IIT Madras, Columbia and Colorado varsity scientists develop sustainable plastic recycling technique

Researchers at IIT Madras, Columbia University and Colorado State University in the US have developed a technique to merge diverse plastics into strong and recyclable materials.

Researchers at IIT Madras, Columbia University and Colorado State University in the US have developed a technique to merge diverse plastics into strong and recyclable materials.

According to officials, this multi-institutional team has developed a technique by which different types of plastics can be combined to produce new composite plastics that are not only strong but can also be reprocessed and recycled.

The findings of this research, which could potentially revolutionise the plastics recycling industry, have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

Traditional plastics recycling methods have some issues due to the immiscibility of diverse polymers. The group of researchers employed a specially designed universal dynamic crosslinker (UDC) to successfully blend usually incompatible plastics.

The research not only addresses the plastic waste crisis but also holds the promise of transforming the way society perceives and manages plastic recycling, officials said.

By providing a practical solution to the challenge of mixed plastics, this innovative technique represents a significant stride towards a more sustainable future, they said.

Tarak Patra, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras told PTI, “Although India’s plastic recycling rate of 13 per cent exceeds the global average of 9 per cent, there are technical hurdles hindering further progress in plastic recycling. Plastic waste is made of many different kinds of polymers and these polymers do not mix easily.”