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Enabling the Circular Economy through Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of End-of-Use Plastics
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This review highlights recent advances in chemical recycling and upcycling of end-of-use plastics, covering hydroconversion, pyrolysis, and solvent-based treatment pathways. It frames these approaches within circular economy goals, discussing their potential and current limitations for addressing widespread plastic pollution.
Widespread plastic pollution has led to an environmental crisis, motivating new and effective methods for recycling and upcycling “end-of-use” plastics. In this review, we highlight recent advances in chemical recycling and upcycling pathways, namely, hydroconversion, pyrolysis, and solvent treatment for the deconstruction and valorization of post-consumer plastics. We highlight the advances in the design of supported metal catalysts (Pt, Ru, Zr), for the hydroconversion of plastics, especially polyolefins (PO) and polyesters. We deduce mechanistic insights by comparing and contrasting small alkane and PO hydroconversion reactions. We also review the two types of solvent treatments: chemical solvent treatment (solvolysis) for condensation polymers and solvent extraction for composite polymers. Further, we discuss advances in pyrolysis and cross alkane metathesis to deconstruct POs into liquid hydrocarbons, and finally, the functionalization of POs into vitrimers and adhesives. We highlight the challenges and envision the path forward in optimal catalyst and process design that will enable the development of chemical upcycling technologies for building a circular plastic economy.
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Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Plastic Waste: from Linear to Circular Economy
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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
Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Plastic Waste: from Linear to Circular Economy
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This review paper rounds up scientific progress on turning plastic waste into new chemicals and materials—instead of just melting it down into lower-quality plastic (what most "recycling" does today, and only for 9% of waste). Better recycling methods matter for your health because plastic that isn't properly processed often ends up in landfills, oceans, or breaking down into microplastics that contaminate our food, water, and even our bodies. These emerging chemical methods could help close the loop on plastic waste, though the researchers note real challenges remain before this happens at scale, including cost and technical hurdles.
Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Waste Plastics: A Review
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Researchers reviewed chemical recycling and upcycling technologies for plastic waste, concluding that these approaches — including pyrolysis, gasification, and solvolysis — offer more effective and scalable solutions than landfilling or incineration by recovering valuable feedstocks from otherwise difficult-to-recycle polymers.
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.
Sustainable Petrochemical Alternatives From Plastic Upcycling
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This review examined pathways for upcycling plastic waste into sustainable petrochemical alternatives, addressing the poor end-of-life recovery prospects that allow carbon-rich plastics to degrade into microplastics in landfills and oceans. The paper assessed chemical and thermochemical conversion technologies that could turn plastic waste into feedstocks for the chemical industry.
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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.