Unlike the oil and petroleum-based sources used in synthetic fabrics, the polymers used to create these fibers are derived from renewable resources such as wood pulp from trees or bamboo.
Examine the environmental, economic and sociocultural implications of obtaining and using hydrocarbons from the Earth.
Physical recycling also known as dissolution dissolves plastic waste using solvents to extract the polymers and create new recycled plastic products. All recycling routes are fundamental to achieve a circular economy.
Polymer recycling methods can also enable the creation of new products from polymer wastes in a rational, ecological, and economical way.
We developed a technology to rebuild the properties of recycled polymers enabling the use of higher recycled content in a wider range of applications than currently possible. Watch this video and see how our innovative recycling technology could transform plastic waste into high-quality materials, enabling endless product cycles.
Alberto Salleo is an expert in the long, chain-like molecules known as polymers. The world relies on polymers and the most common are in plastics. Salleo is now working on a new generation of organic polymers made of Earth-abundant materials that could lead to flexible electronics that can biodegrade or be easily recycled.
The versatility and convenience of plastics have made them indispensable in modern life. Yet if global commitments to net-zero emissions are to be realised, plastics must be made more sustainable. Borealis, a leading global provider of advanced polyolefins, is using its polymers expertise to decarbonise plastics.
A brief history of plastics, natural and synthetic.
Reuse and Recycling of polymers and plasics and eco-friendly alternatives.
CSIRO worked with Western Australia-based start-up, ULUU, to test seaweed-derived polymers for use as an alternative to conventional plastics.