Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics News

High interest for iCOUP research on polyolefins to alkylaromatics

The iCOUP paper, "Bifunctional tandem catalytic upcycling of polyethylene to surfactant-range alkylaromatics," published in the journal Chem, has ten mentions across three different URLs.

Our plastic waste can be used as raw material for detergents, thanks to an improved catalytic method

But, for researchers at UC Santa Barbara, one person’s single-use packaging is another person’s useful raw material. In a paper published in the journal Chem, they have reimagined the value of single-use plastics, with improvements to an innovative process that can turn polyolefins, the most common type of polymer in single-use packaging, into valuable alkylaromatics — molecules that underlie surfactants, the active components of detergents and other useful chemicals.

Argonne finds a way to recycle 'plastic No. 2' not just two or three times but infinitely

Chemists at Argonne National Laboratory in DuPage County have worked out a new way to recycle certain plastics infinitely, a discovery that could change the way we recycle containers like those used for milk and laundry detergents.

Four Iowa State University students have been named 2023 Goldwater Scholars

The prestigious Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering in the United States. Among the winners is Daniel Howell, who works with polymer upcycling at iCOUP.

What can we do about all the plastic waste?

A collaborative effort led by scientists at Ames and Argonne national laboratories is working to keep plastic out of landfills by finding ways to turn it into valuable products.

Scientists enhance recyclability of waste plastic

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP) have developed a new method for recycling HDPE.

New zirconia-based catalyst can make plastics upcycling more sustainable

A new type of catalyst breaks down polyolefin plastics into new, useful products. This project is part of a new strategy to reduce the amount of plastic waste and its impact on our environment, as well as recover value that is lost when plastics are thrown away. The catalyst was developed by a team from the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastic (iCOUP), a U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Frontier Research Center.

Cartoon representation of the zirconia catalyst.

A newly developed catalyst makes single-use plastics easier to upcycle, recycle, and biodegrade

Researchers created a new catalyst that transforms hydrocarbons into chemicals and materials that are higher value, easier to recycle, and biodegrade in the environment. This catalyst transforms materials such as motor oil, plastics in single-use grocery bags, water or milk bottles, and their caps, and even natural gas.

Ames Lab scientist Aaron Sadow named AAAS Fellow

Sadow was named an "esteemed innovator" by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

iCOUP scientist featured on Green Sense Podcast

Max Delferro and Geoff Coates, scientists for iCOUP, appeared on a recent episode of the Green Sense Podcast