in the United States, two chemists from the University of Berkeley say they have discovered a revolutionary recycling process

The technique developed, which consumes less energy, works in the laboratory, but has not yet aroused the interest of the plastics industry.

Plastic is an almost eternal pollutant; traces of it are found in the human body and in certain animals. Researchers at the University of Berkeley near San Francisco may have found a solution. THE Los Angeles Times wonders, Tuesday September 3 (article in English) if these researchers have not quite simply discovered the Holy Grail of recycling.

These two chemists involved in the project claim to have set up a recycling process which breaks the chains of polyethylene and polypropylene and which then allows them to be recycled with an efficiency of up to 90%. The other good news is that to cause this process, they use sodium or tungsten, two products that are easy to find and inexpensive. There is no need for water. In addition, the temperature required for the operation, lower than other forms of recycling, therefore requires less energy than these other forms of recycling, the pyrolysis of plastics in particular (the most efficient solution at the moment).

Polyethylene and polypropylene are two of the most common forms of plastic. Those found in plastic bags, yogurt pots or car bumpers, for example. So, if it works, the horizon of applications is vast as plastic is part of our daily lives. But the price to pay, plastic pollution, is heavy and its effects are very, very long-lasting. If we are to believe this team of chemists from the University of Berkeley, the process can be done on a large scale, which is essential for their discovery to have an impact. They indicate that they have not yet been contacted by the plastics or recycling industry, but their product is relatively new, perhaps that will come.

However, its researchers themselves admit that the performance of their method decreases when the products they want to recycle are contaminated by other types of plastic such as polystyrene, for example. Plastics are often contaminated with other things, so the problem is not easily solved. For his part, the Los Angeles Times asked a recycling expert for his opinion and that expert, Neil Tangry of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, is not very optimistic. Yes, the planet still cannot effectively recycle plastic today. But a process that works very well in the laboratory will not necessarily succeed under the conditions of what he calls “the real world”.

Certainly, the Berkeley process requires less energy than other recycling techniques, but it still takes some. According to the expert, this energy requirement implies a large carbon footprint. And then, as always, it’s about money. As long as recycled plastic costs more than virgin plastic, it will be slow to achieve widespread adoption.