Leona Berndt

Jul 1, 2024 | onlinelibrary.wiley.com | Thomas E. Bayer |Gottfried J. Palm |Leona Berndt |Hannes Meinert

Since the introduction of synthetic polymers, plastics have set application benchmarks as high-performing materials in almost all aspects of everyday life—from food containers and clothing to medical appliances and construction.1 While advantages including (chemical) resistance, durability, and low cost raised mass production from 1.5 million tons in 1950 to 390 million tons in 2021,2 these features contribute to today's failing disposal and recycling plans for synthetic polymers.3-6 In 2015,...