Reto Gieré on energy systems, waste, and sustainability
The earth and environmental science professor invites his students to view sustainability as integral to industry and to reconsider waste as a potential resource for reuse.
2 min. read
Reto Gieré’s research spans renewable energy, waste-to-energy systems, biomass combustion, environmental mineralogy, and climate change. The earth and environmental science professor in the School of Arts & Sciences explores how energy systems, waste, and sustainability are deeply interconnected—and why circular economy thinking will be critical for the future of renewable energy.
“Many people still think of waste as something disposable, rather than as a resource that still contains value,” says Reto Gieré, earth and environmental science professor in the School of Arts & Sciences.
(Image: Courtesy of Penn Climate)
Gieré’s work spans multiple areas of energy and environmental systems, having started as a mineralogist and petrologist. His early work focused on minerals that were highly promising for nuclear waste disposal. “I’m especially interested in the energy we produce, but more importantly in what happens to the residue that accumulate,” he says. “There’s so much valuable material left in combustion ash and industrial waste that we should not simply discard it.”
“A large part of my work has focused on studying how biomass ash can be incorporated into cement manufacturing and other industrial systems. I also collaborate with large companies like Holcim to explore how industries can reduce their environmental impact while remaining economically viable,” Gieré says. “One of the main things I try to emphasize to students is that sustainability has to become central to how industries operate in the future.”
In Gieré’s course Energy, Waste, and the Environment, Gieré aims to teach students that there is no such thing as waste. “There are still materials and precious resources within those systems that can often be reused. I want students to start thinking more critically about circular economy systems and the possibilities within material recovery and reuse.”
“One of the biggest challenges is changing our mindset,” he says. “Many people still think of waste as something disposable, rather than as a resource that still contains value. At the same time, that creates enormous opportunities. We could recover valuable materials from waste streams, improve recycling systems, reduce pollution, and generate significant economic value in the process.”
This story is by Stuti Mankodi. Read more at Penn Climate.
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