Plastic bag pollution has become a major environmental challenge, pushing cities and countries around the world to heavily tax or ban the sacks. But what if discarded plastic bags could be made into higher-value products? Recently, researchers have come up with a new method of converting plastic bags into carbon chips that serve as anodes in lithium-ion batteries. During the process, polyethylene bags are immersed in sulfuric acid and sealed inside a reactor where they are heated at a certain temperature to produce pure carbon, which is later grounded into a material that can be used for energy-storage. The end product proved to work as well as conventional batteries, meaning that the process could potentially be applied commercially, and thus incentivize the collection and recycling of plastic bags on a large scale.
Scientists unveil new method that turns used plastic bags into batteries
More of Today's Solutions
WasteBar turns cigarette butt waste into food currency in the Netherlands
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There is a small mobile cart somewhere in the Netherlands right now, and if you bring it a ...
Read More5 plant-health boosting orange peel tricks to use in your garden this summer
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every orange you eat comes with a second product most people toss without thinking. The peel is packed ...
Read MoreHere’s why you should wash your clothes with cold water
Washing your clothes with hot water may be an effective way to remove stains, but doing so with every laundry batch takes its toll ...
Read MoreHow to host a more sustainable super bowl party
This year, the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee in collaboration with NFL Green is working together to make this year’s Super Bowl as sustainable ...
Read More
