Step Change in Recycling Unrecyclable Plastic Waste - A Tandem Route for Circular Economy

Objective

The OCEAN-RE project aims to address the pressing issue of marine plastic waste and promote a sustainable circular economy in Europe. Led by a talented researcher, the project adopts a multidisciplinary and intersectoral approach to develop innovative chemical recycling technologies to effectively convert marine plastic waste into valuable platform chemicals. Through four work packages, the project will investigate hydrothermal treatment as a pre-treatment step, optimize a tandem catalytic process for propene and BTX production, and conduct a life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis to evaluate the process's sustainability and profitability. The successful implementation of the OCEAN-RE project will not only enhance the Fellow's academic competencies and research skills but also promote a sustainable and circular economy in Europe through effective plastic waste management.