Polymer recycling using deep eutectic solvents: Integrating molecular modelling and experiments

Plastics are in continuous rising demand due to their numerous commercial and industrial uses. According to the European Environmental Agency (EEA), their consumption is predicted to double in the next 20-years. Characteristics such as low weight and durability make them highly desirable products, but the same qualities cause them to persist in the environment for extended periods.

Vollmer et al. estimate that at least 62 wt% of global plastic waste ends up in landfill or leaks into the environment. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from plastics pose a challenge to keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels. Plastic derived cumulative emissions of GHGs are predicted to reach 56 gigatons by 2050, constituting 10-13% of the permissible carbon budget to meet Paris Agreement objectives.

Without intervention, incineration and plastic production could lead to 2.80 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions per year by 2050,3 equivalent to the pollution caused by building and operating 615 new 500 MW coal plants. To address these issues, the EEA1 advocates investments in closed-loop recycling (same product) to establish a circular plastic economy. However, for closed-loop recycling to be commercially widespread, it needs to be

economically competitive and environmentally friendly.