Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
Scientists Have Created a Type of Plastic for Closed Loop Recycling
Grace Mahas — June 30, 2019
A paper published in 'Nature Chemistry' has announced a new development in plastic that makes it infinitely recyclable. The plastic is a poly-diketoenamine (PDK) which could finally create a closed-loop solution to the global recycling crisis. Currently, it's estimated that only 9% of plastic is actually recycled, leaving 91% to be disposed of in landfill. As the use of single-use plastic grows, this becomes an increasing concern as many commonly used plastics that are recycled cannot be recycled more than once. This means that ultimately, all the plastic we use will end up in landfill.
PDK is a sustainable solution as it can be recycled infinitely through the use of dissolving acid that separates the compounds. These compounds can then be repurposed into various types of plastic, all while maintaining its quality. As more governments around the world try to combat the ever-increasing amount of single-use plastic, the use of PDK as a sustainable solution may become widespread.
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