Title: Plastic polymer waste conversion into green by-end products: a review

Authors: Abdul Majeed Pirzada; Sallahuddin Panhwar; Hareef Ahmed Keerio; Siraj Ahmed; Asim Ali; Zartasha Pitafi

Addresses: Department of Environmental Science, Sindh Madressatul Islam University, Karachi, Pakistan ' Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, Balochistan Campus, Quetta, Pakistan ' Department of Environment Engineering, Quaid E Awam University of Engineering Science and Technology Nawabshah, Sindh 67450, Pakistan ' Department of Energy and Environment Engineering, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, M.A. Jinnah Road Karachi 74800, Pakistan ' Department of Civil Engineering Technology, The Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University of Technology and Skill Development, Pakistan ' Institute of Environmental Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro, Sindh 76062, Pakistan

Abstract: Plastic waste disposal is a global problem and can be a legacy for development. It is obvious that polymers made from plastic make people's lives easier, but they also pose a threat to the environment. Nano-plastics are widely used because of their small size, allowing them to reach the liver, brain, placenta, heart and kidneys. Researchers are now focusing on converting plastics into value-added products by using various methods such as liquefaction, pyrolysis and gasification. Plastic conversion offers a wide range of applications for carbon-based materials such as graphene, carbon quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanomaterials used in biosensors for environmental applications, composites, medical devices, energy storage devices, conductive coatings and paints, conductive fillers or to improve the strength of composites, and transistors for semiconductors, lithium-ion batteries, and microelectronics. In addition, plastic waste is used in the construction industry and road building materials. This review highlights the importance of plastic conversion and the challenges of implementing plastic waste conversion technology at the commercial level.

Keywords: plastic waste conversion; value-added products; carbon material; zero waste.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2025.146392

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2025 Vol.37 No.1, pp.54 - 71

Received: 25 Aug 2022
Accepted: 06 May 2023
Published online: 28 May 2025 *

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