Perspective from SCIENCE
2 Jul 2021
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abj3476

Sarah Kakadellis $^1$ and Gloria Rosetto $^2$
$^1$ Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London SW7 1NE, UK.
$^2$ Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.

  • The recovery of plastics through chemical recycling—polymer recycling into their constituting repeat units or monomers (and oligomers)—and the development of bio-based and biodegradable alternatives have gained increasing attention.
  • Biodegradability tends to be perceived as more sustainable over (mechanical) recyclability by consumers due to its compatibility with food waste.
  • Closed-loop recycling to monomers (CRM) can be seen as ultimate chemical recycling in that it ensures the recovery of a given polymer’s building blocks.
  • Think systemically, suspend trade of low-quality plastic waste from developed countries to developing countries and introduce taxes on fossil resources can boost the circular economy of plastics.
  • Developing a system in which plastics are designed for both chemical recycling and biodegradation.
  • No silver-bullet solution exists for the multifaceted nature of plastic pollution.