Scientists demonstrate solar-powered plastic recycling at real-world scale

Fred Lewsey The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, have previously demonstrated that a solar-powered reactor can convert plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals, but only at laboratory scale. Now, they have shown a clear path for converting this technology to a commercial scale, in outdoor, real-world conditions. While previous demonstrations have used a small reactor (catalyst) about 25cm square, the new device is significantly larger – about one metre square – which they tested under natural sunlight outside Cambridge’s Chemistry Department.