.S. loses the potential to recycle or reuse the critical minerals left inside.

“A lot of people have iPads or old iPhones sitting in their drawers right now, and that’s a waste of a critical resource,” Shi said in a news release. “Urban mining allows us to extract the same high-value materials found in traditional mines without the environmental destruction. More importantly, it helps secure our domestic supply chain for the technologies of tomorrow.”

According to UH, recycling e-waste has not succeeded in the U.S. due to a fragmented recycling system, in which manufacturers, collectors and recyclers operate separately, driving up costs.

The UH team's research looks to change that.

In the study, the researchers modeled streamlined recycling efforts by mapping the interactions between manufacturers and independent recycling markets. Their dual-channel closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) model identified how these players can transition from competitors to partners, which can distribute profits more equitably and make recycling efforts more financially attractive.

According to UH, the research has particular significance due to the growing demand for electronic vehicles and their batteries.

“We can improve the performance of the entire recycling ecosystem and make the profit distribution more balanced,” Wang said in the release. “This ensures that the materials we need for EVs and advanced electronics stay right here in the U.S.”

“By making recycling work at scale, we aren’t just cleaning up waste,” Shi added. “We’re building a foundation that benefits both our national security and our economy.”

From Your Site Articles
The Carbon to Value Initiative kicks off this week at Greentown Houston. Photo via GreentownLabs.com

9 carbontech startups named to Greentown Labs accelerator program

new cohort

A carbon innovation initiative in collaboration with Greentown Houston has named its new cohort.

The Carbon to Value Initiative (C2V Initiative) — a collaboration between NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Urban Future Lab (UFL), Greentown Labs, and Fraunhofer USA — has named nine startup participants for the fourth year of its carbontech accelerator program.

"Once again, the C2V Initiative has been able to select some of the most promising carbontech startups through a very competitive process with a 7 percent acceptance rate," Frederic Clerc, director of the C2V Initiative and interim managing director of UFL, says in a news release. "The diversity of this cohort, in its technologies, products, geographies, and stages, makes it an amazing snapshot of the rapidly evolving carbontech innovation landscape."

The cohort was selected from over a hundred applications from nearly 30 countries. In the six-month program, the nine companies gain access to the C2V Initiative's Carbontech Leadership Council, an invitation-only group of corporate, nonprofit, and government leaders who provide commercialization opportunities and identify avenues for technology validation, testing, and demonstration.

The year four cohort, according to the release, includes:

  • Ardent, from New Castle, Delaware, is a process technology company that is developing membrane-based solutions for point-source carbon capture and other chemical separations.
  • CarbonBlue, from Haifa, Israel, develops a chemical process that mineralizes and extracts CO2 from water, which then reabsorbs more atmospheric CO2.
  • MacroCycle, from Somerville, Massachusetts, develops a chemical recycling process to turn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyester-fiber waste into "virgin-grade" plastics.
  • Maple Materials, from Richmond, California, develops an electrolysis process to convert CO2 into graphite and oxygen.
  • Oxylus Energy, from New Haven, Connecticut, develops a direct electrochemical process to convert CO2 into fuels and chemical feedstocks, such as methanol.
  • Phlair, from Munich, Germany, develops a renewable-energy-powered Direct Air Capture (DAC) system using an electrochemical process for acid and base generation.
  • Secant Fuel, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, develops a one-step electrocatalytic process that converts flue gas into syngas.
  • RenewCO2, from Somerset, New Jersey, is developing an electrochemical process to convert CO2 into fuels and chemicals, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or propylene glycol.
  • Seabound, from London, England, builds carbon-capture equipment for new and existing ships.

"The depth and breadth of carbontech innovations represented in this applicant pool speaks volumes to this growing and dynamic industry around the world," adds Kevin Dutt, Interim CEO of Greentown Labs. "We're eager to support these nine impressive companies as they progress through this program and look forward to seeing how they engage with the CLC now and into the future."

The C2V Initiative will host a public Year 4 kickoff event on Sept. 19 at Greentown Houston and via livestream.

In partnership with Venture Metals +, Baker Hughes has saved over 125 million pounds of scrap metals from more than 50 of the company's locations around the world. Photo via bakerhughes.com

Houston energy company diverts over 125M pounds of scrap metals from landfills

reduce, reuse, recycle

For three years, Baker Hughes has been working with a full-scale scrap processor partner to divert scrap metal waste from landfills as a part of the company's net-zero commitment by 2050.

