The Critical Role of Process Analysis in Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Waste Plastics

There is an urgent need for new technologies to enable circularity for synthetic polymers, spurred by the accumulation of waste plastics in landfills and the environment and the contributions of plastics manufacturing to climate change. Chemical recycling is a promising means to convert waste plastics into molecular intermediates that can be remanufactured into new products. Given the growing interest in the development of new chemical recycling approaches, it is critical to evaluate the economics, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other life cycle inventory metrics for emerging processes, relative to the incumbent, linear manufacturing practices employed today. Here we offer specific definitions for classes of chemical recycling and upcycling and describe general process concepts for the chemical recycling of mixed plastics waste. We present a framework for techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment for both closed- and open-loop chemical recycling. Rigorous application of these process analysis tools will be required to enable impactful solutions for the plastics waste problem.

Automated summary

There is a pressing need to develop new technologies for the circularity of synthetic polymers due to the accumulation of waste plastics and their impact on climate change. Chemical recycling offers a promising solution by converting waste plastics into molecular intermediates for remanufacturing. This paper defines classes of chemical recycling and upcycling and presents general process concepts for the recycling of mixed plastics waste. A framework for techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment is also provided to evaluate the effectiveness of different recycling approaches.