Degradation and Recycling of Polymer Materials

This Special Issue features papers and reviews on the topics of microplastics, recycling, and plastic degradation mechanisms. Discarded plastics are currently causing significant environmental damage to diverse ecosystems such as the ocean, meaning that the development of purification methods is an urgent priority. Focusing on microplastics as a representative environmental problem, this Special Issue includes research regarding their formation mechanisms. Additionally, we have gathered papers and reviews on recycling and plastic degradation mechanisms as potential approaches for developing methods to suppress their formation. Furthermore, regarding microplastics, we have included papers that delve into the generation behavior of nanoplastics and which detail the latest cutting-edge research in this field. The sections focused on recycling and plastic degradation mechanisms feature carefully selected papers that present novel technologies not previously explored. We hope that this Special Issue will serve as a catalyst for the development of new technologies for purifying microplastics.