Ron Baily of Reason writes on new innovations in plastic.
- Despite efforts from consumers, only about 9 percent of plastic that is used ends up being recycled.
- Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab have come up with a solution to this plastic problem with an infinitely recyclable plastic called polydiketoenamine (PDK).
- Products made with PDK can be dipped into an acid that separates the plastic from any additives, such as dyes, making recycling more cost-effective.
- With innovations such as this, the world can hopefully begin to lower its plastic pollution footprint.
“One of the biggest obstacles to recycling current plastics is that they are usually mixed with dyes, adhesives, and metals that make isolating the plastics energy-intensive and expensive. Most current plastics also become increasingly brittle as they get recycled, which is why it’s much cheaper to manufacture virgin plastics out of fossil fuels. Fortunately, several research groups and companies are developing and deploying more recycling-friendly plastics.”
Read the full aricle here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
