Water-Based Waste Solutions

SEOULTECH researchers have developed a new method to improve the recycling of plastics, "specifically polyolefins, which make up a significant portion of global plastic waste; by adding water to ruthenium-based catalysts, they found that it significantly helps convert polyolefins into valuable fuels like gasoline and diesel." This approach could help reduce plastic pollution, lower landfill waste, and move us closer to a circular economy.

According to the university's researchers, plastics are widely used across industries, but their environmental impact is growing, with over 400 million tons produced annually—despite this, only a small portion of plastic waste is recycled, highlighting the need for new recycling technologies.

As such, "catalytic recycling, such as hydrogenolysis and hydrocracking, offers a promising solution by breaking down plastic waste into valuable chemicals and fuels." Unlike traditional recycling, which results in lower-quality products, catalytic recycling creates higher-value materials. However, further improvements are needed before these methods can be used on a larger scale yet, underscore the potential that exists for future developments.

Image Credit: Insoo Ro of Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Korea