M. Arifuzzaman
Re-Du,
United States
Keywords: mixed plastic, chemical recycling, sustainability
Summary:
Approximately 80% of more than 400 megatonnes of plastics produced annually are wasted, losing approximately $100 billion annually. To combat the widespread problem of plastic waste, we have developed an exceptionally efficient technology that can deconstruct and separate a mixed plastic waste stream ((polyethylene terephthalate [PET], polyurethane [PU], polyamide [PA]) into their respective monomers. The process can breakdown these three types of polymers regardless of the form of waste they exist in, as we have deconstructed bottles, packaging, foams, lenses, textiles, carpets, and even materials made from blended polymers. The process produces pure monomers that can be used to create new polymers identical to virgin plastics with high mechanical properties and performance while lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption .