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Polymers
Special Issues
Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials
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Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Sustainable Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2025) | Viewed by 5041

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antal Boldizar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Rännvägen 2A, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: processing and properties of polymeric materials; cellulosic composites; bioplastics and mechanical recycling of thermoplastics
Prof. Dr. Mikael Rigdahl

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: physical properties of polymeric materials; polymer physics; rheology; time-dependent mechanical properties of polymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extended and efficient use of polymeric materials has been of great interest in society for many decades, as can be seen in public media, in legislation and in academic efforts. Substantial scientific efforts have been devoted to discussions on possibilities and problems involved, such as with mechanical recycling of polymers. This Special Issue aims at a continued discussion on polymer recycling in general, both quantitative and qualitative aspects, towards a better understanding of both the context and the problems involved. We welcome all scientific contributions promoting a critical discussion on these topics!

Prof. Dr. Antal Boldizar
Prof. Dr. Mikael Rigdahl
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. Polymers 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 2700 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

  • recycling of plastics
  • resource efficiency
  • polymeric materials
  • degradation of polymers
  • recycling processes
  • properties of plastics waste

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1906 KB  
Article
Potential of Landfill Mined Combustible Polymer Composite and Soil-like Fraction for Energy Recovery, Chemical Recycling, and Resource Recovery
by Suyoung Lee and Tae Uk Han
Polymers 2025, 17(18), 2514; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17182514 - 17 Sep 2025
Viewed by 202
Abstract
The landfill mining and reclamation (LFMR) project is increasingly recognized as crucial for achieving sustainable waste management and supporting global environmental goals, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy, responsible consumption, and sustainable cities. This study evaluated the [...] Read more.
The landfill mining and reclamation (LFMR) project is increasingly recognized as crucial for achieving sustainable waste management and supporting global environmental goals, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy, responsible consumption, and sustainable cities. This study evaluated the potential of combustible polymer composites (CPCs) derived from landfill mining waste for energy recovery and chemical recycling as well as resource recovery potential of soil-like fractions (SLFs). Through physico-chemical analysis and pyrolysis reaction with catalytic upgrading process, the study evaluates the suitability of CPCs for energy recovery as a solid recovered fuel (SRF) and chemical recycling feedstock. For assessing the SLFs for potential use as recycled aggregates and cover materials, total organic carbon, heavy metal concentration, and biodegradability were investigated. CPCs exhibited varied SRF and chemical feedstock qualities depending on site-specific polymer composition, while SLFs met environmental criteria for both inert waste and stabilization soil classification. The findings not only highlight technical feasibility, but also provide a transferable evaluation framework supporting ‘circular economy’ policies. Therefore, LFMR projects can contribute to sustainable waste management and energy production and provide solutions for effective material recycling, aligning with global environmental and resource conservation goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials)
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20 pages, 2443 KB  
Article
Optimization of Chromium Removal Conditions from Tanned Leather Waste for Collagen Valorization
by Ana-Maria Nicoleta Codreanu (Manea), Daniela Simina Stefan, Lidia Kim, Ionut Cristea and Rachid Aziam
Polymers 2025, 17(17), 2319; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17172319 - 27 Aug 2025
Viewed by 633
Abstract
The large amounts of chrome-tanned leather waste (CLTW) produced annually can be valorized by applying circular economy principles in various fields due to the valuable substances contained (mainly collagen). The main problem for the direct valorization of these wastes is the presence in [...] Read more.
The large amounts of chrome-tanned leather waste (CLTW) produced annually can be valorized by applying circular economy principles in various fields due to the valuable substances contained (mainly collagen). The main problem for the direct valorization of these wastes is the presence in their composition of dangerous substances, such as chromium. Thus, before being used as raw material in new processes, chrome-tanned leather waste must be subjected to a preliminary stage of chromium removal. In this article, we propose to identify the optimal working conditions for the extraction of chromium ions from chrome-tanned hides in the presence of oxalic acid with various concentrations, at various temperatures and contact times, so that the degree of collagen hydrolysis is minimal. In this sense, the response surface methodology (RSM) method was used to optimize the working conditions, to maximize the efficiency of chrome extraction from the leather, and to minimize the efficiency of collagen hydrolysis: An undesirable process. To optimize both the extraction yield (%) and the degree of hydrolysis (%), the key operational variables, namely oxalic acid concentration (%), contact time (%), and temperature (°C), were systematically adjusted using the Box–Behnken design within the response surface methodology (RSM). The most favorable extraction conditions were identified at an oxalic acid concentration of approximately 7%, a contact time close to 120 min, and a temperature near 49 °C. Under these optimized parameters, the hydrolysis degree remained very low, around 0.38%, indicating minimal degradation during the process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials)
