Plastic circularity: Challenges, opportunities, and future pathways

Abstract The generation of plastic waste and its dispersion across environmental compartments is largely attributable to the lack of circularity in the plastic economy; although enhancing circularity can mitigate such leakage, it does not entirely prevent it. Transitioning to a circular plastic economy requires a systemic approach that encompasses the entire lifecycle of plastics, with an urgent need to boost recycling technologies and integrate them into a long-term strategy covering design, production, use, and disposal. Enhanced recycling strategies are needed, as current practices, relying almost exclusively on mechanical recycling, are insufficient to achieve plastic circularity and are nearing their technical limits. Furthermore, the current recycling rates are generating a discrepancy between the legal requirements for recycled resins and their available supply. Available methods include thermal processes using established technologies, as well as dissolution recycling and chemical depolymerization, each at different stages of maturity. While these methods can separate polymers, with or without depolymerization, from complex feedstocks, they face significant technical and economic challenges. A key issue is the high cost of recycling infrastructure, which requires regulatory stability and global commitment to establish a fair set of rules that avoids unfair competition strategies. Additionally, markets for recycled materials remain underdeveloped, especially in countries with less advanced waste management systems. Another critical aspect is the need to design plastic products to facilitate recycling. This means using single materials or objects easy to disassemble, avoiding harmful additives and standardizing waste management practices.