Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling

Zhen Xu; Dongshi Sun; Rong Yang; Jennifer D. Russell; Guoliang Liu

doi:10.1002/cssc.202400474

journal article Open Access Jun 11, 2024

Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling

Zhen Xu

Dongshi Sun Rong Yang

Jennifer D. Russell

Guoliang Liu

ChemSusChem Vol. 17 No. 17 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/cssc.202400474

Abstract

AbstractPolystyrene is a staple plastic in the packaging and insulation market. Despite its good recyclability, the willingness of PS recycling remains low, largely due to the high recycling cost and limited profitability. This review examines the research progresses, gaps, and challenges in areas that affect the recycling costs, including but not limited to logistics, packaging design, and policymaking. We critically evaluate the recent developments in upcycling strategies, and we particularly focus on tandem and hydrogen‐atom transfer (HAT) upcycling strategies. We conclude that future upcycling studies should focus on not only reaction chemistry and mechanisms but also economic viability of the processes. The goal of this review is to stimulate the development of innovative recycling strategies with low recycling costs and high economic output values. We hope to stimulate the economic and technological momentum of PS recycling towards a sustainable and circular economy.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

183

[1]

[2]

Turning off the Tap How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular econom United Nations Environmental Programme Nairobi 2023;

[3]

Global Plastics Outlook - Plastics use by polymer OCED 2022.

[4]

Distribution of plastic production worldwide in 2018 by type can be found underhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/968808/distribution-of-global-plastic-production-by-type/ 2019(accessed 21 Nov. 2023).

[5]

Olivier J. G. J. (2020)

[6]

10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00417

[7]

[8]

Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment

Ali Chamas, Hyunjin Moon, Jiajia Zheng et al.

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06635

[9]

Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability United Nations Environmental Programme 2018;

[10]

10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00532

[11]

10.1021/acs.est.5b02661

[12]

10.1021/es504038a

[13]

[14]

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134254

[15]

10.1038/s41598-018-22939-w

[16]

[17]

J. H. Kim Guidelines for Reducing Plastic Waste (GRP) and Eco-Friendly Initiative Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations 2022;

[18]

10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05805

[19]

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on packaging and packaging waste amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Directive 94/62/EC European Commission 2022.

[20]

The 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Outline of Vision targets for 2035 C. G. o. t. P. s. R. o. China 2021.

[21]

10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119242

[22]

10.4236/me.2018.911111

[23]

10.1162/glep_a_00594

[24]

10.1007/s10163-015-0361-3

[25]

[26]

Joint Report on Management of Plastic Waste in Europe EUROSAI 2022;

[27]

10.1016/j.spc.2022.08.019

[28]

10.1002/app.47529

[29]

10.1016/j.compositesa.2015.08.014

[30]

Statistical analysis of China polystyrene resin industry market status production and sales volume import and export trade PW Consulting Agency Hong Kong 2021.

[31]

Production capacity of polystyrene worldwide in 2021 and 2026 can be found underhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/1065889/global-polystyrene-production-capacity/ 2023(accessed 9 Nov. 2023).

[32]

Plastics – the Facts 2022 Plastics Europe Brussels 2023.

[33]

Plastics – the Facts 2019-An analysis of European plastics production demand and waste data PlasticsEurope 2019.

[34]

Polystyrene production in the United States from 1990 to 2019 can be found underhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/975598/us-polystyrene-production-volume/ 2020(accessed 17 Aug. 2023).

[35]

Measuring Recycling A Guide for State and Local Governments United States E. P. Agency 1997.

[36]

Report on the development of China's renewable resources recycling industry Ministry of Commerce of People Republic of China 2020.

[37]

Expanded Polystyrene is recycled “at scale and in practice“ can be found underhttps://eumeps.org/eps-recycling-ellen-macarthur-foundation-endorsement/ 2022(accessed 23 Oct. 2023).

[38]

[39]

What Really Happens To Your Plastic “Recycling” can be found underhttps://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2022/5/16/what-really-happens-to-your-plastic-recycling 2022(accessed 12 Nov. 2023);

[40]

Top 5 Challenges in Plastics Recycling can be found underhttps://www.seastainable.co/blogs/seastainable-blog/top-5-challenges-in-plastics-recycling (accessed 7 Oct. 2023);

[41]

FAQs on Plastics Our World in Data can be found underhttps://ourworldindata.org/faq-on-plastics (accessed 1 Dec. 2023).

[42]

[43]

Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2018 Tables and Figures Environmental Protection Agency 2020;

[44]

Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2018 Fact Sheet Environmental Protection Agency 2020.

[45]

[46]

Polystyrene: A highly recyclable plastic can be found underhttps://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/polystyrene-a-highly-recyclable-plastic (accessed 22 Nov. 2023);

[47]

Is Polystyrene Recyclable? What Are the Alternatives in the US? can be found underhttps://www.beeco.green/us/facts/is-polystyrene-recyclable/#:~:text=So%20the%20good%20news%20is%2C%20like%20most%20plastics%2C US%20landfill%20space%20is%20taken%20up%20by%20EPS. (accessed 15 Nov. 2023).

[48]

Platzer N. (1982)

[49]

[50]

B. Cavinaw S. Crawford S. Lamaze D. Allen Christenson Rumford (Agilyx Corporation) US010731080B1 2020;

Showing 50 of 183 references

Cited By

58

Nitrogenative Degradation of Polystyrene Waste

Ganfei Zeng, Yanming Su · 2025

Journal of the American Chemical So...

Metrics

58

Citations

183

References

Details

Published: Jun 11, 2024
Vol/Issue: 17(17)
License: View

Authors

Z

Zhen Xu

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Northwest Polytechnology University Xi'an 710000 China; Department of Chemistry Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA-24061 US

D

Dongshi Sun

School of Information and Business Management Dalian Neusoft University of Information Dalian 116023 China

R

Rong Yang

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Northwest Polytechnology University Xi'an 710000 China

J

Jennifer D. Russell

Department of Chemistry Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA-24061 US; Department of Sustainable Biomaterials Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA-24061 US

G

Guoliang Liu

Department of Chemistry Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA-24061 US; Macromolecules Innovation Institute Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA-24061 US

Cite This Article

Zhen Xu, Dongshi Sun, Rong Yang, et al. (2024). Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling. ChemSusChem, 17(17). https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202400474

Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling

You May Also Like