Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive catalyst and air

Plastic recycling gets a breath of fresh air

Current methods to recycle plastics often use expensive catalysts, harsh conditions and produce toxic byproducts. New process converts PET plastic into monomer building blocks, which can be recycled into new PET products or upcycled into higher value materials. In experiments, method recovered 94% of monomers from PET in just four hours, without harmful byproducts.

Real green research: Plastic recycling gets a breath of fresh air

Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive catalyst and air Harnessing moisture from air, Northwestern University chemists have developed a simple new method for breaking down plastic waste. The non-toxic, environmentally friendly, solvent-free process first uses an inexpensive catalyst to break apart the bonds in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most common plastic in the polyester family. Then, the researchers merely expose…

Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive catalyst and air

Harnessing moisture from air, Northwestern University chemists have developed a simple new method for breaking down plastic waste.