@article{34678,
  author = {Nemi Vora and Peter R Christensen and Jérémy Demarteau and Nawa Raj Baral and Jay D Keasling and Brett A Helms and Corinne D Scown},
  title = {Leveling the cost and carbon footprint of circular polymers that are chemically recycled to monomer},
  abstract = {<p>Mechanical recycling of polymers downgrades them such that they are unusable after a few cycles. Alternatively, chemical recycling to monomer offers a means to recover the embodied chemical feedstocks for remanufacturing. However, only a limited number of commodity polymers may be chemically recycled, and the processes remain resource intensive. We use systems analysis to quantify the costs and life-cycle carbon footprints of virgin and chemically recycled polydiketoenamines (PDKs), next-generation polymers that depolymerize under ambient conditions in strong acid. The cost of producing virgin PDK resin using unoptimized processes is ~30-fold higher than recycling them, and the cost of recycled PDK resin ($1.5 kg−1) is on par with PET and HDPE, and below that of polyurethanes. Virgin resin production is carbon intensive (86 kg CO2e kg−1), while chemical recycling emits only 2 kg CO2e kg−1. This cost and emissions disparity provides a strong incentive to recover and recycle future polymer waste.</p>},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Science Advances},
  volume = {7},
  pages = {eabf0187},
  month = {09/2021},
  url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abf0187},
  doi = {10.1126/sciadv.abf0187},
  language = {eng},
}