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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 4279 KB  
Article
Dynamic Ester-Linked Vitrimers for Reprocessable and Recyclable Solid Electrolytes
by Xiaojuan Shi, Hui Zhang and Hongjiu Hu
Polymers 2025, 17(14), 1991; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17141991 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 507
Abstract
Traditional covalently cross-linked solid-state electrolytes exhibit desirable mechanical durability but suffer from limited processability and recyclability due to their permanent network structures. Incorporating dynamic covalent bonds offers a promising solution to these challenges. In this study, we report a reprocessable and recyclable polymer [...] Read more.
Traditional covalently cross-linked solid-state electrolytes exhibit desirable mechanical durability but suffer from limited processability and recyclability due to their permanent network structures. Incorporating dynamic covalent bonds offers a promising solution to these challenges. In this study, we report a reprocessable and recyclable polymer electrolyte based on a dynamic ester bond network, synthesized from commercially available materials. Polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) and glutaric anhydride (GA) were cross-linked and cured in the presence of benzyl dimethylamine (BDMA), forming an ester-rich polymer backbone. Subsequently, 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) was introduced as a transesterification catalyst to facilitate network rearrangement. Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) was incorporated to establish efficient ion transport pathways. By tuning the cross-linking density and catalyst ratio, the electrolyte achieved an ionic conductivity of 1.89 × 10−5 S/cm at room temperature along with excellent reprocessability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials)
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19 pages, 1900 KB  
Article
Thermal Characterization and Recycling of Polymers from Plastic Packaging Waste
by Maria-Anna Charitopoulou, Stavri Koutroumpi and Dimitrios S. Achilias
Polymers 2025, 17(13), 1786; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17131786 - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 556
Abstract
Today, the global production of plastic packaging reaches a million tons annually, resulting in significant amounts of plastic waste in the environment, which causes serious pollution issues and negatively affects the health of all living beings. However, the recycling rate for plastic packaging [...] Read more.
Today, the global production of plastic packaging reaches a million tons annually, resulting in significant amounts of plastic waste in the environment, which causes serious pollution issues and negatively affects the health of all living beings. However, the recycling rate for plastic packaging waste in Europe currently remains limited (~38%). With this in mind, this study focuses on the collection, characterization, and recycling, through pyrolysis, of 23 random plastic samples collected from food and non-food packaging waste in Greece. The samples were analyzed using thermal characterization techniques, such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA), in conjunction with FTIR spectroscopy to gather important information and identify the polymers present in each sample. Furthermore, the samples underwent pyrolysis, resulting in valuable products such as the monomers styrene or ethylene, along with other useful secondary compounds, including benzoic acid, depending on the polymer type of each sample. The most prevalent polymer identified was PE (35%), while the remaining samples consisted of PET (22%), PP (22%), and PS (17%); only one sample was a blend of PE/PP. DSC facilitated the identification of the polyethylene type (LDPE, HDPE, or LLDPE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials)
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22 pages, 16362 KB  
Article
Effect of Surface Contamination on Near-Infrared Spectra of Biodegradable Plastics
by Namrata Mhaddolkar, Gerald Koinig, Daniel Vollprecht, Thomas Fruergaard Astrup and Alexia Tischberger-Aldrian
Polymers 2024, 16(16), 2343; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16162343 - 19 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2580
Abstract
Proper waste sorting is crucial for biodegradable plastics (BDPs) recycling, whose global production is increasing dynamically. BDPs can be sorted using near-infrared (NIR) sorting, but little research is available about the effect of surface contamination on their NIR spectrum, which affects their sortability. [...] Read more.
Proper waste sorting is crucial for biodegradable plastics (BDPs) recycling, whose global production is increasing dynamically. BDPs can be sorted using near-infrared (NIR) sorting, but little research is available about the effect of surface contamination on their NIR spectrum, which affects their sortability. As BDPs are often heavily contaminated with food waste, understanding the effect of surface contamination is necessary. This paper reports on a study on the influence of artificially induced surface contamination using food waste and contamination from packaging waste, biowaste, and residual waste on the BDP spectra. In artificially contaminated samples, the absorption bands (ADs) changed due to the presence of moisture (1352–1424 nm) and fatty acids (1223 nm). In real-world contaminated samples, biowaste samples were most affected by contamination followed by residual waste, both having altered ADs at 1352–1424 nm (moisture). The packaging waste-contaminated sample spectra closely followed those of clean and washed samples, with a change in the intensity of ADs. Accordingly, two approaches could be followed in sorting: (i) affected wavelength ranges could be omitted, or (ii) contaminated samples could be used for optimizing the NIR database. Thus, surface contamination affected the spectra, and knowing the wavelength ranges containing this effect could be used to optimize the NIR database and improve BDP sorting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Circularity of Polymeric Materials)
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