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Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Plastic Waste: from Linear to Circular Economy
Summary
Right now, only about 9% of plastic waste actually gets recycled, and most of what does get recycled turns into lower-quality material—not a real solution to the mountains of plastic piling up in our environment (and breaking down into the microplastics we're increasingly finding in our bodies). This review rounds up newer "chemical recycling" methods that can break plastic waste down to its molecular building blocks and even transform it into useful products like lubricants, offering a more promising path to actually reusing plastic instead of just downgrading it. These technologies are still working through real challenges like cost and efficiency before they can make a major dent in the plastic p
The exponential growth of plastic production and the persistence of plastic waste in the environment have created a global pollution crisis. Currently, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, predominantly through mechanical recycling that produces lower-quality materials. This review examines chemical recycling technologies that convert plastic waste back into monomers or valuable chemicals, enabling true circularity. Polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene), polyesters (PET), and mixed plastics are discussed. Recent advances in pyrolysis, solvolysis, and catalytic depolymerization are highlighted, along with upcycling strategies that transform waste plastics into higher-value products such as carbon nanotubes, lubricants, and surfactants. Industrial case studies and remaining challenges including feedstock heterogeneity, catalyst deactivation, and economic viability are addressed.