Circular materials and plastic waste reduction are fundamental to building a future in which society can continue to benefit from advanced materials while reducing and managing the environmental impact, resource consumption and carbon emissions. In this selection of articles from Green Chemistry, explore cutting‑edge depolymerisation, catalysis, and biological reactions that valorise waste plastics, with the aim of achieving a more circular economy.
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Bioconversion of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid for waste polyethylene terephthalate upcycling
H. Lin, R. Wang, C. Qiu, X. Zhou, A. Xu, X. Qian, W. Dong and M. Jiang |
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Cutting-Edge advances in chemical depolymerization-based recycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate plastics
L. Dong, W. Zhi and F. Li Green Chem. (2026) 28 (39): 15452–15479. |
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Polyurethane depolymerization by dialkyl carbonates: toward sustainable chemical recycling
E. Hosgor, R. P. Martinho, J. S. Hoogland, Y. Jia, A. Morales Gomez, W. Verboom, J-P Lange and J. Huskens Green Chem. (2025) 27 (38): 11782–11793. |
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Catalytic alkaline hydrolysis of PET and BPA-PC waste in minutes at atmospheric pressure without microwaves or organic solvents
A. Jain and S. J. Connon Green Chem. (2025) 27 (18): 4986–4994.
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Closing the loop for poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) recycling: depolymerization, monomers separation, and upcycling
M. Ismail, A. Abouhmad, N. Warlin, S-H. Pyo, O. E. Örn, B. Al-Rudainy, C. Tullberg, B. Zhang, R. Hatti-Kaul Green Chem. (2024) 26 (7): 3863–3873. |
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Chemical recycling of polyester textile wastes: shifting towards sustainability
T. El Darai, A. Ter-Halle, M. Blanzat, G. Despras, V. Sartor, G. Bordeau, A. Lattes, S. Franceschi, S. Cassel, N. Chouini-Lalanne, E. Perez, C. Déjugnat and J-C. Garrigues Green Chem. (2024) 26 (12): 6857–6885. |
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Copper-supported catalysts for sustainable PET depolymerization: a cost-effective approach towards dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) production
Y. Zhang, J. Gao, C. Jiang, G. Luo, J. Fan, J. H. Clark and S. Zhang Green Chem. (2024) 26 (11): 6748–6759. |
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Hydrocracking of polyolefins over ceria-promoted Ni/BEA catalysts
J. A. Sun, E. Selvam, A. Bregvadze, W. Zheng and D. G. Vlachos Green Chem. (2025) 27 (15): 3905–3915. |
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Sustainable thermochemical plastic valorization towards a circular economy: a critical review
L. Chen, C. Zhao, X. Yuan, H. Zhang, M. Senanayake, O. Mašek, C. He and Y. Sik Ok Green Chem. (2025) 27 (18): 4867–4897. |
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Complementary acid site mechanisms in hydrogen-free polyethylene upcycling: elucidating the distinct roles of Brønsted and Lewis sites in Ce-modified zeolites
T. Kwon, J. Park, K. H. Kang, D. S. Jung, W. Won and I. Ro Green Chem. (2025) 27 (38): 11769–11781.
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This selection highlights only a small snapshot of recent Green Chemistry research in sustainable polymer chemistry. For more exciting research, explore the full journal at https://rsc.li/green-chem or discover some of our themed collections carefully curated by our Editorial Board:
🔹Measuring Green Chemistry: Methods, Models, and Metrics
🔹Organic Chemistry in Green Chemistry: Key Highlights
🔹Biomass Conversion in Green Chemistry: Key Highlights
🔹Catalysis in Green Chemistry: Key Highlights
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