Scientists from the United States and China have achieved a breakthrough in plastic recycling by creating a one-step process that converts mixed plastic waste into petrol with more than 95 percent efficiency. Unlike conventional methods, this approach operates at room temperature and ambient pressure, requiring fewer resources and steps, making it more suitable for industrial application. The work involved researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Columbia University, the Technical University of Munich, and East China Normal University (ECNU), according to SCMP.
The method simplifies a long-standing challenge in plastic waste management by producing valuable outputs such as gasoline-range hydrocarbons, chemical raw materials, and hydrochloric acid. These outputs have practical applications across water treatment, metal processing, pharmaceuticals, food production, and petroleum industries. By combining plastic waste with light isoalkanes, which are byproducts of refinery processes, the research team successfully generated hydrocarbon molecules with six to 12 carbons—the primary components of petrol. The hydrochloric acid obtained can also be neutralized and reused in industrial processes, providing a more sustainable route compared to existing high-energy methods.
The study specifically addresses the challenges posed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which accounts for about 10 percent of global plastic production and is notoriously difficult to recycle due to its chlorine content. PVC is widely used in packaging, pipes, appliances, clothing, and medical devices, but traditional recycling or incineration methods require energy-intensive dechlorination steps to avoid releasing toxic compounds. The new process merges dechlorination with direct fuel conversion, effectively transforming discarded PVC into chlorine-free hydrocarbons and hydrochloric acid in one stage. Tests showed conversion rates of 95 percent for soft PVC pipes and nearly 99 percent for rigid PVC and PVC wires at around 30 degrees Celsius. When PVC was processed together with polyolefin waste, which represents half of global plastic output, the system still achieved a solid conversion efficiency of 96 percent.
Researchers emphasize that the technique is not limited to laboratory conditions and is capable of handling real-world waste streams, including contaminated and mixed plastic sources. ECNU highlighted the significance of this advance, describing it as the first efficient process to convert difficult-to-degrade mixed plastic waste into premium-grade petrol under ambient conditions in a single step. Beyond simplifying the recycling process, the approach adds further value by co-producing hydrochloric acid, a commodity chemical essential for many industries. With global plastic production surpassing 10 billion tonnes and most of it ending up as waste, this method is positioned as a scalable pathway for transforming problematic waste streams into useful materials, supporting broader circular economy objectives.
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