Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive catalyst and air

Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by lxmorj on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @01:18AM (#43479090)

Wouldn't (fully) burning all single-use plastics effectively make them no more long-lived and problematic than burning crude oil at sea? I know that's a low bar, but it seems like at least you're getting two uses out of them at that point...

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by Synaesthesia on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @03:09AM (#43479592)

A lot of plastics are incinerated. I think it has to be at a high temperature. Of course this does emit carbon dioxide.

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by zdragnar on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @01:12PM (#43484417)

The temperature at which burning polymers completely eliminates particulates and CO is very close to the temperature that NOx starts to form.

Source: I did a bunch of research on rocket mass heaters (think rocket stove, not missile engine) when I built one.

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by Mashimo on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @05:50AM (#43480444)

And if you produce heat / energy from burning it, you can technically call it recycling :)

Put some filters on top of the power plant exhausts and it's clean enough to build a ski slope on top of it.

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by neilknowsbest on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @11:29AM (#43483297)

The reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amager_Bakke

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by XorNot on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @10:36AM (#43482729)

Landfilling plastics avoids even putting CO2 back into the environment.

Modern landfill is highly engineered and extremely stable: what goes in there stays there.

Plastic starts as oil in the ground. Replacing it as solids in the ground isn't a problem.

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by ainiriand on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @01:57PM (#43484894)

That was always my impression, and after that you can always build a park on top!

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by djentile on Wednesday March 26, 2025 @06:12PM (#43488041)

Among other problems, plastics release methane and c02 as they decompose in landfills, so it's not as cut and dried a solution as you imply.

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Re:Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive... by xnx on Thursday March 27, 2025 @02:00PM (#43496171)

Modern landfills carefully channel and burn off the methane

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