Page 58 - Plastics News March 2026
P. 58
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
TURN PLASTIC WASTE INTO VINEGAR
cade photocatalysis using iron atoms embedded
in carbon nitride. When exposed to sunlight, a
series of chemical reactions occurs, which trans-
forms plastic polymers into acetic acid with high
selectivity. The reaction takes place in water,
hence the relevance to addressing plastic pollu-
tion in aquatic environments.
Acetic acid is widely used in food production,
chemical manufacturing, and energy applica-
tions. This study outlines how it can be produced
from common plastic wastes (e.g., PVC, PP, PE
and PET). This approach is well-suited to real-
world waste streams as an alternative to plastic
esearchers at the University of Waterloo incineration, supporting a circular economy.
have discovered a process that turns plas- “Both from a business and societal perspective,
Rtic waste into acetic acid, utilising sunlight. the financial and economic benefits associated
Acetic acid is known for being the main ingredi- with this innovation seem promising,” said Roy
ent of vinegar. This breakthrough offers a new Brouwer, Executive Director of the Water Insti-
approach to reducing plastic pollution through tute and a Co-Author of the article supporting
photocatalysis, while also creating a useful, val- the techno-economic analysis.
ue-added chemical product.
Wu added, “This method allows abundant and
“Our goal was to solve the plastic pollution chal- free solar energy to break down plastic pollu-
lenge by converting microplastic waste into high- tion without adding extra carbon dioxide to the
value products using sunlight,” said Dr Yimin Wu, atmosphere.”
a Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics En-
gineering and the Tang Family Chair in New En- Bio-Inspired Cascade Photocatalysis on Fe
ergy Materials and Sustainability. Single-Atom Carbon Nitride Upcycles Plastic
Wastes for Effective Acetic Acid Production was
Waterloo PhD student Wei Wei led the research, recently published in Advanced Energy Materi-
under Wu’s guidance, with early-stage support als.
from a joint seed fund from the Waterloo Insti-
tute for Nanotechnology and the Water Institute. Source - https://interplasinsights.com
Plastic waste, specifically microplastics, is a ma-
jor concern as it threatens terrestrial and marine
life as well as human health. To tackle this prob-
lem, the team has developed a bio-inspired cas-
58 PLASTICS NEWS March 2026
