Upcycling polyethylene plastic waste into valuable molecules – Science Daily

When we started using plastics about 70 years ago, not much thought — if any — was given to the implications of their lifespan and the fact that they can take centuries to decompose. Consequently, as plastics have diversified and become easier to manufacture, the planet is now straddling some 8.3 billion tons of the stuff — almost every bit of plastic ever produced — without enough technology or incentives to shrink that growing pile. Plastic is cheaper and easier to produce and throw away than…

Click here to view the original article.