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Sustainable recycling of polymers: a comprehensive review

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Abstract

The commercial use of polymers has expanded considerably in recent decades, resulting in exponential expansion in the polymer production business. As a result, polymer recycling is critical to the circular economy’s sustainability. Governments and organizations are making significant efforts to reduce the carbon footprint generated by the use of synthetic polymers. Organizations such as the United Nations routinely launch initiatives worldwide to educate people and limit plastic manufacture. UNEP aims to reduce plastic output by 80% by 2040 by establishing a circular economy between the production and use of plastic. The manufacturing industry likewise takes huge steps to lessen its reliance on plastic. The industry is developing new ways and technologies to recycle these polymers sustainably. This paper studies and examines waste thermoplastic and thermoset material recycling initiatives made by other researchers. Various forms of recycling, primary, secondary, thermal, chemical, and biological are explored along with the sustainability of that particular recycling technique.

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Abbreviations

ABS:

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

ASTM:

American Society of Testing and materials

Bio-PA:

Bio-polyamide

Bio-PBAT:

Bio-polybutylene adipate terephthalate

Bio-PBS:

Bio-based poly butylene succinate

Bio-PC:

Bio-phosphatidylcholine

BIO-PE:

Bio-based polyethylene

BIO-PET:

Bio-based polyethylene terephthalate

BIO-PP:

Bio-based polypropylene

C2C:

Cradle to cradle

CA:

Cellulose acetate

CEN:

European Committee for Standardization

CFRC:

Carbon fiber reinforced composites

GHG:

Green house gas

HDPE:

High-density polyethylene

HMF:

Hydroxymethylfurfural

ISO:

International Organization of Standardization

LCA:

Life cycle assessment

LDPE:

Low-density polyethylene

LLDPE:

Linear low-density polyethylene

MAH:

Maleic anhydride

PAI:

Polyamide-imide

PBAT:

Polybutylene adipate terephthalate

PBS-G-MAH:

Poly(butylene succinate) grafted with maleic anhydride

PBT:

Polybutylene terephthalate

PC:

Polycarbonate

PCL:

Posterior cruciate ligament

PE:

Polyethylene

PEF:

Polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate

PET:

Polyethylene terephthalate

PHA:

Polyhydroxyalkanoates

PHB:

Polyhydroxybutyrate

PLA:

Polylactic acid

PMMA:

Poly(methyl methacrylate)

PP:

Polypropylene

PPP:

Poly(p-phenylene)

PS:

Polystyrene

PVA:

Polyvinyl alcohol

Tc:

Ceiling temperature

Tg:

Transition temperature

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India

    Shivanshu Kolluru, Abhiraj Thakur & Sharan Chandran

  2. School of Chemical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India

    Devansh Tamakuwala

  3. College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore

    Seeram Ramakrishna

  4. International Institute of Aerospace Engineering and Management, Jain Deemed-to-Be-University, JGI Global Campus, Bangalore, 562112, India

    Vishnu Vijay Kumar

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Kolluru, S., Thakur, A., Tamakuwala, D. et al. Sustainable recycling of polymers: a comprehensive review. Polym. Bull. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-024-05195-z

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