Themed collection Plastic Waste Utilisation: A cross-journal collection

A perspective on using plastic waste as an alternative feedstock for the energy storage sector through upcycling. Materials for electrodes, electrolytes or binders could be obtained from both advanced combustion and depolymerization methods.

Bridging the gap between academia and industry in plastic recycling will accelerate innovation and deployment toward solving the global challenge of plastic waste management and establishing net zero carbon society.

Our biosphere has been adversely affected by plastic waste pollution, especially non-biodegradables in landfills, which induces hazardous chemical leaching and toxic gas emissions on burning into the atmosphere.

In this review we discuss the application of electrochemical hydrogenation for pyrolysis oil upgrading, thus facilitating a circular polymer economy and low-carbon fuel production.

Herein, we present the state of the art technology on the recycling, reuse, thermal decomposition, and the life cycle assessment of fluoropolymers (FPs, ranging from PTFE and PVDF to various fluorinated copolymers based on VDF and TFE).

This review summarizes the emerging advanced technologies including bio-, photo-, electro-, and low-temperature thermocatalysis for recycling and upgrading of waste plastics under mild conditions.

The electrochemical upcycling of plastic waste offers a more efficient and safer means to produce value-added products under mild conditions.

Waste plastics can be recycled for use in energy storage materials (e.g., electricity, heat storage, and hydrogen). The study aims to provide a basis for further research on the integrated use of waste plastics while reducing carbon emissions.

This study analyzes catalytic fast pyrolysis as a conversion technology for mixed plastic waste, highlighting key economic and environmental drivers and potential opportunities for process improvements.

An Fe-based metal–organic framework is synthesized utilizing metal sourced from iron rust and a linker sourced from PET bottle waste. Further, the MOF is deployed as the active electrode material for a supercapacitor.

Layered porous nitrogen-doped carbon sheets prepared from waste plastics are employed as an excellent HER catalyst under alkaline conditions.

Selective chemical upcycling of poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) was achieved using photooxidative degradation, producing oxidized small molecules that can be tuned depending on a choice of photocatalysts.

Computational-assisted catalyst design facilitates identification of a potent non-intuitive fluorinated acridinium catalyst for aerobic photoredox conversion of polystyrene to benzoic acid.

The design of catalysts for the chemical recycling of plastic waste will benefit greatly from an intimate knowledge of the interfacial polymer–catalyst interactions that determine reactant and product distributions.

In this investigation, we reported sustainable and economical upcycling methods for utilizing plastics as cheap precursors for the production of high-value carbon materials such as graphene (G), carbon spheres (CS), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

N/O co-doped graphitic hierarchical porous carbon is yielded from wasted polymers. A capacity of 257.9 mA h g⁻¹ with an ultrahigh energy density of 226.5 W h kg⁻¹ is delivered. Excellent energy storage ability is also obtained for wearable devices.

Free-standing electrodes prepared from waste expanded polystyrene by incorporating rGO into it for supercapacitor applications.

Given sufficient end-scission catalyst, random scission causes a proliferation of new chain ends and thereby accelerates the overall depolymerization progress.

Surface plastics and microplastics commingled with biomass are emerging pollutants in the marine environment.

Transformation of PET waste using a Ni₂P–Co₂P/ZrO₂/C NF photocatalyst in aqueous medium.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were produced from waste face mask and non-recyclable mixed plastic waste via pyrolysis-chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

Exploiting photo-isomerisation of azobenzene molecules embedded in pores of hypercrosslinked polymers to drive adsorption (upon UV light irradiation) and desorption (visible light irradiation) of CO₂ to enable low-energy, low-cost carbon capture.

Waste low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic was pyrolyzed using a batch reactor fuel oil fly ash catalyst into valuable fuels using fly ash as a catalyst.

Upcycling waste polystyrene into valuable chemicals acetophenone and benzoic acid is developed through an innovative and environmentally-friendly photocatalytic process involving a metal-free carbon catalyst.

Recovery of PEF by oxidation of EG with non-precious metal catalysts to obtain formic acid and hydrogen at a cathode is an important strategy for achieving sustainable development.

This study focused on the dispersion of PM and VOC pollutants from the open burning of solid waste on the Sokoto-Aiyekale dump site in Ilorin, Nigeria, owing to the scarcity of information on pollutants' impact on onsite workers and the population surrounding the dump site.

Energy recovery of plastic waste without carbon capture resulted in higher CO₂ emissions than from fossil fuels. Potential electricity generation in 2050 from plastic waste-to-energy could be significantly increased.

This work examines the feasibility of a greenfield mixed plastics waste gasification facility with process modeling, TEA, and LCA.

The high-purity polypropylene could be produced from the waste disposable face masks via an efficient solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation (STRAP) method, combined with a simple decolorization step.

We demonstrate a joint computational and experimental approach to predict polymer solubilities at a large scale. This approach can facilitate solvent screening and process design for dissolution-based plastic recycling processes.

A mesoporous ZnIn₂S₄ photocatalyst shows notable activity for photoreforming of PLA, PET and PU to generate small organic chemicals and H₂ fuel under simulated sunlight at room temperature.

A simple and effective method to upcycle waste EPS to UV-excited dual-mode multicolor luminescent membranes for advanced anti-counterfeiting was developed.

Industrial growth can have a good impact on a country's economic growth, but it can also cause environmental problems, including water pollution.

Domestic, or household-level, open burning of plastic waste is a substantial source of air pollutants and greenhouse gases that are often neglected in Guatemala.

Recycled plastic waste based self-immolative polyurethane has been synthesized and nanoformulated for tumor relevant pH induced charge modulation, efficient guest encapsulation and triggered release in a controlled fashion.