Kevin Nixon’s Post

Very interesting paper I recommend for all industries, as plastic is more than just packaging!! "The Frontier of Plastics Recycling: Rethinking Waste as a Resource for High-Value Applications" #recycling #upcycling #plastic The paper of Hannah Mangold and Berhard von Vacano was recocgnized as a Top Cited Paper - Macromolecular Chemistry & Physics by Wiley. A perfect reference on high-value plastics recycling, see at: https://lnkd.in/eqnkuXU2

To mark #EarthDay, I had a chat with Amanda Jasi from the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) regarding #plastics. Here are two take-home messages: 1 Plastics” are not inherently bad – on the contrary, they are a pretty useful material. The problem is how we manage them, mostly (and unfortunately) in a linear “take-make-dispose” model. 2 Expect trade-offs when comparing alternative products – a win-win situation is highly unlikely. For example, plastics may cause higher resources depletion but have lower acidification and eutrophication impacts than most bio-based materials. https://lnkd.in/dfdPysbB

#SustainablePlastics are becoming popular over concerns about how regular plastics harm the environment. These eco-friendly plastics, which can be made from plants, break down naturally, can be composted, recycled or net-zero emissions plastics, seem promising. But there's no silver bullet to address the plastic crisis. Figuring out how to mass produce green plastics cheaply so they can compete with regular plastics is crucial. Even though some progress has been made, like encouraging recycling and banning single-use plastics, there isn't enough support for new plant-based alternatives.  There’s a need to invest in alternatives, rethink plastic policies and reduce demand for fossil plastics.  #PlasticFreeJuly Jose Espí is a PhD student at the University of Oxford’s The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School. Jose’s research focuses on applying state-of-the-art techniques to forecast the costs of emerging biopolymer technologies and identifying sensitive points within the petrochemical industry where small interventions can catalyse the transition to zero-impact plastics. Jose is also the CEO & Co-Founder of BZERO Materials, focusing on innovative solutions to replace fossil plastics.

Newsweek recently spoke with leaders from the top 75 chemical companies and associations globally to take a deep dive into the role chemicals and sustainability. Any discussions surrounding chemistry must be grounded in fact—if chemicals were regulated to extinction, our quality of life would suffer significantly. However, the safe and responsible manufacturing and handling of chemicals remains vital to environmental and public health and safety. Additionally, the industry is seeking new circular feedstocks to lessen reliance on fossil fuels for chemical and plastics production. At Encina, our proprietary technology to transform end-of-life plastics in to ISCC-Plus certified drop-in quality circular chemicals is key to advancing sustainability and modern life quality. Read more from Newsweek https://lnkd.in/e-FBbQNS. #Recycling #AdvancedRecycling #CircularEconomy #Sustainability

To tackle the challenges of the plastic waste crisis, we need not only efficient recycling methods, but also new materials and technologies that can revolutionise the industry. 🚀 In the ZeoLignin project researcher Ewellyn Capanema, PhD at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden is studying the use of lignin to produce zeolites, which play a crucial role in improving plastic recycling processes. Zeolites are a group of minerals that, among other things, are very effective as catalysts in plastic recycling to improve the efficiency of the process. Using bio-based material to produce zeolites is a promising and sustainable approach that offers several benefits, such as reduced environmental impact and cost savings. 👍 Read about this interesting and important project here: https://lnkd.in/epcwscaZ

Environmental imperatives drive the development of technologies for the chemical recycling of plastic waste, but significant hurdles – including economic viability, collection logistics and feedstock complexity – need to be addressed for chemical recycling to have a larger impact. Learn more in this month's Cover Story: https://loom.ly/r1LwTkQ

In the world of chemical recycling technology, data is everything. #AduroCleanTech recognizes the importance of sharing data, as our CRO Eric Appelman lays out in this Sustainable Plastics 5 Questions interview series. Read about the benefits of our Hydrochemolytic™ Technology, and our commitment to data transparency. #TheBetweenChemistry #ChemicalRecycling #Innovation

I'm excited to share our recent research paper published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (ACS Publications)! The paper” Toward Building Circularity in Sustainable Plastic Waste Conversion" explores innovative recycling methods to address the escalating plastic waste crisis. By leveraging process systems engineering models, we propose a comprehensive framework that optimizes various recycling technologies such as pyrolysis, gasification, and mechanical recycling. Our findings highlight the potential of chemical recycling derivatives to enhance profitability, circularity, and overall sustainability. This work generally offers tailored solutions to plastic waste that are aligned with circular economy goals. Read the full open-access article here: [ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering](https://lnkd.in/d-s32i-5) A big thanks to my supervisors, Dr. Dhabia Al-Mohannadi and Dr. Ma'moun Al-Rawashdeh for their incredible guidance and support, which made this work see the light. #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #OpenAccess #Research ---

We are thrilled to announce our latest publication in Polymers, featured in the special issue Sustainable Polymers for a Circular Economy! Our intent is that this research sparks adoption of more robust LCA methodologies that address plastic persistence in the environment. Read our paper here: https://lnkd.in/gtWcA4aN In this research, we tackle a critical question: how do biobased, compostable plastics measure up against traditional fossil-based, non-compostable materials in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)? Our study reveals key environmental benefits such as food waste diversion and CO2 sequestration - are often overlooked by conventional metrics. We present certified compostable plastics that fully decompose in industrial composting environments as a promising solution to the microplastics problem. #SustainablePolymers #CompostablePlastics #CircularEconomy #Bioplastics #EnvironmentalImpact #LCA

Innovative Recycling Approach for Polycarbonate (PC) Waste and Circular Economy! ♻️ Hello, everyone! I'm happy to share that my latest research article, titled “Recycling Valuable Phenol from Polycarbonate Plastic Waste via Direct Depolymerization and Csp2−Csp3 Bond Cleavage Under Mild Conditions,” has been accepted for publication in ChemSusChem! This study introduces an innovative recycling approach aligned with circular economy principles, utilizing commercial zeolite catalysts. The study underscores the process's potential to tackle environmental challenges and advance sustainable chemical production. 🔍 Research Highlights: ♦ Selective production of phenol through upcycling polycarbonate waste via direct depolymerization and Csp2−Csp3 bond cleavage under mild aqueous conditions. ♦ The study demonstrated upcycling using various municipal waste PC sources. ♦ The scale-up experiment yielded 3.1 g of phenol from 5.0 g of PC, with a mass balance of 90%. ♦ The catalysts show excellent recyclability and regain their catalytic activity through straightforward calcination. ♦ A combination of control experiments, NMR analysis, and DFT studies have provided insights into the reaction pathway. I express my gratitude to Prof. Rajendra Srivastava for his invaluable guidance and to Dipika Kanchan, and Dr. Arghya Banerjee for their collaboration. More information can be found in the Research Article by A. K. Manal and co-workers: https://lnkd.in/gMVQ7iyQ #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Catalysis #PlasticRecycling #Zeolites #EnvironmentalScience #GreenChemistry