Top sustainable plastic innovations 2022
Communications and Content Officer
Our recent Global Challenge campaign aimed to surface the next generation of research addressing the plastic crisis to mobilise collaboration with industry around new solutions. In this article, we showcase the 15 top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 submitted to the campaign that received the highest levels of engagement from industry (factoring in the number of introduction requests from companies, positive feedback, and reads per submission).
The projects that feature were submitted to the campaign from academics, universities and research institutes around the world, and range from recycling petroleum-based materials to producing bio-based alternatives. You can view the full list of submissions to the campaign in our sustainable plastics research and innovation: open directory.
How to review the projects
A non-confidential summary of each sustainable plastic innovation is hosted on IN-PART’s digital partnering platform for university-industry collaboration, Connect. Set up an account (it’s completely free), login, and follow the links below.
How to connect with the teams behind them
If you see a project that aligns with your company’s R&D priorities, you can make a request for more information directly through the article on Connect. The academic team or project lead at the institute will then send you a response directly by email.
Top sustainable plastic, polymer and alternative innovations 2022
15. Using enzymes to recycle PET more sustainably
PET is one of the most widely used plastics globally, uniquitous in bottles, food packaging, and numerous industry applications. However, the conventional thermomechanical recycling method currently used generates a material of lesser quality that usually cannot be recycled again. Researchers at McGill University are using enzymes to more effectively break down PET to its molecular building blocks, which can then be repolymerised into high-quality PET, creating a new recycling method that avoids the need for high temperatures and harsh chemicals.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
14. Improving the functionality of biopolymer lignin for more sustainable materials
Researchers at Lakehead University are working to expand the functionality of lignin, the second-most abundant biopolymer on Earth. The primary challenges associated with the end-use of lignin are its heterogeneity, unreactivity, and water insolubility. To address these challenges, researchers have developed different aqueous and non-aqueous based atmospheric and pressurized processes to improve its functionality as an alternative to conventional polymers.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
13. Can biopolymers be used to make carbon fibre construction materials?
Carbon fibre is well-known as a lighter alternative to steel, meaning there is large interest in its use as a construction material. For example, in lighter, more fuel-efficient passenger vehicles that can achieve ambitious emission targets in the EU and US. To provide a more sustainable source of carbon fibre, a team of researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a technology that facilitates sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing of the materials through the use of biorenewable lignin.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
12. A new method to produce bioplastics from domestic organic waste
Researchers at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice have developed a new method to convert urban bio-waste into valuable bio-based films, in a single integrated anaerobic digestion biorefinery. This process optimises the biological production of PHAs (Polyhydroxyalkanoates, a common precursor to bioplastics), leading to a more sustainable alternative to conventional petrochemical-based plastics.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
11. Jet fuel & plastic feedstocks from non-recyclable waste
Chemical engineers at UCL have further advanced the circular economy by developing a novel carbon recycling technology that converts non-recyclable plastic waste into clean, valuable chemicals for jet fuels & plastic production.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
10. Contaminant-free recycled PET
PET is the most commonly used recyclable plastic, however, a major issue is its contamination with PLA when reprocessed in mixed plastic waste streams, reducing the quality of recycled PET. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have solved this with a novel alcoholysis process that produces pure PET and valuable bio-monomers of PLA.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
9. Sustainable alternatives to PET
This technology from researchers at the University of Oulu allows for PET derived from fossil fuels to be substituted with biochemical furfural-derived bifuran containing monomers, which can be found in various side-streams from agriculture and forest industry. This will help us work towards a circular economy as waste streams can be used to make materials with similar properties to fossil fuel based plastics.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
8. Recycling mixed PET plastics
Researchers from Michigan State University have developed a new process to convert mixed thermoformed recycled PETG and bottle-recycled PET, which have long proved a challenge to recycle, into bottle-grade recycled PET for use in new bottles or other plastic products.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
7. Low-cost bio-based polymers with high elasticity and viscosity
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a novel low-cost method to synthesise bio-derived elastomers with tunable mechanical properties and low glass transition temperature for use in the likes of tyres, gaskets, adhesives, and sealants in various industries.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
6. Novel biorenewable and degradable thermoplastics from sugars
A team at the University of Birmingham have developed novel thermoplastics from sugar, which are tough and able to be moulded into a variety of shapes for use in applications including packaging, footwear and furniture. These thermoplastics are degradable in a number of ways including using hydrolysis or seawater and can be recycled.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
5. Identifying new enzymes to degrade plastics
Researchers at Leipzig University have developed a screening technology to identify enzymes capable of less energy-intensive biodegradation processes for plastic films, to produce high-quality recycled plastics with lower CO2 emissions using biochemical methods.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
4. Renewably sourced, biobased thermoset polymers with end-of-life solutions
Thermosets, or cross-linked, polymers have many thermomechanical properties that make them ideal for a wide range of applications. However, it is these property requirements that make them difficult to recycle or reprocess. Inventors at the University of Manchester have developed a renewably sourced family of biobased cross-linkers for the synthesis of affordable and degradable polyester resins with comparable performance and properties as traditional thermosets.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
3. Upcycling plastic waste into higher value products
Currently, most chemical recycling processes have large energy-related costs and do not produce useful products. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a catalytic plastic upcycling method that can be performed at moderate temperatures, producing widely used substances that have a higher value than the waste material from which they are derived.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
2. Biodegradable nanocellulose films
Researchers at the National Chemical Laboratory have designed a process to produce higher yields of quality biodegradable bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) using low-cost materials. The method uses BNC powder which is generally recognized as safe in the food industry and the films are therefore suitable for applications in the medical, food and cosmetic industries.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
1. Bio-based, renewable lubricants
A new synthesis method from University of Delaware scientists creates renewable, biobased lubricant base oils with a lower carbon footprint to provide high-performance, sustainable replacements for petroleum-derived lubricants.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top sustainable plastic innovations 2022 feature.
Technologies written by Anabel Bennett (15, 14, 13, 12), Daisy Gillott (11, 10), Emily Jones (9, 8), Steph Faulkner (7, 6), Ella Cliff (5), Frances Wilkinson (4, 3, 2, 1),
Edited by Frances Wilkinson and Alex Stockham. Formatting by Frances Wilkinson
Copyrights reserved unless otherwise agreed – IN-PART Publishing Ltd., 2022: ‘Top sustainable plastic innovations 2022’
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