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Six Experts Share Insights on Sustainable Products from Plastic Waste

In a recent webinar series by Thermo Fisher Scientific titled “Sustainable Products from Plastic Waste”, six industry experts discussed innovative scientific advancements to improve recycling methods and develop sustainable products from complex plastic waste. The series highlighted challenges and solutions in recycling different types of plastics, focusing on technological progress and practical applications.

Key Distinctions in Plastic Waste Recycling

Dr. Madina Shamsuyeva emphasized the critical difference between post-industrial and post-consumer plastic waste.

• Post-industrial waste originates during production and is purer and more consistent, making it easier to recycle.
• Post-consumer waste is collected after product use and is more varied, presenting challenges in recycling due to contamination.
  Understanding these distinctions is vital for transparency and achieving recycling targets.

Polymer Rheology and the Weissenberg Effect

Dr. Ophélie Ranquet explained polymer behavior in recycling processes through the Weissenberg effect—analogous to spaghetti climbing a fork. This viscoelastic phenomenon can distort viscosity measurements during polymer processing. Using oscillatory shear modes instead of steady rotation helps reduce this effect, improving the accuracy of material characterization.

Challenges in Mechanical Recycling of Mixed Plastics

Co-presenters Felix Mehrens and Niklas Rode addressed the difficulty of processing recycled polymers, particularly due to inhomogeneous material properties caused by degradation and mixing of varied plastics. Real-time extrusion analysis enhances the ability to monitor material properties dynamically, although temperature changes can influence spectral data, necessitating precise control during quality assessment.

Recycling Marine Plastic Waste

Dr. Annika Völp focused on the unique obstacles in recycling marine plastic waste, which is often contaminated and degraded. Blending marine plastics with virgin low-density polyethylene (PE) can maintain or improve recyclate thermal stability if the waste stream is carefully sorted and monitored. However, blends with severely degraded materials like polyamide (PA) showed reduced stability.

Advances in Hybrid Mechanical-Chemical Recycling

Professor João Maia discussed the limitations of chemical recycling—high costs, environmental impact, low capacity, and sensitivity to contamination. His team explores hybrid recycling combining mechanical and chemical methods using reactive extrusion. This approach promises higher throughput, improved purification, and preservation of polymer value, helping to tackle large-scale mixed plastic waste more efficiently.

Conclusion

This expert series offers valuable insights into overcoming the technical, economic, and environmental challenges of plastic waste recycling. From differentiating waste types and understanding polymer behaviors to advancing hybrid recycling technologies, these developments pave the way for more efficient, sustainable products derived from plastic waste.

For further details, watch the full webinar series provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Materials Characterization. (2025, October 02). Six Experts Talk Sustainable Products from Plastic Waste. AZoM. https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=24662

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