Fluorine atoms interact strongly with polyester chains, reducing the energy needed to break the plastic down into its building blocks.

A team of scientists used fluorine and hydrogen bonds for plastic recycling, and found that fluorine helps make PET waste easier to recycle. With these links, the bottles could be converted into different types of polyester plastics, creating a closed-loop system for recycling plastic waste.

The study, led by Xuefeng Jiang of East China Normal University and published in Advanced Science, proposes an innovative approach using polyfluorinated organic acids.These compounds, which contain multiple fluorine atoms, alter the intermolecular forces in PET, facilitating its chemical breakdown.

The researchers showed that fluorine atoms interact strongly with polyester chains, reducing the energy needed to break down the plastic into its basic components. This method has achieved impressive performances in the recovery of monomers, essential for the creation of new plastics.

Although success has been achieved at the laboratory level and at the kilogram scale, significant challenges remain. Further research is required to confirm the viability of the recovered monomers and their suitability for the production of new plastics. Additionally, the possible inclusion of perfluorinated acids in the process raises concerns about their environmental impact and health risks.

Despite these challenges, this breakthrough represents a significant step towards sustainable solutions to the plastic waste crisis. However, rigorous evaluations and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that this method truly contributes to the reduction of plastic pollution without creating new environmental problems.

Why is the focus on polyester plastics important?

Polyester plastics constitute more than 10% of total plastic production and find wide application in packaging, fiber production and single-use beverage bottles.

As global plastic production has doubled since the turn of the century to nearly 400 million metric tons per year in 2021, plastic waste has become a major environmental issue.

The new fluorine study demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach on several types of polyester plastics, including common items such as disposable beverage bottles, fibers, sheets, and more complex blends.