Danish research: Converting plastic waste into carbon-capturing materials

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, led by Professor Margarita Poderyte, have developed a new way to tackle two environmental problems at once: plastic pollution and climate change.

They have successfully “upcycled” PET plastic (commonly found in water bottles and textiles) into a new material called BAETA.

What is BAETA?

BAETA is a solid material designed to capture $CO_2$ from the atmosphere. It offers several advantages over current technology:

• Highly Efficient: Its carbon-capture performance is as good as existing commercial methods.
• Eco-Friendly: The production process does not create microplastics and requires very little energy.
• Reusable: Once the material is “full” of $CO_2$, it can be cleaned by heating it to 180°C. This restores over 90% of its capacity, allowing it to be used many times.
• Better than Liquids: Traditional methods use liquid chemicals that are corrosive and require huge amounts of energy to recycle. BAETA is stable, durable, and more cost-effective.

Why is this important?

• The PET Problem: Every year, 70 million tons of PET are produced, but 80% ends up in landfills, incinerators, or the ocean.
• Rising Emissions: As global industries and populations grow, the need for efficient carbon capture is becoming urgent.

The Challenges Ahead

While BAETA is promising, the team still faces hurdles before it can be used on a massive scale:

1. Material Purity: Waste plastic comes from many sources; impurities can affect the quality of the BAETA produced.
2. Cost: The manufacturing cost must be low enough to compete in the market.
3. Real-world Testing: The team is currently working on improved versions and partnering with industries to test the material’s durability in real-world scenarios.

***Photo Reference: https://knowesg.com/climate-environment/from-bottles-to-climate-solution-plastic-waste-becomes-carbon-capture-material***