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Recycling and Degradation of Polymeric Materials: Exploring Different Perspectives in Plastic Waste Management

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 2735

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Sabino De Gisi

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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, Section of Chemical Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II n. 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: environmental engineering; waste treatment; life-cycle assessment; materials from waste; sludge treatment; recycling; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrea Sorrentino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council (CNR), P.le Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: smart polymers; food packaging; biodegradable polymers; nanocomposites; polymer degradation; additive manufacturing
Dr. Maria Oliviero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council (CNR), P.le Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: sustainable polymers; nanocomposites; polymer hybrid materials; “lightweight” materials; polymer processing; polymer degradation; food packaging
Dr. Giovanni Gadaleta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biodegradability & Compostability Laboratory; AIMPLAS—Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico, Paterna, Spain
Interests: biodegradability; compostability; bioplastic waste treatment; anaerobic digestion; composting; bioplastic degradation; municipal solid waste
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, plastics have become integral to our daily lives. However, a notable challenge arises from the short lifespan of many plastic products, particularly in packaging; this has led to a substantial volume of discarded items transforming into waste. The existing plastic waste management system has proven inadequate in coping with the escalating production and diverse range of plastic products. Consequently, the improper handling of plastic waste has resulted in a perilous dispersion of plastics in the natural environment, causing documented adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Several strategies, such as the establishment of ambitious targets for recycled content in plastic products, the development of alternative and complementary recycling processes, and the promotion of eco-designs principles, are underway to address post-consumer plastics and alleviate their environmental impact.

Within this context, this Special Issue aims to provide a platform for thoughtful discussion on the recycling of polymer waste, with a holistic consideration of technological, economic, environmental, and social dimensions. The Special Issue aims to cover a range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

  • The environmental fate of plastics;
  • Characterization of post-consumer plastics for recyclability;
  • Processes and technologies for post-consumer plastics recycling;
  • Design principles for recyclability;
  • Degradation processes of plastics in natural environments;
  • Degradation processes of plastics in municipal solid waste management systems;
  • Physicochemical properties of polymers during degradation;
  • Development of new products from recycled plastics;
  • Economic, social, and environmental aspects of plastics recycling;
  • Case studies highlighting effective plastics recycling processes.

We encourage contributions that delve into these critical facets, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the realm of polymer waste recycling. Your valuable insights and research findings will contribute to advancing sustainable practices and mitigating the adverse impacts of plastic waste on our environment.