In partnership with Venture Metals +, Baker Hughes has saved over 125 million pounds of scrap metals from more than 50 of the company's locations around the world.

Venture Metals + collects, recycles, and manages the full recycling process of scrap materials, providing recycling, reclamation, and investment recovery as a service to industrial, manufacturing, and service facilities.

“The relationship that has been formed between Baker Hughes and Venture Metals is the definition of a true partnership. Over the many years we have collaborated on significant projects and there has been a foundation of trust, transparency and investment on both sides,” Venture Metals’ Vice-Chairman of the Board Mark Chazanow says in a news release. “Together, we have been able to do our part to improve the environment by circular and sustainable recycling while also capturing substantial revenue gain. We look forward to growing the partnership and seeing a bright future ahead together.”

According to the release, Baker Hughes plans to grow the partnership to introduce similar programs at five key locations around the world. Venture Metals+ also set up Baker Hughes with customized containers to help separate titanium, stainless steel, Inconel, and other recyclable metals.

“Reducing our environmental footprint is a critical focus area for our sustainability strategy as we continue to reduce waste, minimize the resources we use and promote circularity,” Allyson Anderson Book, chief sustainability officer at Baker Hughes, adds. “Through partners like Venture Metals +, we are minimizing waste and reusing scrap materials as much as possible for more sustainable operations.”

The number one thing that consumers can remember when it comes to recycling is that thin, pliable plastic should be excluded from standard blue recycling bins. Photos by welcomia/Canva.

Yet another reason to loathe plastic bags

Guest column

As waste-to-energy gains a foothold in the energy transition, trash's more palatable cousin, recycling, sits just close enough for deeper inspection. Plastic, by and large, one of the most loved and loathed petroleum by-products, is often singled out as the most nefarious contributor to our declining climate.

With significant efforts underway to reduce the volume of single-use plastic while reusing or repurposing stronger plastics, let us turn attention to the third action in the timeless mantra–recycling.

Over the last few decades, we have embraced recycling globally, assured in our noble commitment to derive further utility out of items that no longer serve an immediate purpose from our unique perspective.

However, the act of recycling still closely resembles taking out the trash. We place items deemed worthy of secondary use into large, usually plastic, bins for carting far away from the rest of the things that still provide utility to our personal household or place of business.

For the most part, simply believing that there could or should be further utility of an item is criterion enough to warrant placement in the exalted blue bin. The small hit of dopamine elicited from the satisfaction that we are “doing our part” is just strong enough to reinforce the idea that we have also “done enough.”

But according to Vu Nguyen, director of corporate development and innovation, Waste Management, one of Houston’s leading trash, recycling, and environmental services companies, there remains one elusive challenge: the plastic bag.

The plastic bag proves problematic for a multitude of reasons, not least because of its role in ruining literally every.other.recyling.effort.ever. On the whole, we have been blissfully ignorant of the recycling process, and even more so of how much our good intentions to reuse and recycle are thwarting the same process for so many other reusable materials.

“The number one thing that consumers can remember when it comes to recycling is that thin, pliable plastic [like] bags and wrappers should be firmly excluded from standard blue recycling bins,” Nguyen shared at a Houston Tech Rodeo event earlier this spring.

After collection, simple but effective mechanisms sort items delivered to a recycling facility. Individuals pick through discarded materials placed on conveyor belts before the remaining items work their way through heavy magnets that extract useful metals while bursts of air pressure push lightweight items like paper away from heavier items like glass.

Plastic bags, including the lovely little blue ones so many of us like to purchase to fill our quaint non-standard recycling bins, tangle up in these conveyor belts, causing shutdowns to unravel them from materials otherwise well-suited for these sorting efforts. Downtime on the sorting line can get expensive, so much so that many recycling facilities often turn away entire trucks filled with potentially reusable items if even a single plastic bag is discovered inside.

Consider this the start of a public service announcement campaign to raise awareness of that simple fact.

Yasser Brenes, area president – south for Republic Services, echoes this sentiment as he shares a few tips and reminders with EnergyCapitalHTX.

