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Enabling the Polymer Circular Economy: Innovations in Photoluminescent Labeling of Plastic Waste for Enhanced Sorting
Summary
This study characterized microplastic contamination in the surface water and deep sediments of a polar fjord system, finding that particles were distributed throughout the water column with elevated concentrations in near-bottom nepheloid layers. Sea ice formation and melting dynamics were identified as key processes redistributing microplastics vertically in this fjord environment.
It is widely accepted that moving from a linear to circular economy for plastics will be beneficial to reduce plastic pollution in our environment and to prevent loss of material value. However, challenges within the sorting of plastic waste often lead to contaminated waste streams that can devalue recyclates and hinder reprocessing. Therefore, the improvement of the sorting of plastic waste can lead to dramatic improvements in recyclate quality and enable circularity for plastics. Here, we discuss current sorting methods for plastic waste and review labeling techniques to enable enhanced sorting of plastic recyclates. Photoluminescent-based labeling is discussed in detail, including UV-vis organic and inorganic photoluminescent markers, infrared up-conversion, and X-ray fluorescent markers. Methods of incorporating labels within packaging, such as extrusion, surface coatings, and incorporation within external labels are also discussed. Additionally, we highlight some practical models for implementing some of the sorting techniques and provide an outlook for this growing field of research.