Dr. Sabino De Gisi
Dr. Andrea Sorrentino
Dr. Maria Oliviero
Dr. Giovanni Gadaleta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plastic waste
  • plastic debris
  • mechanical recycling
  • chemical recycling
  • producer responsibility extension
  • sorting
  • sustainable bioplastics
  • decomposition
  • recyclability design
  • environmental design
  • comprehensive lifecycle evaluation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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30 pages, 3721 KiB  
Article
Recyclability of Plastics from Waste Mobile Phones According to European Union Regulations REACH and RoHS
by Martina Bruno and Silvia Fiore
Materials 2025, 18(9), 1979; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18091979 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 84
Abstract
Small waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as waste mobile phones are rich in plastic components. Recycling mobile phones is particularly challenging, since the main interest for recyclers is printed circuit boards, rich in valuable metals, while the plastic components are [...] Read more.
Small waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as waste mobile phones are rich in plastic components. Recycling mobile phones is particularly challenging, since the main interest for recyclers is printed circuit boards, rich in valuable metals, while the plastic components are usually destined for thermal recovery. This study is dedicated to the assessment of the recyclability potential of the plastic fractions of end-of-life (EoL) mobile phones according to the European Union’s (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) directives. A total of 275 plastic items (inventoried as casings, frames, and screens) were dismantled from 100 EoL mobile phones and analyzed to identify the type and abundance of polymers via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the presence of hazardous elements such as Br, Cl, Pb, and Cd via X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Polycarbonate (PC) (57% of samples) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) (27% of the items) were identified as the most common prevalent polymers. In total, 67% of the items contained Cl (0.84–40,700 mg/kg), and 26% contained Br (0.08–2020 mg/kg). Hg was detected only in one item (17 mg/kg). Cr was found in 17% of the items, with concentrations between 0.37 mg/kg and 915 mg/kg, while Pb was found in 15% of the items in low concentrations (1–90 mg/kg). In conclusion, while hazardous elements are present in the plastic fractions of EoL mobile phones (with higher values in smartphones), their concentrations were below the regulatory limits, suggesting compliance with recycling regulations in the EU. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Degradation of Polymeric Materials: Exploring Different Perspectives in Plastic Waste Management)
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21 pages, 3015 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Antioxidant Consumption and Build-Up in Polypropylene During Open-Loop and Closed-Loop Mechanical Recycling
by Niek Knoben, Max Vanhouttem, Aike Wypkema and Nithya Subramanian
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1640; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071640 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 362
Abstract
Polypropylene (PP), a widely used recyclable plastic in packaging and engineering applications, is prone to thermo-oxidative degradation during reprocessing and molding at high temperatures. Antioxidants (AOs) are essential for stabilizing PP in both its virgin and recycled states. The quantity of AO added [...] Read more.
Polypropylene (PP), a widely used recyclable plastic in packaging and engineering applications, is prone to thermo-oxidative degradation during reprocessing and molding at high temperatures. Antioxidants (AOs) are essential for stabilizing PP in both its virgin and recycled states. The quantity of AO added is critical: insufficient amounts can lead to poor stabilization, while excessive amounts can cause safety concerns due to build-up. This study presents a modified approach to measure the Oxidation Induction Temperature (OIT) using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), particularly for recycled PP from waste that contains unpredictable contaminations. This modified approach ensures the safety of the calorimetry cell by limiting the oxidation reaction and preventing the release of volatile compounds during measurements. By performing DSC measurements in inert environments, we obtain the OIT, which can be correlated to residual intact AO levels. This approach to monitoring AO levels is demonstrated in both open- and closed-loop recycling of rigid PP. Although the presence of contamination is known to catalyze thermo-oxidative degradation in PP, our results indicate that recycled PP from open-loop collection still contains sufficient residual AO that allows it to withstand limited thermal reprocessing. However, this tendency of AO retention leads to significant build-up during closed-loop recycling when AOs are added to each cycle, where the PP grade remains fairly homogeneous and the dispersity (Đ) does not significantly increase over multiple recycling loops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Degradation of Polymeric Materials: Exploring Different Perspectives in Plastic Waste Management)
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19 pages, 2536 KiB  
Article
Anaerobic Biodegradation of Polylactic Acid-Based Items: A Specific Focus on Disposable Tableware Products
by Marica Falzarano, Alessandra Polettini, Raffaella Pomi, Andreina Rossi, Tatiana Zonfa, Maria Paola Bracciale, Serena Gabrielli, Fabrizio Sarasini and Jacopo Tirillò
Materials 2025, 18(5), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18051186 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 651
Abstract
The viability of anaerobic degradation treatment as an end-of-life option for commercial disposable bioplastic tableware, typically certified as compostable, was assessed. Two types of polylactic acid-based items were selected and tested under mesophilic conditions (38 °C) for 155 days, until reaching a plateau. [...] Read more.
The viability of anaerobic degradation treatment as an end-of-life option for commercial disposable bioplastic tableware, typically certified as compostable, was assessed. Two types of polylactic acid-based items were selected and tested under mesophilic conditions (38 °C) for 155 days, until reaching a plateau. Advanced chemical characterization of the products was performed with a combination of analytical techniques, i.e., microscopy, spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry. Two methods for calculating the biodegradation degree of the products were discussed and compared, using the biogas generated in the test and the total organic carbon (TOC) removal, respectively. The method based on TOC removal, resulting in a biodegradation degree ranging from 80.5% to 88.9%, was considered to more accurately describe the process. Given the complexity of assessing the biodegradation of a bioplastic product, an effort was made to derive correlations among the chemical–physical composition of the product, the biodegradation conditions, and the biodegradation yields/kinetics, with an aim to describe the process comprehensively. Statistical tools were also applied to derive additional considerations regarding the influence of the polymeric blend and digestion parameters on the biodegradation of bioplastic products. The identified data clusters, which were found to be grouped by the digestion temperature and the type of bioplastic, indicated specific biodegradation features of the investigated materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Degradation of Polymeric Materials: Exploring Different Perspectives in Plastic Waste Management)
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14 pages, 1595 KiB  
Article
Effect of Chemical Structure and Apparent Density of Rigid Polyurethane Foams on the Properties of Their Chemical Recycling Products
by Marcin Zemła, Maria Kurańska, Laima Vevere, Mikelis Kirpluks, Elżbieta Malewska, Maria Sofia Apostolou and Aleksander Prociak
Materials 2024, 17(24), 6190; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17246190 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 946
Abstract
The aim of this work was to synthesize polyurethane foams based on petrochemical polyols and biopolyols with specific apparent densities (40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 kg/m3), test their properties, glycolyze them, and finally analyze each glycolyzed product. The petroleum-based foams, [...] Read more.
The aim of this work was to synthesize polyurethane foams based on petrochemical polyols and biopolyols with specific apparent densities (40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 kg/m3), test their properties, glycolyze them, and finally analyze each glycolyzed product. The petroleum-based foams, used as reference foams, and the bio-based foams underwent a series of standard tests to define their properties (the content of closed cells 20–95%, compressive strength 73–1323 kPa, thermal conductivity 24–42 mW/m∙K, brittleness 4.6–82.9%, changes in linear dimensions < 1%, and water absorption < 1%). Taking into account the need for recycling, the foams were shredded and then glycolyzed by diethylene glycol, with the addition of a catalyst in the form of potassium hydroxide. The chemolysis products were analyzed through determination, i.e., the amine and the hydroxyl values, viscosity, and molecular weight. The obtained rebiopolyols had hydroxyl numbers ranging from 476 to 511 mg KOH/g. The type of biopolyol used in the PUR foam systems had a significant impact on the amine number and the viscosity of the obtained rebiopolyol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Degradation of Polymeric Materials: Exploring Different Perspectives in Plastic Waste Management)
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