  • Know What to Throw: Educate yourself on what can and cannot go inside your recycling bin. Focus on only recycling rigid plastic containers such as bottles, jugs and tubs, metal food and beverage containers, glass bottles and jars, paper and cardboard. Don’t be a wish-cycler, never throw items in your recycling bin if you are unsure if they can be recycled or not.
  • Empty, Clean, Dry: Recyclables should be rinsed free of residual food and liquid. If recyclables are not empty, clean and dry the residual food or liquid could contaminate other more fragile recyclables, like paper and cardboard, and require them to be thrown away.
  • Don’t Bag It: Recyclables should always be placed loose inside your recycling bin. Flexible plastics, such as grocery bags, wrap and tangle around the sorting equipment and should never be placed in your recycling bin.

That’s not to say that plastic bags and wrappers cannot be recycled at all; on the contrary, they absolutely can. The mechanisms for sorting them from other materials like paper, aluminum, glass, and heavy plastics just aren’t quite mature enough… yet.

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Lindsey Ferrell is a contributing writer to EnergyCapitalHTX and founder of Guerrella & Co.

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Energy expert: Houston welcomed the world — can Texas power what's next?

guest column

For a few weeks this summer, Houston welcomed the world.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 showcased our city's ability to host one of the largest international events on the planet. Millions watched from around the globe while hundreds of thousands of visitors experienced firsthand what Houston has become: a world-class destination for business, culture and global events.

But once the final match is played and the visitors return home, a more important question remains: Can Texas build the energy infrastructure needed to power what comes next?

The World Cup wasn't the finish line. It was a glimpse into the future.

That future is being shaped not only by population growth, but also by artificial intelligence, hyperscale data centers, advanced manufacturing, electrification, LNG expansion and continued industrial investment. Together, these forces are creating an unprecedented demand for electricity and placing new expectations on the infrastructure that supports it.

Energy Has Become Economic Infrastructure

For decades, economic development centered around highways, ports, airports and workforce.

Today, another asset has moved to the top of that list: energy infrastructure.

Reliable electricity is no longer simply a utility service. It has become a competitive advantage.

Companies evaluating where to build the next AI campus, manufacturing facility or industrial complex are increasingly asking different questions. How quickly can power be delivered? Is there enough transmission capacity? Can substations support future expansion? Is water infrastructure available? What is the long-term reliability of the local grid?

These questions are becoming just as important as tax incentives and available real estate.

Recent comments from Governor Greg Abbott that future AI developments should provide their own power generation and water illustrate just how dramatically the conversation has evolved. The challenge is no longer limited to meeting today's demand. It is preparing for a future where entirely new industries require unprecedented amounts of electricity while ensuring existing homes and businesses continue to receive reliable, affordable service.

The Next Energy Race Has Already Begun

Texas remains the nation's energy leader, producing more electricity than any other state while continuing to expand natural gas, wind, solar and emerging technologies.

But leadership in the next decade will be measured differently.

Success will depend on how quickly we can expand transmission infrastructure, modernize distribution systems, accelerate interconnection, strengthen grid resilience and support new generation where economic growth is occurring.

The conversation has shifted from producing more electricity to delivering it smarter.

That requires planning years before demand arrives.

Houston Is the Proving Ground

Houston sits at the center of this transformation.

Already recognized as the Energy Capital of the World, the region continues attracting major employers, global headquarters, industrial expansion and technology investment. The Port of Houston continues to grow. Advanced manufacturing is expanding. AI companies are evaluating Texas alongside other national markets.

Every one of these investments depends on reliable infrastructure.

While the World Cup demonstrated Houston's ability to manage a temporary surge of visitors, the more significant challenge lies ahead. Permanent economic growth creates sustained electricity demand that cannot be addressed with temporary solutions.

Meeting that demand will require coordinated investment across generation, transmission, distribution, storage and increasingly, digital technologies capable of forecasting and managing electricity in real time.

Smarter Infrastructure for a Smarter Grid

The future electric grid will look very different from the one that built modern Texas.

Artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, advanced sensors and distributed energy resources will allow operators to anticipate demand, identify equipment failures before they occur and optimize energy delivery across increasingly complex networks.

Infrastructure is no longer simply about building more. It is about building smarter.

At the same time, resilience must remain central to every investment. Texans understand better than most that hurricanes, flooding, winter storms and prolonged heat waves are no longer rare events. Modern infrastructure must not only support growth but also withstand increasingly volatile weather.

Building Beyond the Headlines

The World Cup generated headlines because of what happened on the field.

Its lasting legacy may be what it revealed about the city beyond the stadium.

Houston demonstrated that it can host the world. The next challenge is ensuring it can continue to power one of the fastest-growing economies in North America.

