Chlorine-containing plastics are widely used in everyday life, but their disposal presents significant environmental challenges. These plastics are highly durable and resistant to degradation, and when subjected to traditional high-temperature incineration processes, they release toxic chlorine-containing organic compounds that pose serious risks to both human health and the ecosystem.
A recent breakthrough led by Huang Fuqiang, chief researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, offers a promising solution. The research team has developed a novel room-temperature dechlorination method that efficiently transforms chlorine-containing waste plastics into high-value-added materials. This innovative approach enables the recycling and upgrading of waste plastics in an environmentally friendly and non-toxic manner. The findings, which mark a significant advancement in the field, were recently published in Nature Reviews: Method Introduction, a journal affiliated with Nature.
“The accumulation of waste plastics on Earth has reached hundreds of millions of tons, and the production rate continues to rise. Our goal is to create a new recycling method that is both cost-effective and sustainable, enabling the green disposal of chlorine-containing plastics,” said Huang Fuqiang.
In contrast to conventional incineration, which releases harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide and toxic chlorine compounds, the new dechlorination process eliminates chlorine elements from the plastics at room temperature. This process not only mitigates environmental risks but also enables the conversion of waste plastics into valuable materials for applications in areas such as green environmental protection, energy storage, medical devices, and wearable technology.
Tangyin Xinxing Plastics Engineering Co., Ltd currently uses recycled UHMWPE plastic products to produce environmentally friendly UHMWPE sheets for use in other fields.