Today’s Solutions: July 11, 2025

Currently, people in the UK are recycling nearly 45 percent of their plastic waste, and that number is expected to rise in the following years. However, one of the problems with current plastic recycling methods is that you end up with a lower-quality plastic with worse properties than the original.

This means that plastic drinks bottles cannot simply be recycled into new drink bottles continuously, but instead are used for other lower-grade products such as water pipes, park benches, and traffic cones.

Now, scientists from the University of Bath have developed a way to recycle plastic hundreds of times without losing the quality of the material. The novel recycling method involves converting plastics back into their constituent chemical molecules so that they can be used to make new plastics of the same quality as the original.

The researchers recycled plant-based PLA, which is made from starch or crop waste instead of petrochemicals and is used in “biodegradable” food packaging and disposable cutlery and cups. The team has also started trialing a similar process for recycling PET, which is used for drinks bottles.

As the idea of transitioning to a circular economic model is steadily gaining momentum, we hope to see more breakthroughs of the like in the near future.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Mexico bans dolphin shows in historic vote to protect marine mammals

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a landmark move for animal welfare, the Mexican Senate voted unanimously to ban dolphin and other marine ...

Read More

Sweet solutions: 8 delightful ways to use honey for glowing skin and shiny hair

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There’s a reason honey has stood the test of time in beauty rituals. From ancient queens like Cleopatra ...

Read More

Beekeepers and airports join forces to save pollinators

Back in 2012, Ben Shertzer, wildlife administrator at Pittsburgh International Airport, found himself dealing with a perplexing problem: swarming bees. The bees would land ...

Read More

Electric taxis take flight— The greener future of urban air travel

A quiet electric aircraft resembling a bug-like creature glides above the iconic Eiffel Tower and the zinc-grey rooftops of Paris in a stunning spectacle. ...

Read More