Page 44 - Plastics News August 2026
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FEATURE NEWS
quire a lot of energy. In pyrolysis, the long-chain regulatory frameworks that support recycling,”
polymers of the plastics are broken down into said Dr. Jens Hamprecht, co-author of the pub-
short hydrocarbon chains, which can then be lication and Vice President in BASF’s Perfor-
utilized again as a raw material (pyrolysis oil). mance Materials division.
Gasification produces syngas, which can be de-
ployed as a chemical feedstock in production. As an important pillar of the transformation to-
wards a sustainable economy, recycling keeps
Supportive regulatory frameworks are key for materials circulating, reduces dependencies on
the scale-up fossil raw materials and conserves resources. A
clear and predictable regulatory policy frame-
Numerous BASF pilot projects have demonstrat- work can help position Germany and Europe as
ed that many recycling processes for polyure- leading hubs for innovation, supporting techno-
thanes and polyamides are technically feasible logical progress and sustainable growth in the
and can convert waste plastics back into virgin- chemical and manufacturing industries. This is
quality feedstock. “However, two key conditions why BASF conducts research along the entire
must be met before these technologies can be value chain to systematically improve recycling
deployed at scale and to enable business cases processes and close material loops.
for large scale investments. First, we need ef-
fective waste management systems that keep Source - https://www.global-agriculture.com
plastics in the loop over the long term. Second,
policymakers need to provide clear and reliable
Iit Bhilai Converts Plastic Waste Into High-Value Reprocessable
Material With 3d Printing Potential
ndigenous breakthrough transforms discard- breakthrough is expected to provide a sustain-
ed Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles able solution to plastic waste management while
Iinto durable, repairable and recyclable engi- strengthening circular economy practices and
neering material. supporting next-generation manufacturing tech-
nologies, including three-dimensional (3D) print-
Green catalyst developed from eucalyptus ing.
leaves advances circular economy, sustainable
manufacturing and waste-to-wealth innovation The research was led by Dr. Sanjib Banerjee of
the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technol- of Technology Bhilai, with researchers Priyank
ogy (IIT) Bhilai have developed an innovative Sinha, Bharatbhushan Meshram and Onkarnath
technology to transform discarded Polyethyl- Verma. The findings have been published in the
ene Terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles into a internationally reputed journal Materials Today
high-value engineering material that can be re- Catalysis, underscoring the institute's growing
shaped, repaired and recycled repeatedly. The contribution to sustainable materials research.
48 PLASTICS NEWS August 2026
