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Who knew biodiesel could break the ice?

What if you could reach into your trashcan and pull out millions of dollars? If you’re a biodiesel producer, you may be able to do just that, thanks to recent research by chemical engineers at Rice University. The team has unveiled a set of techniques for cleanly converting glycerin — the major waste byproduct of biodiesel production — into formate, succinate and other valuable organic acids. These chemicals are used for everything from noncorrosive deicers to plastics, drugs and food additives. For an industry that can hardly get rid of glycerin, this environmentally friendly technique means green in more ways than one. Looks like one man’s trash really is another man’s treasure.