Plastics have become indispensable to modern life, but their dependence on fossil-based feedstocks, limited recyclability, and improper disposal contribute significantly to environmental pollution and climate change. Global plastic production is expected to triple by 2050, reaching over 1 billion tons annually and generating a CO2 footprint of 2.8 billion tons, underscoring the need for sustainable solutions.
Chemical recycling, particularly for polyesters like PET and PLGA, offers a promising route to recover monomers for indefinite reuse, while biobased polymers could reduce plastics’ carbon footprint. However, bioplastics face economic and technical challenges, with biobased materials making up only 1% of global plastics production. Misunderstandings about biodegradability further complicate their adoption; for instance, PLA is compostable but degrades slowly in natural environments, and PBAT’s biodegradation intermediates may pose environmental risks.
This session invites abstracts on innovative strategies to address these challenges, including advances in chemical recycling, biobased polymer development, biodegradability studies, microplastic mitigation, and innovative end-of-life strategies are strongly encouraged.