An accidental discovery by a team of scientists at ETH Zurich has led to a potential breakthrough in more efficient plastics recycling.
The new study, as Phys.org shared, detailed how placing plastics in a dichlorobenzene solvent and shining violet light on them can break them down into their basic components.
Plastic waste — and the resulting microplastic particles left over after it begins to break down — is a global problem. A United Nations report explained that over 441 million tons of plastic are produced each year, only 9% of which is recycled.
Aside from another 12% that gets incinerated, the rest of the plastic ends up in landfills or the environment, including the ocean. Projections show that this pollution could triple from the 12 million tons noted in 2016 to nearly 32 million tons by 2040.
Microplastic particles are continually being discovered in isolated ecosystems, showing the extent of their spread. Water, food, and even the air we breathe can contain these particles, which can make their way into our organs.
Reducing the amount of plastics in the environment by using novel recycling methods or shifting to plastic-free or bioplastic packaging could help reduce the amount that enters ecosystems and our bodies.
"Plastics are polymers, substances made up of large molecules called macromolecules, which consist of smaller subunits called monomers," as Phys.org shared. Those monomers are combined into plastic materials through polymerization. Breaking those plastics back down into monomers has been difficult and costly, but that may change.
The process involves submerging plastics in a dichlorobenzene solvent, maintaining a temperature of 194 degrees Fahrenheit, and shining violet light onto the material. This results in breaking it back down into monomers and other chemicals that can be more easily separated and recycled, as Phys.org explained.
Although the researchers acknowledged that the process is slow, it's relatively simple and inexpensive. If it catches on, it could boost the circular economy of plastics and bolster recycling efforts for a cleaner planet.
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