How Can Infinite Plastic Recycling Change The Outlook Of The World In Plastic Waste

Highlights

• High amounts of plastic waste can be countered with the help of chemical recycling
• Scientists find recycling can be an alternative to using plastic waste in poor form
• Infinite plastic can be a great way to preserve natural resources.

Human-made materials have always been a plague on the natural assets of nature. There are times when human-made things like plastic permeate our food chain and enter our bodily fluids with no issues. The durability of something like plastic has made it even more possible and, recycling plastic is no easy chore. 

Only 9% of the plastic can be recycled in the traditional method and, there is a grand challenge for polymer chemistry to turn back plastic into the source it had designed. The creation of infinite plastic products has been based on natural oils. What if we say that plastics can be changed into their oil form again?

Infinite Plastic Recycled Through Chemical Recycling

Chemical recycling is a viable alternative that can be used for conventional recycling for many decades. The stumbling block of chemical recycling is a large amount of energy that is required for the entire process. The volatile prices of crude oil have also made it cheaper for the companies to produce new plastic products rather than recycling the old ones.

The present system of plastic recycling is more like a downward spiral rather than a viable loop. Any plastic bag or material must be recycled mechanically. They have to be sorted according to type, material, and size. When plastic is melted, the polymer chains have to be broken down. The type of plastic formed cannot be used in many places because the constituency becomes brittle chemical recycling will avoid this. It focuses on breaking down the polymers into simpler molecules with the help of heat. Pyrolysis reactors are used in which the plastic is exposed to an extreme temperature. The plastic is condensed into a gas-like substance and cooled down to form an oil-like liquid. This can be used in many places as infinite plastic.

Depolymerisation Being The New Future

Chemical recycling processes of polycarbonate are used all over the world to counter the amount of waste caused by plastic. Depolymerisation is one of the best methods that can be used commercially to avoid the use of plastic. Hydrothermal methods are also used to increase heat and promote depolymerization. Each of these factors can help us to move towards greener earth with fewer amounts of infinite plastic waste.