Advances in chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) via hydrolysis: A comprehensive review

The increasing accumulation of waste Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) presents a critical environmental challenge. Despite significant efforts, traditional mechanical recycling methods for PET face numerous limitations, leading to exploring alternative recycling approaches. This review explores various chemical recycling techniques for PET, focusing on neutral hydrolysis as a promising method for achieving a sustainable, closed-loop recycling system. Unlike organic solvent-based methods, hydrolysis effectively processes heterogeneous PET waste streams, including copolyesters, offering the direct recovery of terephthalic acid (TPA), the primary monomer in the PET industry. Drawing upon established research and recent advancements, this review underscores the potential of hydrolysis to play a pivotal role in advancing a circular economy for PET, thereby offering a sustainable and effective solution to plastic waste management.