Combating plastics waste: UD researchers report possible solutions for hard-to-recycle plastics

| May 12, 2021 | Leave a Comment

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Date of Publication: April 21

Year of Publication: 2021

Publication City: Newark, DE

Publisher: University of Delaware

Author(s): Karen B. Roberts

Millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills every year. It’s a big societal problem and an even larger environmental threat.

In the United States, less than 9% of plastic waste is recycled. Instead, more than 75% of plastics waste ends up in landfills and up to 16% is burned, a process that releases toxic gases into the atmosphere.

Researchers from the University of Delaware’s Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) have developed a direct method to convert single-use plastic waste — plastic bags, yogurt containers, plastic bottles, and bottle caps, packaging, and more — to ready-to-use molecules for jet fuels, diesel, and lubricants.

Read the full article here.

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