Meanwhile, Danny Katz, executive director of Colorado Public Interest Research Group, also added to thethat reduction of the use of plastics is key and expressed doubt over how clean the new process may be.
“We have way better alternatives, way better options. The first one is just reducing,” Katz said. “If you talk to anybody, they would say it is ridiculous how much plastic comes with the products that we buy every single day. We’re drowning in plastic.”Wei Zhang, chair of CU’s chemistry department and lead researcher on the project, argues that his option is providing a much safer and cleaner option to pyrolysis, another form of breaking down plastics.
Since his process produces the starting materials for new products he argues that no petroleum byproducts are needed. His invention creates a closed loop that is eco-friendly and practical. “You truly can do the closed loop and reuse everything without repeatedly using petroleum, because it’s limited and it’s better for the environment,” Zhang said. “That is one future I’m dreaming of, and it’s possible.”
The process isn’t ready for large-scale manufacturing yet but that does not mean it does not offer a viable alternative to