Circularity of Plastics

Circularity of Plastics: Sustainability, Emerging Materials, and Valorization of Waste Plastic takes an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to circularity and sustainability in plastics, with an emphasis on plastic waste and end-of-life treatment, options for recycling, re-use, and valorization, and development of biomass-based polymers.

The book begins by introducing the key concepts of sustainable materials, circular economy, and life cycle assessment, and discussing the key challenges in valorization of waste. This is followed by a first section of the book examining valorization or upcycling of waste plastic into new materials and fuels, with dedicated chapters exploring state-of-the-art techniques for conversion to new sustainable polymers, fuel and fine chemicals, and carbon nanomaterials. The second section of the book highlights emerging technologies used to produce functional polymers from renewable feedstocks, including CO2, biomass, natural polymers, polylactic acid (PLA), and polyhydroxyalkanoate-based materials (PHAs), with a final chapter focusing on applications of sustainable materials, challenges, and future perspectives.

This is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists, engineers, R&D professionals, and advanced students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, with an interest in sustainable materials, circularity in plastics, and polymer waste and valorization.