HomeIndustry InsightsBreakthrough in PET Recycling: A Cleaner, More Cost-Efficient Process Emerges

Breakthrough in PET Recycling: A Cleaner, More Cost-Efficient Process Emerges

2025-07-08

In a significant advancement for the plastics industry, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the University of Portsmouth (UK), and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new chemical recycling method for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most widely used plastics globally. This method holds the potential to enhance the circular economy by reducing environmental impact and improving economic feasibility in the recycling process.

A Simple Change with Profound Results

The innovation lies in a small but critical shift: replacing sodium hydroxide—commonly used to break down PET—with ammonium hydroxide. This adjustment enables a self-sustaining depolymerization process with impressive outcomes:

Chemical usage reduced by up to 99%
Energy consumption cut by approximately 65%
Overall costs lowered by around 75%

Such improvements could significantly reduce the resource intensity of PET recycling operations, offering a pathway toward more sustainable production practices in the packaging and textile sectors.

Supporting Global Sustainability Goals

This research addresses the growing global concern over plastic waste. While PET remains one of the most recyclable and widely collected plastics, the challenge of improving recycling efficiency and reducing lifecycle emissions persists. Innovations like this demonstrate how science and industry collaboration can move the sector closer to environmental targets without compromising material performance.

The low energy requirements and minimized chemical input of this method offer potential for scalable implementation, especially in regions looking to expand mechanical or chemical recycling infrastructure.

Industry Outlook

While virgin PET continues to play a crucial role in applications requiring high purity and consistency, advancements in recycling processes contribute to a more resilient and diversified supply chain. By expanding access to cost-effective, lower-impact recycling technologies, stakeholders across the PET value chain can explore new opportunities for closed-loop solutions and reduced dependence on fossil-based inputs.

This development represents a promising step toward optimizing PET’s environmental profile and reinforces the industry's ongoing commitment to innovation and circularity.

🔗 Source: Trademagazin – July 4, 2025