Chemistry is helping us to live more sustainably with increasing pressures on food, water and other scarce natural resources.
Recent News
Electrode dip to freshen up saltwater
10 June 2012
Producing freshwater from brackish water could be cheaper and easier than previously thought, according to researchers who have developed a new technique for desalination
Feeding a growing world
06 June 2012
Pesticides play a vital role in food production. So do they really deserve their tarnished public image?
Coca-Cola collaborates on bio-PET project
11 June 2012
Global drinks giant Coca-Cola is talking about its bottles again and specifically how it might make them out of bio-based polymers
A shade of green
Major retailers are starting to consider the environmental impact of the fabric dyeing and finishing processes used by their manufacturers. Fiona Case reports
Resource Efficiency Policy Activities
Water
The RSC and its network aim to raise awareness and support research into water through various policy activities, public activities and other events.
Resources that Don't Cost the Earth
16 October 2012
A joint report on innovative and sustainable responses to resource scarcity, launched by the RSC and the UK Science and Innovation Network in October 2012
Agricultural Productivity
The RSC's programme of work in agriculture looks at how chemistry, in partnership with other sciences can contribute to food security.
A Sustainable Global Society
How Can Materials Chemistry Help? A white paper from the Chemical Sciences and Society Summit (CS3) 2010
Sustainable Products
The RSC's programme of work in sustainable products investigates closing the loop, from sustainable supply of critical raw elements to recycling component parts.
A list of RSC policy documents and reports relevant to the Resource Efficiency roadmap area
Conferences & Events
2nd AGRI-net International Conference on Plant Chemical Biology:
Syngenta’s International Research Centre,
Bracknell, Berkshire,
United Kingdom
17 May 2013
RSC BMCS & AgriNet Agriscience Symposium: Biological and Chemical Approaches Towards Combating Resistance in Agriculture
Imperial College,
London,
United Kingdom
26 September 2013 09:00 17:00
16th International Conference on the Properties of Water and Steam
University of Greenwich,
London,
United Kingdom
01 September 2013 - 05 September 2013
Divisions in Focus
Promotes the study and dissemination of all aspects of inorganic chemistry concerned with the chemistry of the elements and their compounds.
The Materials Chemistry Division (MCD) was born in 1993 at the first International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC1) in Aberdeen.
Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division
ESED is open to all members of the RSC as a society wide grouping to represent environmental and related activities.
Meetings and workshops
RSC-ACS Sustainable Polymers Conference
Safety Harbor Resort and Spa,
United States of America
20 May 2013 12:30 - 23 May 2013 12:30
ICMGP - International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant
Edinburgh International Conference Centre,
Edinburgh,
United Kingdom
28 July 2013 09:00 - 03 August 2013 17:00
WFD Lille 2013
Polytech'Lille,
Lille,
France
04 November 2013 - 06 November 2013
Networking
Conservation of scarce natural resources
Join the group on MyRSC and participate in the discussion [External Site]
Materials Knowledge Transfer Network
Materials KTN helps with innovative ideas by connecting people with research providers, information sources and providers of research funding [External Site]
Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network
A Knowledge Transfer network at the forefront of the chemistry-using industries [External Site]
Public Activities
Periodic Table of Elements
Discover a wealth of periodic table resources from the RSC, periodic table videos, news, games and podcasts
The Global Experiment
An engaging way for students to participate in International Year of Chemistry [External Site]
Prizes and Awards
Sustainable Water Award
For the contributions of chemical science to sustainable water
Green Chemistry Award
For the design, development or implementation of novel chemical products or processes with the potential to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances
Gibson-Fawcett Award
To recognise original and independent contributions to Materials Chemistry
Books
Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture
Copyright: 2012R M Harrison
This comprehensive volume examines the environmental impact made by agriculture in the 21st Century, looking forward to the future with the lessons of the past.
Sustainable Water
Copyright: 2010R E Hester
In this book, a group of experts contribute articles covering a wide range of topics relevant to sustainable water.
Resource Efficiency Funding
National Environment Research Council
National Environment Research Council is inviting bids for Catalyst Grants to its programme Resource Efficiency from Waste
Journals
Green Chemistry
The home of cutting-edge research on the development of alternative sustainable technologies
