Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Current Status of Plastic Recycling in Korea

This review examines the current state of plastic recycling in South Korea, identifying barriers including small recycling company sizes, low recycling yields, and poor public perception. Improving recycling infrastructure is important for keeping plastics out of the environment where they fragment into microplastics.

2019 Journal of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling 7 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study on the Trend of Domestic Waste Generation and the Recognition of Recycling Priorities in Korea

This South Korean study examined trends in household waste generation and public recognition of recycling in the context of sustainable development goals and circular economy policy. Understanding recycling behavior and waste generation trends is important for reducing the plastic waste that eventually breaks down into microplastics.

2021 Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Rheology of Recycled PET

This review examines how recycling changes the physical properties of PET plastic, the material used in most beverage bottles. Each recycling cycle degrades the polymer chains, weakening the material's mechanical and flow properties. Understanding PET degradation through recycling is relevant because improperly recycled plastic contributes to microplastic generation in the environment.

2023 Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

A Revision for the Different Reuses of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Water Bottles

This review examined different strategies for reusing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles, highlighting their significant carbon footprint and waste generation while exploring sustainable recycling and repurposing approaches to reduce plastic pollution.

2022 Sustainability 34 citations
Article Tier 2

New Policy Framework for Effective Managing Microplastic in Circular System Form Plastic Product Manufacturing to Waste Treatment Facility

Researchers proposed a new policy framework for microplastic management by analyzing the full circular system of plastic -- from raw material production through consumption to waste treatment -- and examining microplastic waste at the final disposal stage. Applying the framework to the Korean waste management system demonstrated that the proposed circular system approach improves upon current microplastic management schemes.

2024 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Research on Plastic Recycling from a Global Perspective and PET Recycling Schemes in Hong Kong

This review examines global plastic production, environmental impacts, and recycling systems, comparing approaches in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Germany, and finding that Hong Kong's low recycling rate and landfill-dependent system contrasts sharply with Taiwan's high recovery rates and Germany's strict classification and processing infrastructure. The study identifies structural and logistical barriers limiting PET and broader plastic recycling in emerging economies.

2024 Theoretical and Natural Science
Article Tier 2

Strategic Possibility Routes of Recycled PET

This review examined chemical and mechanical recycling technologies for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, comparing glycolysis, methanolysis, hydrolysis, and enzymatic depolymerization routes in terms of yield, product purity, and scalability, and highlighting pathways most suitable for circular economy applications.

2021 Polymers 207 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Management of Microplastic Pollutions from PET Bottles: Overview and Mitigation Strategies

Researchers reviewed the environmental impact of PET bottle degradation and strategies for managing the resulting microplastic pollution. The study highlights that PET bottle usage continues to grow, and its breakdown releases low-molecular-weight compounds and microplastics, while outlining mitigation approaches including improved recycling and waste management practices.

2025 Applied Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Selection of PET Recycling Optionsin Japan: Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

This study examines PET plastic recycling options in Japan using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework, set against the global context in which only 9% of plastic waste is recycled and 22% bypasses proper waste management. The analysis evaluates competing recycling pathways to identify the most sustainable and economically viable approaches for managing Japan's PET waste streams.

2023 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Beyond processing methods: the impact of the drying technique on PET performance

This study investigated how different drying techniques affect PET polymer properties during recycling, finding that improper moisture removal causes hydrolytic degradation at high processing temperatures, with implications for maintaining material quality in circular economy PET recycling streams.

2025 Discover Polymers. 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Process parameter optimization for waste polyethylene terephthalate bottle depolymerization using neutral hydrolysis

Researchers optimized process parameters for the neutral hydrolysis depolymerization of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a chemical recycling strategy to address growing plastic waste accumulation in landfills. The study identified key conditions that improve depolymerization efficiency, offering a pathway to recover high-quality monomers from post-consumer PET.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Methanolysis of Waste PET for Sustainable Production of Dimethyl Terephthalate and Cyclic Arylboronic Esters

Researchers developed a method using boric acid to improve the chemical recycling of waste PET plastic via methanolysis, producing high-purity monomers that can be used in new plastic production. More efficient PET recycling reduces the amount of plastic waste that breaks down into microplastics in the environment.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

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

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.

