Six Experts Discuss Innovations in Sustainable Products Made from Plastic Waste

In a compelling five-week webinar series titled “Sustainable Products from Plastic Waste” hosted by Thermo Fisher Scientific, industry experts shared the latest scientific advancements and practical solutions to tackle the complex challenges of recycling modern plastics. Plastic materials used widely in packaging, automotive, textiles, and more often contain intricate chemical compositions, complicating their recycling processes. This interview article distills insights from six leading authorities who presented on diverse topics ranging from material characterization, rheology, mechanical and chemical recycling, to specialized waste streams such as marine plastics.

Key Insights from the Experts

1. Understanding Plastic Waste Types: Pre-Industrial vs Post-Consumer

Dr. Madina Shamsuyeva emphasized the critical difference between post-industrial and post-consumer plastic waste. Post-industrial waste arises during production and is purer with known chemical makeup, making it easier to recycle. In contrast, post-consumer waste comes from products after use, often mixed and degraded, posing recycling challenges. Clear classification ensures transparency and effective target-setting in recycling efforts.

2. Polymer Rheology and the Weissenberg Effect

Dr. Ophélie Ranquet explained the Weissenberg effect through a relatable analogy: like spaghetti climbing a fork when twirled, polymers in rheological tests can climb rotating tools due to their viscoelastic nature. This effect distorts viscosity measurements. To enhance accuracy, she recommends using oscillatory shear mode, allowing polymers to relax and minimizing elastic instabilities.

3. Challenges in Mechanical Recycling and Real-Time Analysis

Felix Mehrens and Niklas Rode highlighted that recycled polymers suffer from inhomogeneous properties caused by degradation, mechanical impacts, and contamination during the product life cycle. Mixed plastic streams introduce variability affecting recyclate quality. Their study on extrusion processes showed temperature significantly influences spectral analyses used to predict material composition, necessitating precise temperature control during testing.

4. Recycling Marine Plastic Waste

Dr. Annika Völp discussed the unique challenges in recycling marine plastics, which are contaminated and degraded, complicating mechanical recycling efforts. Her research involves blending marine plastics with virgin low-density polyethylene (PE). Results indicate thermal stability is generally maintained or improved, though heavily degraded polyamide blends underperform, underscoring the need for rigorous sorting and quality control.

5. Hybrid Chemical-Mechanical Recycling Technologies

Professor João Maia addressed the technological and economic limits of traditional chemical recycling, including low throughput (max ~100,000 tons/year), high costs, energy demand, and environmental impact from CO₂ emissions. His innovative hybrid process combines mechanical and chemical recycling via reactive extrusion, improving throughput and enabling selective separation and upcycling of complex mixed waste streams, thus overcoming feedstock contamination issues.

The Path Forward in Sustainable Plastics

This series illuminates the multidimensional challenges of plastic waste recycling and the strides being made to develop sustainable, efficient solutions. From foundational understanding of polymer behavior to cutting-edge hybrid recycling techniques, the field is rapidly evolving to meet regulatory demands and circular economy goals. Real-time material characterization, innovative blending approaches, and advanced extrusion methods are key tools enabling industry and researchers to transform plastic waste into valuable, high-quality recyclates.

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

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Watch the full webinar series for detailed presentations and Q&A sessions with the experts. Stay informed on breakthroughs that drive sustainability in polymer recycling and product development.

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