SAN FRANCISCO — February 11, 2019 — IBM researchers have created a new technology called VolCat, a catalytic chemical process that can turn PET, a type of plastic commonly used in food packaging and polyester clothing, into a renewable resource. The cost-effective and sustainable innovation is capable of breathing new life into old plastic.
Currently, more than 272 million metric tons of plastic is produced each year around the globe, with one-quarter of that made up of PET. VolCat aims to use a precise combination of chemicals, heat and pressure to reduce this amount of plastic, and ultimately the amount of waste, produced. This could completely transform the way we discard and manufacture plastic in the next five years.
This technology is part of IBM’s annual “5 in 5” predictions detailing five innovations that will help change our lives in the next five years.
Posted February 11, 2019
Source: IBM Research Communications
