Plastics and climate change—Breaking carbon lock-ins through three mitigation pathways

Adverse impacts of plastic can be reduced by shifting to a circular bioeconomy with biobased plastics. Incumbents face barriers, including the alleged “recycling lock-in”, hindering the adoption of new polymers due to the current plastic packaging system. Corporate power is crucial in promoting this shift. This study focuses on corporate power in the Dutch plastic packaging sector, analyzing conflicts of interest and barriers in transitioning to a circular bioeconomy. Market-based Instruments’ effectiveness in promoting circularity among food companies is explored. Fifteen incumbents in Dutch plastic food packaging sector were interviewed. Reasons for not widely using biobased polymers are: technical performance issues, higher prices, limited availability and lack of recycling infrastructure. Moreover, existing recycling infrastructure, regulations, and practices are optimized for fossil-based polymers, creating lock-ins for the inclusion of new materials. Despite no legal barriers, companies are hesitant to use biobased plastics due to system challenges. They struggle to transition from fossil-based to biobased plastic packaging due to resistance to change. Power dynamics analysis shows that the petrochemical industry, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, and retail dominance has decreased in the past decade, with governmental measures increasing the influence of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and recyclers. No single entity controls the system.

Background2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a promising building block for biobased recyclable polymers and a platform for other potential biobased chemicals. The common route of its production is by oxidation of sugar-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Several reports on biocatalytic oxidation using whole microbial cells or enzymes have been reported, which offers potentially a greener alternative compared to the chemical process. HMF oxidases and aryl alcohol oxidases are the only enzymes able to catalyse the complete oxidation to FDCA, however at low concentrations and are subject to inhibition by the FFCA (5-formylfuran-2-carboxylic acid) intermediate. The present report presents a study on the oxidation of FFCA to FDCA using the obligately aerobic bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans and identification of the enzymes catalyzing the reaction.ResultsScreening of three different strains showed G. oxydans DSM 50049 to possess the highest FFCA oxidation efficiency. Optimal reaction conditions for obtaining 100% conversion of 10 g/L (71 mM) FFCA to FDCA at 100% reaction yield were at pH 5, 30 °C and using 200 mg wwt /mL cells harvested at mild-exponential phase. In a reaction run at a 1 L scale using a total of 15 g/L (107 mM) FFCA supplied in a fed-batch mode, FDCA was obtained at a yield of 90% in 8.5 h. The product was recovered at 82% overall yield and 99% purity using a simple recovery process. Screening of several oxidoreductase enzymes from the gene sequences identified in the bacterial genome revealed two proteins annotated as membrane-bound aldehyde dehydrogenase (MALDH) and coniferyl aldehyde dehydrogenase (CALDH) to be the enzymes catalyzing the oxidization of FFCA.ConclusionThe study shows G. oxydans DSM 50049 and its enzymes to be promising biocatalysts for use in the FDCA production process from biomass. The high reaction rate and yield motivate further studies on characterization of the identified enzymes exhibiting the FFCA oxidizing activity, which can be used to construct an enzyme cascade together e.g. with HMF oxidase or aryl alcohol oxidase for one-pot production of FDCA from 5-HMF.

The global plastics industry is undergoing significant expansion, driven by record-scale infrastructure investments that are increasing fossil fuel demand. However, this growth has largely bypassed Europe, where mature markets, limited feedstock availability, and stringent environmental regulations prevail. Despite these constraints, in 2019 the petrochemical conglomerate INEOS announced plans for a new ethane cracker in Antwerp, the single largest project in the European chemical industry for decades. This unexpected development raises questions about how fossil-based plastic production can expand in a region purportedly transitioning away from fossil fuels. Here, we employ a neo-Gramscian perspective on transitions to analyse the INEOS investment as a case study using both documents and interview data. We trace the processes that facilitated this project, examining developments in the broader fossil fuel economy and INEOS's strategies for accommodating local and global transition pressures. Our analysis demonstrates that the investment represents a case of trasformismo, where limited socio-technical reconfiguration enables the expansion of fossil-based plastic production despite ongoing socio-ecological crises linked to plastics. We conclude that the expansion of plastics production in Europe exemplifies broader efforts to maintain fossil fuel hegemony beyond energy production. This finding highlights the need for strategic approaches that address fossil fuels as feedstock to effectively transition towards post-fossil forms of production.

