All Plastic articles
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SponsoredSustainable solutions for plastics: the future role of lignins
Could lignins provide a sustainable alternative to petroleum in plastics development?
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Research
Spectroscopy from space lets satellites spy out ocean plastic patches
The technique could show where and how floating plastic patches form, and raise awareness of plastic pollution in the oceans
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Opinion
Plastics and pandemics
The Covid-19 pandemic is our top priority but the plastic problem isn’t going away
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Business
Taking responsibility for waste
How well are companies that produce and use plastics living up to their duty?
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Podcast
Terephthalic acid
Once thought of as an interesting – but useless – turpentine derivative, this oddly-named acid became the precursor to one of the world’s most widely used plastics
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Review
Exhibition: Plastic
This exhibition wrestles with the conundrums of plastic – cheap to make, expensive to dispose of; it can last forever, but is often used only once.
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Research
Glucose derivative replaces BPA in sustainable polycarbonate plastic
Transparent engineered plastic ditches hormone disruptor and lung irritant
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Research
2D synthetic clay sheets could create easy to recycle crisp packets
Alternative to metal-coated plastics possible thanks to new environmentally-friendly synthesis
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Research
C–H fluoroalkylation tackles plastic waste
Photocatalytic method that upcycles aromatic polymers could breathe new life into rubbish
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Research
Converting waste plastic bottles into jet fuel
Simple three-step process generates minimal waste and diverts plastic from landfill
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Research
New family of polymers can be easily recycled and even upcycled
Dynamic covalent bonds means polymers can be taken apart by acid
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Opinion
Thinking differently about waste
Plastic and carbon emissions are valuable resources we can’t afford to discard
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Research
Plastic packaging waste upcycled into technical materials
Process takes on plastic recycling challenge by turning food packing into heat conducting and electromagnetic shielding material
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Research
Sunlight converts plastic waste to hydrogen fuel
Food contamination no problem for photocatalytic recycling process
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News
£20 million UK fund to clean up plastics production
Money will help tackle environmental problems caused by plastics
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Business
US steel and aluminium tariffs threaten chemical and plastics sectors
Trump administration to levy 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium
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News
No decisive action on UK coffee cup waste problem
Despite environmental committee’s urging the UK government is hesitant to introduce a ‘latte levy’
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News
EU leaders announce plans to tackle plastic waste
Efforts will focus on improved recycling and phasing out single-use plastics
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News
Conventions governing polymers' names revised
Polymer nomenclature based on structure of repeating unit aims to iron out inconsistencies
