Plastic upcycling is progressing mainly due to a newly designed catalyst for breaking down plastics. A team of researchers led by experts at Ames Laboratory produced the first processive inorganic catalyst to break down polyolefin polymers into chemicals to make more valuable products in 2020.
According to a research conducted by the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP), led by Ames Laboratory, A recently developed catalyst for breaking down plastics continues to advance plastic upcycling processes.