That will require continued investment, thoughtful policy and long-term planning that recognizes energy infrastructure as essential economic infrastructure.

Texas has spent decades leading the world in energy production.

The next opportunity is even greater.

To become the global leader in how energy systems are planned, built and operated for a future defined by artificial intelligence, industrial growth and rapidly evolving consumer demand.

Because the cities that lead tomorrow won't simply generate the most energy.

They'll be the ones best prepared to deliver it where opportunity is growing.

———

Sam Luna is director at BKV Energy, where he oversees brand and go-to-market strategy, customer experience, marketing execution, and more.

Houston company lands first deal from new Blackstone energy transition fund

M&A activity

Asset manager Blackstone has agreed to buy Houston-based Dresser Utility Solutions from Connecticut private equity firm First Reserve for an undisclosed amount. First Reserve has a major presence in Houston.

The deal represents the first investment from Blackstone Energy Transition Partners V.

“Blackstone’s deep resources and experience in the utility sector make them an ideal partner as we continue to invest in innovation, expand our product portfolio, and deliver value for our customers,” Dresser CEO David Evans said in a news release.

Founded in 1880, Dresser provides metering technology, digital instrumentation and software, pressure and flow controls, and infrastructure repair products for gas and water utilities and industrial customers. The company employs about 850 people worldwide.

“As demands on the energy grid continue to grow, Dresser plays a critical role as a trusted partner to utilities managing essential infrastructure. The company’s products are foundational to the safe and reliable operation of gas and water networks, and its reputation for quality has helped build longstanding customer relationships,” David Foley, global head of Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, and JP Munfa, senior managing director, said in the release.

Blackstone Energy Transition Partners has invested more than $28 billion across the energy transition sector. New York-based Blackstone closed Blackstone Energy Transition Partners Fund IV at $5.6 billion in February 2025. Blackstone Energy Transition Partners Fund III closed in 2020 for $4.4 million, according to Pitchbook.

Other notable energy transition investments from Blackstone funds include Salt Lake City-based Energy Exemplar, French electronics manufacturing company Sediver, Plano-based Westwood Professional Services and others.

Two years ago, Dresser secured a $335 million credit facility from funds managed by asset manager Blue Owl Capital. At the time, Dresser said the money would go toward capital expenses, acquisitions and corporate needs.

This is the second notable investment Blackstone has made in a Houston-based energy company in recent months. In May, Blackstone and energy heavyweight Halliburton made a $1 billion equity investment in Houston power generation startup VoltaGrid, which provides behind-the-meter mobile power generation equipment for data centers, microgrids and industrial customers.

5 Houston energy transition news headlines to know for July 2026

Hot Topics

Editor's note: Early July has brought exciting developments in the energy transition sector. Here are the five most-read news stories published on EnergyCapitalHTX from July 1-15, 2026, from KBR's Singapore agreement to Yara's Texas City investment.

1. Houston startup secures $5M to turn oilfield wastewater into critical minerals

Altililion

Houston-based startup Altillion has secured $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary IRIS and ALIX technologies, which convert oilfield-produced water into valuable minerals. Altillion says the funding will go toward pilot facilities and commercial deployments as the company looks to scale in the U.S. Continue reading.

2. Houston's KBR to provide tech for Singapore SAF plant

Houston engineering and technology contractor KBR has been picked as the technology provider for what’s expected to be Asia's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant. KBR will provide technology licensing and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) services based on its PureSAF technology. Continue reading.

3. Texas City ammonia plant acquired by Yara in $1.3 billion deal

Yara North America, a subsidiary of Norwegian fertilizer and ammonia producer Yara International, has agreed to buy an ammonia production plant in Texas City for $1.3 billion. The seller is GCA Holdings, an affiliate of Texas City-based chemical manufacturer Gulf Coast Ammonia, which is owned by private equity firms Lotus Infrastructure Partners and MB Energy. Continue reading.

4. 13 Houston energy sector companies make U.S. News' best places to work

A new U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best employers has named two dozen Houston-based companies among the best companies to work in the South, and more than half are part of the region's booming energy sector. Continue reading.

5. Houston energy startup launches to power AI data centers with Microsoft agreement

Buoyed by a purchase agreement from Microsoft, Houston-based Joulent recently launched to build power plants that meet the electricity demands of AI data centers and other computing-heavy industries. Continue reading.

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