2025 MRS Communications 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Analysis of the Plastics Value Chain for Enhanced Recycling Rates: A Case Study in Iceland

Researchers evaluated Iceland's plastics value chain to identify opportunities for enhanced recycling rates, conducted a feasibility study on expanding the deposit-return system to Skyr cups, and proposed recommendations for improving circular economy performance and meeting EU packaging waste recycling targets.

2022 Recycling 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Feasibility of Reverse Vending Machine for PET Bottle Recycling in Case of ABC Hypermarket

This is a duplicate entry for the feasibility study examining reverse vending machines for PET bottle recycling in Thailand, addressing the link between poor PET recovery and microplastic pollution in fine particulate matter. Improving plastic bottle recycling could reduce environmental microplastic loads.

2023 Current Applied Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

An Integrated Analysis of Plastic Packaging Value Chain: Identifying Barriers and Enablers for a Circular Economy

Researchers analyzed the full plastic packaging value chain to identify barriers and enablers for transitioning to a circular economy, tracing the evolution of circular economy concepts and quantifying the environmental impacts associated with exponential plastic waste growth. The study provides an integrated framework mapping opportunities for intervention across production, use, collection, and recycling stages.

2025 Journal of Green Economy and Low-Carbon Development
Article Tier 2

3D-Printed recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sandwich structures – Influence of infill design and density on tensile, dynamic mechanical, and creep response

Researchers 3D-printed structural components using filament made from recycled plastic bottles (PET) and tested different internal geometric patterns to find the strongest design, demonstrating that circular economy approaches — turning plastic waste into useful manufactured parts — can produce materials with good mechanical properties while reducing plastic pollution.

2025 International Journal of Lightweight Materials and Manufacture 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Kompozyty PET i ich zastosowanie w obliczu wyzwań zielonej chemii – przegląd literaturowy

This Polish-language literature review covers recycling technologies for PET packaging and its applications in a circular economy framework, discussing mechanical and chemical recycling methods, and the role of the 6R principle in sustainable material management. The review is not directly focused on microplastics research.

2025 Polimery 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Roadmap to sustainable plastic waste management: a focused study on recycling PET for triboelectric nanogenerator production in Singapore and India

Researchers compared plastic waste recycling systems in Singapore and India to evaluate the potential for turning recycled PET plastic bottles into energy-harvesting devices, finding that each recycling cycle causes a roughly 30% drop in material performance and 65% loss in economic value, underscoring the need for stronger recycling infrastructure.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Processing System for Plastic Bottle to Obtain Polyethylene Terephthalate Filament in 3D Printers

Researchers developed a processing system to convert waste PET plastic bottles into filament suitable for 3D printers, addressing low plastic recycling rates in Peru and offering a practical approach to reducing PET contamination in terrestrial, marine, and climatic ecosystems.

2024 WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON SYSTEMS AND CONTROL 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic recycling in South Korea: problems, challenges, and policy recommendations in the endemic era

This review examines how plastic waste generation in South Korea surged during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased online shopping and food delivery, while recycling rates declined. Researchers found that despite active waste management policies, the country needs stronger measures modeled on international best practices. The study highlights that microplastics remain a particular concern because their full environmental impacts are not yet well understood.

2024 Journal of Ecology and Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards Plastic Circularity: Current Practices in Plastic Waste Management in Japan and Sri Lanka

A comparison of plastic waste management in Japan and Sri Lanka found that Japan practices the full plastic value chain while Sri Lanka relies heavily on an informal recycling sector, and recommends Japan's Extended Producer Responsibility approach as a model for Sri Lanka to improve plastic circularity.

2023 Sustainability 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Environmental, Economic, and Social Criteria for Plastic Recycling Technology Selection in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Thailand

This study surveyed stakeholders in four Asian countries about criteria for selecting PET plastic recycling technologies, finding that environmental and economic factors were rated highest. Improving PET recycling capacity is critical for reducing plastic waste that ultimately becomes microplastic pollution.

2023 International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Material Flow of Macro‐ and Microplastics to Support a Circular Economy

Researchers developed a global material flow analysis of macro- and microplastics to identify where intervention efforts can best support a circular economy. The study found that current plastic waste reduction initiatives are often misaligned with the most impactful leverage points in the plastic material cycle.

2025 Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing