Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Materials challenges and opportunities to address growing micro/nanoplastics pollution: a review of thermochemical upcycling

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.

2022 Materials Today Sustainability 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Harvesting marine plastic pollutants-derived renewable energy: A comprehensive review on applied energy and sustainable approach.

This review summarized recent research on recovering renewable energy from marine plastic waste through biological, chemical, and thermal conversion processes, evaluating each pathway's carbon efficiency, global warming potential, and economic viability as part of a circular economy approach to plastic pollution.

2023 Journal of environmental management
Article Tier 2

Techno-Economic Review of Pyrolysis and Gasification Plants for Thermochemical Recovery of Plastic Waste and Economic Viability Assessment of Small-Scale Implementation

This review evaluates the technical and economic viability of pyrolysis and gasification for converting plastic waste into fuel, finding that small-scale implementation faces significant cost challenges. Converting plastic waste into fuel reduces the amount available to degrade into microplastics in the environment, but economic barriers limit widespread adoption.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal Techniques for the Degradation and Remediation of Microplastics

This review examined thermal technologies — including pyrolysis, incineration, and hydrothermal treatment — for degrading and remediating microplastics in environmental samples and waste streams. Each technology was evaluated for efficiency, energy requirements, and potential by-product concerns.

2024 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Perspectives on Thermochemical Recycling of End-of-Life Plastic Wastes to Alternative Fuels

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.

2023 Materials 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Reimagining plastics waste as energy solutions: challenges and opportunities

This review examines the potential of converting plastic waste into energy through waste-to-energy and waste-to-fuel technologies, particularly in developing nations where recycling infrastructure is limited. Researchers assessed various conversion methods including pyrolysis and gasification, evaluating their efficiency and environmental trade-offs. The study emphasizes that energy recovery from plastic waste could help address both the growing plastic pollution crisis and energy needs in underserved regions.

2024 npj Materials Sustainability 26 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Biofuels and Chemicals Production by Co-pyrolysis of Solid Biomass Feedstocks and Non-degradable Plastics

This review examines co-pyrolysis processes that convert mixtures of plastic waste and solid biomass into fuels and chemical products. Co-pyrolysis offers a way to valorize plastic waste that would otherwise break down into microplastics in the environment, while also producing usable energy.

2023 International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review on the Thermochemical Treatment of Plastic Waste to Produce High Value Products for Different Applications

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.

2025 Materials Circular Economy 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Hybrid thermo-electrochemical conversion of plastic wastes commingled with marine biomass to value-added products using renewable energy

A hybrid thermo-electrochemical process was explored for converting marine plastic and biomass mixtures into useful energy products, addressing the challenge of plastics commingled with organic matter in ocean environments. The approach offers a potential pathway for valorizing hard-to-recycle marine waste streams.

2023 Energy & Environmental Science 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progresses in Pyrolysis of Plastic Packaging Wastes and Biomass Materials for Conversion of High-Value Carbons: A Review

This review examines pyrolysis of plastic packaging waste and biomass materials as routes to fuel and chemical recovery, comparing process conditions, product yields, and co-pyrolysis synergies. The authors find that blending plastics with biomass can improve fuel quality and reduce char formation, advancing the case for mixed-feedstock pyrolysis systems.

2024 Polymers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive Assessment of Thermochemical Processes for Sustainable Waste Management and Resource Recovery

This review evaluates thermochemical technologies such as pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction for converting waste materials, including plastics, into useful chemicals and fuels. Researchers compared the processes based on energy efficiency, product quality, and environmental impact. The study aims to guide the selection of the most appropriate waste-to-value technology for different materials as part of a circular economy approach.

2023 Processes 104 citations
Article Tier 2

On technological solutions for recycling of recycling of polymer waste: A review

This paper is not directly about microplastics; it reviews technological approaches to recycling polymer waste — mechanical, chemical, and energy-based methods — and analyzes their economic and environmental trade-offs. Better plastic recycling technology is relevant to microplastic prevention insofar as it reduces the amount of plastic that degrades into environmental microplastic particles.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Mini-review on remediation of plastic pollution through photoreforming: progress, possibilities, and challenges.

This mini-review examines photoreforming — a solar-powered process that converts plastic waste into valuable chemicals and hydrogen fuel — as a promising approach to reducing plastic pollution while generating clean energy. The authors review progress in the technology, assess remaining challenges such as efficiency and scalability, and place it in the context of other plastic waste remediation strategies.

2023 Environmental science and pollution research international
Article Tier 2

Recovery of plastic waste through its thermochemical degradation: a review

This review examines pyrolysis as a promising technology for recovering valuable chemical compounds from plastic waste, which reached approximately 368 million tons of global production in 2020 alone. Researchers discuss how thermal and catalytic degradation can convert different types of thermoplastics into high-energy-value products. The study also highlights the environmental and health impacts of plastic accumulation, including the effects of microplastic consumption on human and animal health.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Energy-Relevant Liquid Products from Vacuum Pyrolysis of HDPE Microplastic

Billions of tonnes of plastic waste, including HDPE microplastics, could potentially be converted back into liquid fuels through a process called pyrolysis. This study tested vacuum pyrolysis of HDPE microplastics at 550°C and characterized the resulting oil, finding it is dominated by alkanes and alkenes similar to light petroleum — suggesting real potential as an alternative fuel or chemical feedstock. While plastic-to-fuel pyrolysis is not a complete solution to the microplastics crisis, this work contributes to understanding the technical feasibility of one pathway for recovering value from plastic waste.

2026 Energy & Fuels
Article Tier 2

Emerging Technologies for Waste Plastic Treatment

This review surveyed emerging technologies for waste plastic treatment including chemical recycling, pyrolysis, biodegradation, and catalytic conversion, evaluating their potential to address the growing plastic pollution crisis more effectively than conventional methods.

2023 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Rescuing the Environment: Turning (Micro)plastics into Energy Through Gasification

This review examines how plastic waste could be converted to energy through gasification, potentially reducing the amount of plastic entering waterways as microplastics. Converting plastic waste to gas or fuel is presented as one strategy for managing the large global plastic waste burden.

2018 U Porto Journal of Engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Strategies and technologies for sustainable plastic waste treatment and recycling

This review covers current and emerging methods for recycling and treating plastic waste to reduce environmental pollution. The authors emphasize that improperly managed plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate ecosystems, and they evaluate strategies including chemical recycling, biodegradation, and energy recovery as more sustainable alternatives to landfilling.

2025 Environmental Functional Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Review and Design Overview of Plastic Waste-to-Pyrolysis Oil Conversion with Implications on the Energy Transition

This review analyzes the process of converting plastic waste into usable oil through pyrolysis, a thermal breakdown process conducted without oxygen. Researchers found that plastic waste has energy content comparable to conventional fuel oil, making pyrolysis an attractive waste-management and energy-recovery option. The study discusses the technical design considerations and suggests that scaling up this technology could contribute to both reducing plastic pollution and supporting the energy transition.

2023 Journal of Energy 75 citations
Article Tier 2

A State-of-the-Art Review on the Technological Advancements for the Sustainable Management of Plastic Waste in Consort with the Generation of Energy and Value-Added Chemicals

This review examined technological advances for converting plastic waste into energy and value-added chemicals, covering pyrolysis, gasification, and catalytic processes as sustainable alternatives to landfilling, given that global plastic waste generation reached approximately 380 million tonnes in 2022.

2023 Catalysts 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermogravimetric analysis and kinetic study of marine plastic litter

This study characterized the composition and thermal degradation behavior of collected marine plastic debris, exploring pyrolysis as a method for recovering energy from plastic waste that cannot be recycled. Managing the large volumes of plastic debris in the ocean requires both prevention and end-of-life treatment solutions.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing Recent Technologies for Addressing Microplastic Pollution and Pushing the Case of Bioremediation as an Attractive Approach

This review assesses current technologies for addressing microplastic pollution, with a focus on bioremediation as a sustainable alternative. Researchers compared physical, chemical, and biological approaches and found that microbial degradation offers distinct advantages in terms of environmental compatibility and cost-effectiveness. The study advocates for increased investment in bioremediation research as a practical strategy for managing microplastic contamination at scale.

2024 Recent Advances in Food Nutrition & Agriculture 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Perspectives on sustainable plastic treatment: A shift from linear to circular economy

This review examines emerging technologies for converting plastic waste into useful chemicals and fuels, including methods like pyrolysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis. Researchers highlight how these approaches could shift plastic management from a throw-away model to a circular economy where waste becomes a resource. The study identifies remaining knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for sustainable plastic treatment.

2024 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Upcycling plastic waste into electrode materials for energy storage applications

Researchers reviewed approaches for upcycling plastic waste into electrode materials for energy storage applications, finding that discarded plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET can be converted through pyrolysis and chemical activation into carbon-based electrodes for supercapacitors and batteries, addressing both plastic pollution and energy storage challenges simultaneously.

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