!["[A] more elegant way to tackle plastic recycling issues."](https://www.thecooldown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/plastic-recyclingimage-recRmbtfMn0pwVx8I.jpg?w=1920&h=800)
Researchers have developed a way to use air moisture to break down plastics. With some more refining, this breakthrough technology could improve the efficiency of plastic recycling.
Researchers from Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering developed the affordable and sustainable process. It involves using an inexpensive catalyst to break down bonds that keep the plastic together. Then, the broken-down plastic is exposed to air. Moisture in the air converts those plastic leftovers into monomers, the molecules that form plastic.
"Leveraging air moisture allows us to eliminate bulk solvents, reduce energy input, and avoid the use of aggressive chemicals," Naveen Malik, one of the study's authors, said in a press release, calling the technique a "more elegant way to tackle plastic recycling issues."
According to Greenpeace, recycling processes that rely on chemicals and heat can create new chemicals that are toxic to people and the environment.
Reducing plastic waste is a must. Since it doesn't break down naturally in landfills, it takes up space and contributes to methane pollution, a toxic gas that contributes to the planet's overheating and reduces air quality. Experts have also linked the gas to multiple health problems, including heart disease and preterm birth.
Meanwhile, plastic pollution is also piling up in oceans and harming delicate marine ecosystems, which can disrupt the entire food web.
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The best way to reduce the presence of this material is to choose plastic-free products. When avoiding plastic isn't feasible, recycling can help minimize waste.
Study co-author Yosi Kratish noted that the United States recycles only 5% of plastics despite being the world's largest plastic polluter per capita. Northwestern University's technique proves that there may be better, cheaper ways to do it, potentially encouraging more recycling.
There's a bonus, too. Experts can recycle or upcycle the monomers formed by this process into "more valuable materials," said Malik, who added that this is "particularly exciting."
The Northwestern researchers want to continue improving the process by optimizing it for large-scale recycling. The team started by testing it on real products, like plastic bottles and shirts. It worked, even transforming colored plastics into colorless ones. That's a good sign that mainstreaming this technology may not be too far away.
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