Green polymers-based membranes for water reuse in a circular economy context

Abstract

In the last one hundred years, our comfort and life expectancy have increased exponentially compared to what humanity has experienced throughout its existence, primarily due to technological progress and much easier access for everyone to products and technologies that make our daily lives easier. But all this came with an equally significant increase in material consumption and the generation of huge amounts of residues. One of the resources that has been majorly affected in the last century is water. Although it is the most abundant substance on the planet, its quality has continuously decreased due to lifestyle. This short article deals with the possibility of filtering water in the near future using membranes based on natural polymers, assuring a more sustainable recirculation and reuse of water in the context of the circular economy. The challenges that this new paradigm raises, as well as the technological limitations, will also be discussed and presented.