Science

Plastic bags and bottles become industrial-strength adhesives through new upcycling method

Source: Phys.org · Published 5 Nov 2026, 22:20

Around 450 million metric tons of plastics are produced worldwide each year. The major share of this sheer volume is used only once and then winds up in an incinerator or in landfills. This also applies to so-called polyolefins, which include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). As packaging materials and films, they account for approximately half of our plastic consumption.

Key points

Around 450 million metric tons of plastics are produced worldwide each year.
The major share of this sheer volume is used only once and then winds up in an incinerator or in landfills.
This also applies to so-called polyolefins, which include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
As packaging materials and films, they account for approximately half of our plastic consumption.

Plastic bags and bottles become industrial-strength adhesives through new upcycling method

Key points

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