This research explores the development of sustainable food packaging alternatives using olive and guava leaf extracts added into pectin (PEC)-based edible films. These films were used to create a sachet containing chicken stock powder (CSP). Specifically, PEC was combined with 0.2% (w/v) olive leaf extract (OLE) or guava leaf extract (GLE) along with 30% glycerol as a plasticizer. Physical, microbial, and sensory properties at different storage times after the PEC-based sachet was packaged with chicken stock powder (CSP) were evaluated. The results showed that sachets containing OLE or GLE inhibited microbial growth when compared to the control (PEC only). The FTIR analysis revealed significant interactions between pectin and bioactive compounds from OLE and GLE, as evidenced by shifts in O-H and C = O stretching regions. Moreover, the CSP moisture content was significantly reduced after 20 days of storage. The CSP color remained consistent in all sachets throughout this study. Additionally, the chicken soup viscosity obtained by dissolving the PEC-based OLE or PEC-based GLE containing 18 g of CSP sachets was lower than the control. Sensory analysis showed that soups made from sachets containing OLE had better color and texture than soups containing unpackaged CSP or PEC-based GLE sachets. The results suggest that including OLE in a PEC-based sachet is a promising, sustainable and functional edible packaging approach. This innovative approach offers a potential solution to address environmental concerns related to plastic packaging materials.

On the thermal degradation of palm frond and PLA 3251D biopolymer: TGA/FTIR experimentation, thermo-kinetics, and machine learning CDNN analysis

Conversion of Waste Plastics into Value‐added Materials: A Global Perspective

Recycling, thermophysical characterisation and assessment of low-density polythene waste as feedstock for 3D printing

Phasing down fossil fuels is crucial for climate mitigation. Even though 80–90% of fossil fuels are used to provide energy, their use as feedstock to produce plastics, fertilizers, and chemicals, is associated with substantial CO2 emissions. However, our understanding of hard-to-abate chemical production remains limited. Here we developed a chemical process-based material flow model to investigate the non-energy use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions in China. Results show in 2017, the chemical industry used 0.18 Gt of coal, 88.8 Mt of crude oil, and 12.9 Mt of natural gas as feedstock, constituting 5%, 15%, and 7% of China’s respective total use. Coal-fed production of methanol, ammonia, and PVCs contributes to 0.27 Gt CO2 emissions ( ~ 3% of China’s emissions). As China seeks to balance high CO2 emissions of coal-fed production with import dependence on oil and gas, improving energy efficiency and coupling green hydrogen emerges as attractive alternatives for decarbonization.

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the effects of simulated mechanical recycling cycles on poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), a biobased and biodegradable polymer, processed by twin‐screw extrusion and injection molding. A decrease in melt flow index and an increase in melt viscosity and molar mass after the first cycle indicate branching and recombination reactions altering the polymer structure. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy reveals pronounced degradation in injection‐molded samples, with carbonyl loss, while extruded samples show limited spectral changes, suggesting different degradation mechanisms. After the first injection cycle, thermal stability improves temporarily, with a higher degradation temperature than the neat polymer, but declines in subsequent cycles. Extruded samples show greater stability, with minimal variation in degradation temperature. Mechanically, extruded samples develop higher stiffness, indicated by increased Young's modulus, while stress at break remains stable across both methods. Impact toughness decreases after the first cycle, though injection‐molded samples maintain higher impact resistance. Biodegradation is faster in injection‐molded samples due to lower crystallinity and greater molecular mobility. Differential scanning calorimetry of degraded samples reveals two melting points, suggesting chain rearrangement and phase separation during microbial attack. The study highlights how processing methods influence PHBV's structure, stability, mechanical performance, and biodegradability, offering valuable insights for optimizing its recyclability and functionality in sustainable material applications.

A hybrid chemical-biological approach can upcycle mixed plastic waste with reduced cost and carbon footprint