Upcycling agriculture plastic waste to high value cross-linked polyethylene. Working with a plastic recycling company and a regional council, this project aims to recycle ~200,000 kilometres of waste

Description

Upcycling agriculture plastic waste to high value cross-linked polyethylene. Working with a plastic recycling company and a regional council, this project aims to recycle ~200,000 kilometres of waste plastic film generated per year. By developing a novel chemical cross-linking method, this waste plastic will be recycled into a value-added feedstock for manufacturing strong, durable, sustainable plastic products such as cables and pipes. The project will divert the amount of thin plastic film being stockpiled on Australian farms or being buried in landfill thereby reducing the negative environmental impact of thin plastic film. The project will potentially lessen Australia’s reliance on foreign manufacturers of thin plastic film and provide cheaper raw materials for Australia’s plastic manufacturing industry.. Scheme: Linkage Projects. Field: 4016 - Materials Engineering. Lead: Prof Hao Wang