Scientists in the US have made a breakthrough in plastics recycling which could give the material an almost indefinite shelf life.
Researchers from Stanford University and IBM claim to have established a ‘green’ recycling system that can reverse the polymerisation process, which is the main cause of the destruction of plastics in recycling.
According to the team polymerisation makes currently recycling efforts ineffective as the plastics are rendered unusable after a few cycles and must be committed to landfill.
However, introducing organic catalysts to the process can limit the detrimental effects and will allow plastic to be widely used in various applications.
If the innovation is picked up by the UK market it could allow for the large-scale development of the product which would be a welcome boost to the nation’s manufacturing sector.
Plastic recycling initiatives are becoming increasingly prevalent in the UK as the government and businesses alike try to limit the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Conveyors – screw conveyors – chain conveyors – belt conveyors.
