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Materials challenges and opportunities to address growing micro/nanoplastics pollution: a review of thermochemical upcycling
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This review examined thermochemical upcycling technologies including pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction as approaches to valorize micro- and nanoplastic waste, assessing the material challenges and opportunities for converting environmental plastic pollution into useful fuels or chemical feedstocks.
Micro/nanoplastics have sparked attention in recent years due to their widespread presence in the environment. Currently, several waste valorization approaches are under development in order to upcycle micro/nanoplastics. Thermal conversion technologies such as pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction, or hydrothermal carbonization can yield high-value solid products, oil, and gases from plastics waste. The common thermal conversion technologies investigated focus on maximizing the production of oil and gases (such as H2 and CH4) for use as fuel. Except for hydrogen, when these products are used to generate energy, the carbon emissions generated are comparable to those produced by traditional fossil fuels. Herein, we present a review of the current efforts to capture and convert plastic waste into valuable products with an emphasis on identifying the need to develop processes specifically for micro/nanoplastics while also preventing the release of CO2 emissions. We identify the development of efficient catalytic materials as a critical research need for achieving economically viable thermochemical conversion of micro/nanoplastics.
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This review examined thermochemical recycling technologies including pyrolysis, liquefaction, and gasification for converting plastic waste into clean fuels, discussing operating principles, barriers, and the potential for co-processing plastics with biomass.
Recent advances in chemical recycling and upcycling of plastic waste into valuable materials, chemicals, and energy: a comprehensive review
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A comprehensive review cataloged advanced chemical recycling and upcycling pathways—including pyrolysis, gasification, hydrocracking, and solvolysis—capable of transforming mixed plastic waste streams into circular high-value chemicals, fuels, and energy carriers. These technologies are directly relevant to microplastic pollution research because scaling chemical recycling reduces the volume of plastic that degrades into environmental microplastics, addressing the problem at the source.
Microplastic Recovery and Conversion Pathways: The Most Recent Advancements in Technologies for the Generation of Renewable Energy
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This review examines current technologies for recovering energy from microplastics, evaluating pyrolysis, gasification, electrochemical methods, and hybrid biomass-based approaches in terms of energy balance, carbon conversion, product composition, process efficiency, and scalability. The authors found pyrolysis to be the most scalable method, producing valuable oils and gases, but highlighted that all reviewed technologies face challenges handling the heterogeneous composition and small particle sizes characteristic of MP feedstocks.
Upcycling of waste plastics: strategies, status-quo, and prospects
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This review examines strategies for upcycling waste plastics into valuable products as an alternative to landfilling and incineration, which generate microplastics and carbon emissions respectively. Researchers survey chemical recycling methods including pyrolysis, gasification, and catalytic processes that can convert common plastics like PET, polyethylene, and polystyrene into fuels, chemicals, and new materials. The study highlights the urgent need for more effective recycling technologies to address the growing gap between plastic production and waste management capacity.
A Comprehensive Review on the Thermochemical Treatment of Plastic Waste to Produce High Value Products for Different Applications
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This review summarizes methods for converting plastic waste into valuable products using high-temperature chemical processes like pyrolysis and plasma technology. These approaches can produce hydrogen fuel, carbon nanotubes, and other useful materials from plastic that would otherwise become pollution. Reducing plastic waste through better recycling technology is important because most microplastic pollution originates from improperly managed plastic products.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.