Upcycling of waste polyesters for the development of a circular economy

Abstract

The rapidly increasing production and widespread application of plastics have brought convenience to our lives, but they have consumed a huge amount of nonrenewable fossil energy, leading to additional CO₂ emissions and generation of an enormous amount of plastic waste (also called white pollution). Chemical recycling and upcycling of waste plastic products (also called waste plastic refineries) into recycled monomers and/or valuable chemicals can decrease the dependence on fossil energy and/or reduce the emission of CO₂, enabling the full utilization of carbon resources for the development of a circular economy. Polyesters, a vital class of plastics, are ideal feedstocks for chemical recycling due to the easily depolymerizable ester bonds compared to polyolefins. Among them, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely used product, making its chemical recycling to a circular carbon resource a hot topic with significant concerns. In this feature article, recent progress in depolymerization of waste polyesters (PET and/or PET-containing materials) and the subsequent upgrading of depolymerized monomers (or intermediates) to valuable chemicals was reviewed and prospected. Newly reported technologies, such as thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and biocatalysis, were discussed. The achievements, challenges, and potential of industrial applications of chemical recycling of polyesters were addressed.