Abstract
Increasing the stream of recycled plastic necessitates an approach beyond the traditional recycling via melting and re‐extrusion. Various chemical recycling processes have great potential to enhance recycling rates. In this Review, a summary of the various chemical recycling routes and assessment via life‐cycle analysis is complemented by an extensive list of processes developed by companies active in chemical recycling. We show that each of the currently available processes is applicable for specific plastic waste streams. Thus, only a combination of different technologies can address the plastic waste problem. Research should focus on more realistic, more contaminated and mixed waste streams, while collection and sorting infrastructure will need to be improved, that is, by stricter regulation. This Review aims to inspire both science and innovation for the production of higher value and quality products from plastic recycling suitable for reuse or valorization to create the necessary economic and environmental push for a circular economy.
Highlights
Introduction binding directive of the EuropeanUnion (EU) states that all plastic packaging shall be recyclable in a cost-effectiveAn increase in plastic use has manner or reusable by 2030 and aims at making recycling assisted in the rapid economic growth of many economies profitable for businesses.[5]
It is interesting to note that pilot plants for solvolysis,[55] pyrolysis,[56] and hydrocracking[57,58] were planned or already existed in the nineties, when contacting them, a lack of suitable waste streams, logistics and commercial viability were cited as reasons for discontinuing the project or knowledge of these processes was not available anymore
Pyrolysis as applied to plastics is the thermal decomposition in an oxygen-free environment into a mixture of products similar to the ones obtained by fractional distillation of crude oil, which range from refinery gasses, through gasoline/naphtha and diesel to immobile residues
Summary
A selection of Review articles is summarized in Table 1 (see Table S1 in the Supporting Information for a more extensive list of papers) providing an overview of the main processes analyzed in this Review, sorted by the different processes for easy reference, along with the key messages from past research. A life-cycle analysis (LCA) is included which assesses the energy requirements and environmental impacts of selected low technology readiness level (TRL) processes—important parameters for a successful economic and ecological commercialization. Another consideration is the mismatch between the purity of researched waste streams and waste streams available in current circulation. It is clear that a concerted effort from the entire plastic industry is required to achieve (e.g. EU) plastic recycling targets, including polymer manufacturers, recyclers, legislators, researchers and consumers
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