How can technological innovation transform plastic waste into circular materials?

There are currently multiple efforts to reuse and recycle the plastic waste we generate daily to minimize its environmental impact.

This post addresses an innovative solution: the upcycling of plastic waste, which seeks to transform this waste into circular products with high added value, helping to build a more sustainable future. ♻️

From a linear to a circular economy

Today, most plastics are produced, used and disposed of in a linear manner. However, it is urgent to move to a circular model where plastics can be reused, recycled and valorized. The solution does not only involve conventional recycling. A transition to biobased, renewable and biodegradable plastics is proposed, leaving behind the linear model of "use and throw away" and adopting a circular model of reuse, recycling and recovery.

Among the most innovative recycling options, upcycling is one of the most promising. This process involves transforming plastic waste into high added value products. 🛠️✨

How can upcycling revolutionize the reuse of plastics? 🔥💡

Within upcycling, there is hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). This process allows plastics such as PLA (bio-based) and PET (petroleum-derived) to be converted into carbonaceous materials that could be used, for example, to manufacture supercapacitors for energy storage, advanced materials or activated carbon for air and water purification. 🧪💥

Innovation at the service of recycling 🔄

However, there are technological challenges. For example, the process faces challenges such as additives and colorants in plastics, which hinder efficient recycling. This publication addresses the use of purer plastics or increasing the temperature during HTC to improve conversion.

The combination of advanced techniques and bio-based materials can lead us towards a more sustainable future, where plastics become a valuable resource for the circular economy.

If you want to know more about the upcycling of plastic waste, you can download the publication.