Document Type
Legislative Science and Technology Note
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Plastic waste is a growing problem for West Virginia and the world; global plastic waste is on track to triple by 2030. Plastics can take thousands of years to degrade, and release toxic chemicals that enter the water, soil and ultimately, the food supply. Conventional plastic recycling (mechanical recycling) shreds high-quality used plastics and reforms them into new plastic products. In part because only the highest quality plastics can be mechanically recycled, approximately 9% of plastic waste is recycled annually. Chemical recycling (also called advanced recycling or molecular recycling) refers to a number of technologies that use heat and chemical reactions to break used plastic down into fuels and the building blocks of new plastics. New efforts seek to commercialize chemical recycling of plastics as a complement to mechanical recycling. This Science and Technology Note considers existing chemical recycling policies, and opportunities and challenges for chemical recycling in West Virginia.
Recommended Citation
Nesselrodt, Ryan, "Chemical Recycling of Plastics and West Virginia" (2024). Bridge Initiative for Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications. 26.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/bridge_initiative/26