Towards a Plastic Circular Economy: Bio-derived Plastics and their End-of-life Strategies

Authors

  • Simon B. C. Verstraeten Plastogaz SA, EPFL Innovation Park Batiment C, CH-1015 Lausanne; Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Antoine van Muyden Plastogaz SA, EPFL Innovation Park Batiment C, CH-1015 Lausanne; Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Felix D. Bobbink Plastogaz SA, EPFL Innovation Park Batiment C, CH-1015 Lausanne

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2021.744

PMID:

34526179

Keywords:

Biodegradable plastics, Catalysis, Circular economy, Renewable plastics

Abstract

Herein, we describe the status of bio-derived plastics as well as the existing and emerging technologies that are available for their post-consumer end-of-life valorization. We first present how bio-derived plastics can be produced from renewable materials such as biomass and CO2. In the second section, we present an overview of the technologies available for the end-of-life, including pyrolysis and gasification and how they can be leveraged towards a circular economy. We continue the discussion with the presentation of an emerging technology, polyolefin hydrocracking. Finally, the concepts are discussed in light of life cycle analysis that aid in assessing the sustainability of manufacture (and recycling) methods.

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Published

2021-09-29

How to Cite

[1]
S. B. C. Verstraeten, A. van Muyden, F. D. Bobbink, Chimia 2021, 75, 744, DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2021.744.