Not a day goes by without news of microplastics in our oceans. There are not many efficient methods of recycling plastics without compromising quality. A beacon of hope was recently lit when researchers discovered acid hydrolysis of a vinyl polymer breaks down into salicylic acid and acetic acid, precursors to dehydroaspirin which in theory can be made into vinyl polymers again.

A beacon of hope was recently lit at Shinshu University where Professor Yasuhiro Kohsaka and his graduate student Akane Kazama discovered acid hydrolysis of a vinyl polymer broke down into salicylic acid and acetic acid. These acids form aspirin through some reactions. Vinyl is the second most common plastic in the world today. Previous recyclable vinyl had been too unstable to work with at room temperature, and was not suitable for practical use.

The team at Shinshu plan to study the reaction mechanism in-depth which they hope will provide insight into real world applications for recyclable vinyl polymers. If it can become cost effective to recycle vinyl on an industrial scale, we will be one step closer to solving the global plastic waste problem.

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Materials provided by Shinshu University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.