NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Could chemical recycling of plastics be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than mechanical recycling? That is the question at the heart of groundbreaking new research funded by the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF).

A team of scientific researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) is studying the effects of supplementing and/or possibly replacing current recycling practices, which entail crushing plastic and re-melting it into granules, with alternative chemical recycling technologies which use chemical reactions to break down used plastics at the molecular level for potential reprocessing into new chemicals and/or plastic products.

With sustainability efforts driving culture and industry, both nationally and internationally, the results of this study have the potential to equip legislators and business leaders with unbiased data to guide decision-making.

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