Converting plastic waste into vinegar

Plastic waste is a global problem and researchers around the world are looking for solutions to tackle it. Canadian researchers are aiming to convert old plastics into acetic acid using sunlight.

A team at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has designed a photocatalysis process inspired by biological processes. The goal is to solve the problem of plastic waste while simultaneously converting it into a high-value product, said project leader Yimin Wu. The process can be applied to a variety of common plastics.

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It uses a catalyst consisting of iron atoms embedded in a carbon nitride support material. Under the influence of sunlight, hydroxyl radicals, very reactive hydrogen-oxygen molecules, are formed. These break down the long plastic chains into intermediates, which are then reduced to acetic acid in the same way.

The process is similar to the way certain types of fungi break down organic matter. The reaction takes place at room temperature and ambient pressure and can also occur in water. This means the process would also be suitable for breaking down plastic waste in water.

The team has successfully tested the process with common plastics, for example, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Performance varies, with the best performance being with PVC.

“This process allows us to break down plastic waste using abundant and freely available solar energy without releasing additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” Wu said. The acetic acid can be processed in the food or chemical industries, for example, as a flavoring, solvent or adhesive.

The team led by Wu described the process in the journal Advanced Energy Materials . The researchers say it is still in the laboratory stage, but they expect it to be very useful for industrial applications.

DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202505453

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