An integrated device has been developed that can use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide captured from the air into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This process combined the reduction of captured carbon dioxide with the oxidation of plastic waste, creating the raw chemical glycolic acid. "This is the first demonstration of linking the direct capture of carbon dioxide from the air with its direct use in a solar-powered process, all in one device," he says Erwin Reisner , who leads the group at the University of Cambridge. Carbon dioxide was captured from simulated flue gas or air using a standard amine/hydroxide solution under ambient conditions. (ANTHONY KING)