Good news for the planet: Scientists at Northwestern University have just found a super-simple way to break down PET plastics—the kind used in water bottles, food packaging, and countless other everyday products. And get this: it only requires air and light!
Here’s the breakthrough: When PET plastics are exposed to a specific type of light and oxygen, they break down into smaller, reusable molecules—without nasty chemicals, high heat, or costly processes. This could make recycling cheaper, greener, and way more effective than ever before!
“The U.S. is the number one plastic polluter per capita, and we only recycle 5% of those plastics,” said Northwestern’s Yosi Kratish, the study’s co-corresponding author.
“There is a dire need for better technologies that can process different types of plastic waste. Most of the technologies that we have today melt down plastic bottles and downcycle them into lower-quality products. What’s particularly exciting about our research is that we harnessed moisture from air to break down the plastics, achieving an exceptionally clean and selective process. By recovering the monomers, which are the basic building blocks of PET, we can recycle or even upcycle them into more valuable materials.”
Why does this matter?
Because right now, most PET plastics end up in landfills or oceans rather than being recycled. If scaled up, this could be a game-changer for reducing plastic pollution worldwide.
Could this be the future of recycling? Scientists think so, and the results are pretty exciting. Want to know how it all works? Check out the full article here:https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/03/plastic-recycling-gets-a-breath-of-fresh-air/
