In 2021, a professor at The University of Toledo developed a new way to recycle plastic. It now has the potential to help revolutionize everyday product packaging. 

Dr. Sridhar Viamajala founded Plastinuva to make his novel recycling method a commercial success, according to a press release from the University of Toledo. His tech is able to separate polypropylene out of a mixed waste stream.

Polypropylene is commonly used in the production of food packaging, healthcare devices, and automotive parts due to its strength. However, it almost always ends up in landfills. 

Plastinuva can process discarded polypropylene into a powder that can be utilized for making new products. 

"Plastinuva bridges a gap in the middle of the supply chain," Viamajala said, per the press release. "We buy waste plastic that would otherwise head to the landfill, then we sell to companies that are looking to create new products using recycled plastic."

Viamajala's startup participated in the UToledo Business Incubator and the Synthe6 Materials Accelerator in Ohio. In addition to these programs, he's also received funding through the National Science Foundation and the Ohio Department of Development.

The team is now scaling the business up this year to process 100-pound batches of the plastic powder and sell it to small vendors. 

"We're extremely proud to see Plastinuva continue its upward momentum through the Synthe6 program," said Pamela Moore, director of the UToledo Business Incubator, per the press release. 

"Sridhar's progress demonstrates the long-term economic impact that incubator-supported startups can have on our region."

This development could be a major step forward for the recycling industry and significantly contribute to curbing plastic waste. The more methods for recycling plastic into usable material, the less new plastic needs to be manufactured.

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Reducing plastic production and keeping it out of landfills is good for the health of the planet. Nature is already littered with it, and microplastics are becoming increasingly ubiquitous.

Microplastics have been linked to a range of troubling human health conditions. The tiny pollutants persist in the environment and can travel up the food chain, accumulating in the bodies of animals that ingest them. 

The best ways to combat the world's plastic problem are to use less, repurpose when possible, and recycle properly.

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