Researchers develop groundbreaking method to turn air pollution into useful material: 'Significant'

Scientists in Finland have developed a groundbreaking way to turn air pollution into plastic, a process that could help clean the air, cut down on waste, and provide new raw materials without relying on dirty fuels.

According to Packaging Europe, the VTT and LUT University project, known as Forest CUMP, captured biogenic carbon dioxide from waste incineration and forest industry pollution and converted it into the building blocks for common plastics, such as polypropylene and polyethylene.

These are the same materials used in packaging, cables, pipes, and countless other everyday products — but instead of being made from oil, they were created from recycled carbon dioxide.

Plastic production is one of the largest drivers of dirty fuel use, while CO2 pollution remains a leading cause of rising global temperatures.

This innovation tackles both challenges at the same time: cutting industrial air pollution while creating raw materials that can sustain plastic production without pumping more carbon into the atmosphere.

Researchers used carbon capture technology to separate and concentrate CO2 from industrial flue gases, then applied a modified version of the Fischer-Tropsch process to transform it into hydrocarbons.

These hydrocarbons can be fed directly into existing petrochemical systems without costly new infrastructure.

"For rapid and significant replacement of fossil feedstocks with renewable ones, technologies need to be adapted to the currently existing production facilities," Juha Lehtonen, research professor at VTT, told Packaging Europe.

Lehtonen noted that Finland alone produces around 30 million tons of bio-based CO2 every year — a resource researchers say could be tapped to replace fossil feedstocks at scale.

If expanded, the process could create millions of tons of plastic annually, potentially reducing global reliance on oil while also keeping industrial waste from polluting the air.

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Borealis, one of the industry partners, highlighted the potential for these plastics to be used in recyclable packaging and durable infrastructure materials.

"This significant development project supports the transition to renewable solutions in the plastics industry," said Ismo Savallampi, renewable feedstock research projects manager at Borealis, per Packaging Europe.

Plastic pollution is a massive problem, filling oceans, harming wildlife, and even entering our bodies as microplastics. By sourcing plastics from captured CO2 instead of dirty fuels, this technology could not only reduce waste but also help slow the rate of rising global temperatures.

Over time, it may even make plastic production cheaper by cutting reliance on volatile oil markets — savings that could be passed down to consumers.

The researchers emphasize that wider adoption will depend on scaling up green hydrogen and renewable energy, but with Finland's infrastructure already moving in that direction, large-scale use may be closer than many expect.

If successful, the approach could transform the plastics industry into a powerful ally in the fight for planetary health.

On an individual scale, individuals can make the switch from plastic to alternative products, invest in energy-saving home upgrades, and support groundbreaking research, such as the Forest CUMP project.

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