Sustainable Materials

We study a wide range of sustainable materials including renewable polymers and recycling, materials for renewable energy and energy efficiency, safer materials and chemicals alternatives, and green chemistry and engineering. We work with industry, government, and academic partners to find socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable solutions to materials and manufacturing challenges in all sectors. We also deliver innovative, hands-on education programs with sustainability as the central guiding principle.

Life Cycle Assessment

We develop decision-making models to measure and minimize environmental, social, and economic impacts (footprint assessment) of products, buildings, energy, supply chains, and services using life cycle assessment (LCA). Also, we use LCA to measure and maximize positive environmental, social, and economic impacts of voluntary actions (handprint assessment) by organizations and/or individuals, including education and research. Finally, we advance the LCA method to measure resilience, which will allow for creating sustainable and resilient systems.

Current Research

More Life Cycle & Materials Research

Meet Our Faculty

  • Jasmina Burek
    Jasmina Burek
    Assistant Professor, CWW Associate
    Mechanical Engineering, Center for Women and Work (CWW), Climate Change Initiative (CCI)

    Applying engineering and decision-making models to find solutions to climate change and environmental problems, energy and process modeling, multi-objective optimization, sustainability, system modeling and optimization for energy resilience, life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), climate smart housing, food insecurity in the cold supply chain, and handprint assessment.

  • Margaret Sobkowicz, Ph.D.
    Margaret Sobkowicz, Ph.D.
    Professor
    Plastics Engineering, Climate Change Initiative (CCI), ADVANCE, SWIMMER, HEROES, Making Waves, Center for Advanced Manufacturing of Polymers and Soft Materials

    Renewable polymers, Plastics processing, nanocomposites, organic photovoltaics and electronics, rheology, scattering

  • Joel Tickner, Ph.D.
    Joel Tickner, Ph.D.
    Professor
    Public Health, SWIMMER, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, Climate Change Initiative (CCI)

    Environmental Health, Chemicals Policy, Pollution Prevention, Risk Assessment