Recent Progress in the Chemical Upcycling of Plastic Wastes

The massive generation of plastic wastes without satisfactory treatment has induced severe environmental problems and gained increasing attentions. In this Minireview, recent progresses in the chemical upcycling of plastic wastes by using various methods (mainly in the past three to five years) is summarized. The chemical upcycling of plastic wastes points out a plastic-based refinery concept, which is to use the plastic wastes as platform feedstocks to produce highly valuable monomeric or oligomeric compounds, putting the plastic wastes back into a circular economy. The different chemical methods to upcycle plastic wastes, including hydrogenolysis, photocatalysis, pyrolysis, solvolysis, and others, are introduced in each section to valorize diverse plastic feedstocks into value-added chemicals, materials, or fuels. In addition, other emerging technologies as well as the new generation of plastic thermosets are covered.

Automated summary

This Minireview summarizes recent progress in the chemical upcycling of plastic wastes using various methods, mainly within the past three to five years. It introduces the concept of a plastic-based refinery, transforming plastic wastes into valuable compounds and discusses different chemical methods and emerging technologies.