U-M team recycles previously unrecyclable plastic

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is one of the most produced plastics in the United States and the third highest by volume in the world. Study: Using waste poly(vinyl chloride) to synthesize chloroarenes by plasticizer-mediated electro(de)chlorination PVC makes up a vast amount of plastics we use on a daily basis. Much of the plastic used in hospital equipment-tubing, blood bags, masks and more-is PVC, as is most of the piping used in modern plumbing. Window frames, housing trim, siding and flooring are made of, or include, PVC. It coats electrical wiring and comprises materials such as shower curtains, tents, tarps and clothing. It also has a zero percent recycling rate in the United States. Now, University of Michigan researchers, led by study first author Danielle Fagnani and principal investigator Anne McNeil , have discovered a way to chemically recycle PVC into usable material.