Plastic Recycling and Upcycling

Biohybrid and catalytic materials for circular plastic valorization

We develop biohybrid and catalytic material systems that complement established collection, sorting and mechanical recycling routes. Our research focuses on post-consumer and challenging plastic streams, creating selective pathways for feedstock conditioning, resource recovery and the conversion of plastic-derived resources into useful chemical, material and energy-relevant products. Through these approaches, we aim to support a more circular and resource-efficient plastics economy.

Key Research Directions

• Decolourisation & Feedstock Conditioning: Developing semi-biological strategies to prepare diverse post-consumer plastic streams for downstream conversion and resource recovery, including approaches that address colour, composition, structure, and other factors affecting processability.

​

• ​Selective Polymer Deconstruction: Creating catalytic and biohybrid platforms that enable controlled breakdown of plastic materials into recoverable, value-bearing resources.

​

• Sustainable Resource Recovery: Exploring abiotic and biotic pathways to transform recovered plastic-derived resources into higher-value chemicals, functional materials, and fuels.

​

• Circular Integration: Creating scalable technologies designed to integrate smoothly into existing industrial recycling ecosystems, moving from waste collection to closed-loop manufacturing.

Team