Chemical Recycling in a Circular Economy

Join our latest CircularChem webinar on 12th June to find out how centre researcher Dr Donald Inns and guest speaker Emmeline Aves from ReVentas are committed to the recycling of chemicals to achieve a circular economy.

Plastics are ubiquitous in our daily lives and are an important part of almost every product, owing to their tailorable, mouldable, and durable properties. Many of these plastics are made from monomers derived from fossil fuels, such as ethylene and propylene. These plastics therefore contribute to fossil fuel depletion and are not biodegradable, which has led to large amounts of plastic waste and significant environmental damage. However, plastic waste also contains significant reservoirs of carbon that can be retrieved and utilised in different supply chains, with the production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures that can be used for re-polymerisation, chemicals, oils, and lubricants. Such a strategy would introduce circularity within plastics and improve upon classical recycling methods of mechanical recycling and incineration.

In his presentation, Donald will explore different methods of chemical plastic recycling and his exploratory work as part of the research programme within the UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy. Particular attention will be given to the importance of new catalytic materials in achieving effective chemical recycling of plastics and how catalytic materials discovery will be key to achieving a circular economy and net zero.

ReVentas have developed a solution to purify recycled Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP), removing all pigments, contamination and odours, returning the material to a virgin-like polymer suitable for use in new packaging applications. Emmeline’s presentation will detail the path they have taken and how their solution will offer a route to make packaging truly circular.

Webinar Agenda:

12.00 – 12.05 Welcome & Introductions (Dr Tim Blackburn)

12.05 – 12.25 ReVentas’s Purification recycling to achieve virgin-like recycled PE and PP (Emmeline Aves)

12.25 – 12.45 How can the discovery of new catalyst materials shape plastic recycling for a circular economy? (Dr Donald Inns)

12.45 – 13.00 Q&A (Dr Tim Blackburn)

13.00 Close (Dr Tim Blackburn)

Please note, this webinar will be recorded and may be shared. If you have any questions please contact circular.chemical@lboro.ac.uk.