Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers, which are long chains of molecules typically derived from petroleum, natural gas, or other organic sources. Plastics are ...

A new chemical process can essentially vaporize plastics that dominate the waste stream today and turn them into hydrocarbon building blocks for new plastics. The catalytic process, developed at the ...

Despite global concerns over the accumulation of plastic waste, the drive to produce new plastics shows no signs of slowing down. According to OECD data, the world’s annual plastic production has ...

Polyethylene plastics — in particular, the ubiquitous plastic bag that blights the landscape — are notoriously hard to recycle. They’re sturdy and difficult to break down, and if they’re recycled at ...

Each manufacturing sector has a distinctive set of tools, processes, technologies, and challenges. These differences make it extremely difficult, costly, and time consuming for manufacturers to adapt ...

The plastic lifecycle currently emits more than 0.85 gigatons of greenhouse gases. If current plastic production and consumption patterns continue, emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2050 ...

Turning plastic waste into useful products through chemical recycling is one strategy for addressing Earth's growing plastic pollution problem. A new study may improve the ability of one method, ...

Recycling plastics is challenging, but new technology could produce high-quality materials for car and computer components, all while helping tackle the pollution crisis. Discarded plastics, which can ...