The mission of the NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) is to transform how plastics are made, unmade, and remade through innovative research, engaging education, and diverse partnerships that together foster environmental stewardship.
Scientists have figured out how to turn polyethylene into diesel fuel! How did they do this and what does it mean for the future of plastic?
Plastic is suffocating the planet, but what if we could make recycling plastic more efficient? This Lawrence Berkeley National Lab team has created a brand new kind of plastic that can be recycled endlessly.
Only 2 percent of the 78 million tons of manufactured plastics are currently recycled into similar products because polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), which account for two-thirds of the world’s plastics, have different chemical structures and cannot be efficiently repurposed together.
Under public pressure, plastic makers are increasingly looking to partner with companies to develop chemical recycling processes.