Led by Prof. Charlotte Williams (University of Oxford) & Prof. Antoine Buchard (University of York)
The project “The Science of Closed Loop Polymer Recycling Catalysis”, led by Charlotte Williams (University of Oxford) with Prof. Antoine Buchard (University of York), colleagues across the UK and PDRA Dr Thomas Maguire. It addresses one of the most urgent sustainability challenges facing the chemicals sector: enabling efficient, selective and scalable closed-loop recycling of waste polymers.
With global polymer production exceeding 400 million tonnes per year and associated emissions approaching 1 Gt CO₂ equivalent, transformative recycling technologies are essential. This project focuses on catalytic depolymerisation of oxygenated polymers—such as polyesters, polycarbonates and polyethers—materials that can be thermodynamically predisposed to recycling at lower temperatures than conventional hydrocarbon plastics. Building on recent proof-of-concept discoveries of highly effective solid-state recycling catalysts, the team will systematically explore catalyst–polymer–process relationships to deliver low-energy, high-selectivity recycling routes capable of returning polymers to their true monomers for reintegration into manufacturing supply chains.
A defining feature of the programme is its integration with automation and kinetic modelling to establish quantified structure–performance relationships in recycling catalysis. Automated, miniaturised testing platforms (TGA-IR, DSC, compounder/extruder) will generate rich kinetic datasets which will be coupled with attempts to understand catalyst speciation during catalysis and computational analysis to better predict optimal catalyst and process conditions, including for mixed or contaminated waste streams. By combining fundamental mechanistic understanding with industrial alignment, the project seeks to develop the science required to enable circular polymer economies so as to help to reduce the carbon footprint of plastics.
