Toward Sustainable Plastic Waste Valorization: Green Synergistic Catalytic Strategies for Plastic Upcycling
Luyao Zhang, Junliang Chen, Jinzhou Li, Jing Wu, Pin Gao, Jianping Yang
Abstract
Abstract The accelerating accumulation of plastic waste highlights the urgent need for recycling strategies aligned with sustainable development. Converting plastics into carbonaceous feedstocks offers a promising pathway to close the carbon loop while reducing reliance on virgin fossil resources. Conventional recycling methods remain constrained by high energy input, limited compatibility with mixed waste streams, and undesirable by‐products. Emerging green catalytic approaches aim to address these limitations, enabling plastic upcycling under milder conditions and reducing dependence on hazardous solvents and energy‐intensive processes. In particular, the synergistic catalytic systems integrating thermal, photo, electricity, and biological catalysis demonstrate unique advantages over single‐mode strategies by combining complementary reaction pathways, lowering activation barriers, enhancing selectivity, and improving energy utilization. Such synergistic effects not only broaden the scope of processable plastic substrates but also contribute to value‐added products and reduce costs. In this review, we highlight the significant potential of synergistic strategies in advancing plastic valorization, while also discussing challenges in catalyst durability, process scalability, and substrate heterogeneity. It is hoped that this review could encourage innovations in rational catalyst design, synergistic process construction, and complementary multi‐system combination to establish economically and environmentally robust platforms for plastic valorization.