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Repurposing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste as an antibacterial packaging material

MRS Communications 2025 2 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 48 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Lukman Abubakar, Lukman Abubakar, Gwenevere Gatto, Gwenevere Gatto, Jack E. Bruggeman, Jack E. Bruggeman, Arjak Bhattacharjee

Summary

Researchers repurposed PET plastic waste by integrating antimicrobial agents during reprocessing, creating antibacterial packaging material from recycled PET that inhibits bacterial growth — demonstrating a circular economy approach that adds functional value to plastic waste.

Polymers

PE PET

Abstract Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used for packaging. However, improper disposal of PET has led to substantial environmental concerns, such as plastic pollution, microplastic generation, and considerable amounts of PET waste accumulation in landfills and aquatic environments. To address this issue, we develop a sustainable strategy to repurpose PET waste into antibacterial packaging material by applying polydopamine (PDA) coating and incorporating tannic acid (TA). The incorporation of PDA and TA leads to ~ 97% antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus without affecting the chemical and themral properties of PET. In summary, our work aims to contribute to sustainable waste management practices. Graphical abstract

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