Recycling Plastic Has Been an Uphill Challenge. Could Chemical Recycling Change That?

• This video details the traditional problems with recycling plastic and provides information on new chemical recycling technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way plastic can be broken down.
• It also provides a brief and engaging introduction to the burgeoning field of chemical recycling, while reiterating the fact that recycling alone will not be enough to eliminate plastic waste.
  

Positives

• The video shows footage of recycling facilities and provides an abundance of data and statistics. 
  

Additional Prerequisites

• The concept of urban mining is introduced, but it is not defined in the video. 
• Students should be familiar with terms such as polymer, virgin plastic, and solvent. 

Differentiation

• Chemistry classes can use this video to discuss the kinds of chemical reactions that occur during chemical recycling processes. 
• Economics classes can discuss the economic impetus for corporations such as SABIC to develop chemical recycling plants. 
• Science classes can collect single use plastic trash and then determine what percentage of the trash can be easily recycled and what percentage is likely to end up in a landfill. 
• Similar resources include Plastic Pollution: How Humans Are Turning the World into Plastic, Why Plastic Pollution Is Even Worse Than You Think, and Is Recycling Still Worth It Anymore in 2021?.
  

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