Chemical technologies for recycling plastics designed to last

Plastics are indispensable to our modern society, possessing multiple purposes. Annually, we produce over 400 million tons of plastic materials, an amount which almost corresponds to the entire weight of the human population. Sadly, the majority of end-of-life consumer plastics end up in landfills or are incinerated. Thermoset plastics are notorious for the lack of existing closed loop recycling technologies because of their cross-linked structure. In this research project, we undertake an in-depth study to explore the science of catalysis for disassembling two of the most prominent representatives, polyurethane and epoxy resins, down to either their original building blocks, or to alternative monomers for other polymers. It is our goal with our knowledge in transition metal catalysis and chemistry to develop new chemical technologies, allowing this important industry sector to enter the realm of sustainability.