Get the Popular Science daily newsletter\ud83d\udca1<\/p>\n
Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday.<\/p>\n
The age of pre-sorting mixed plastic waste<\/a> may soon be over. The secret weapon? A cheap catalyst made from nickel that targets one of our most problematic polymers. The findings are detailed in\u00a0a study published September 2 in the journal Nature Chemistry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even after decades of worldwide efforts, recycling plastic<\/a> remains much easier said than done. The frustrating reality is largely thanks to a group of polymers called polyolefins. Humans manufacture roughly 220 million tons<\/a> of polyolefin-based products every year, most of which are single-use items like condiment bottles, milk jugs, plastic wrap, trash bags, and juice cartons.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically, almost everything in your refrigerator is polyolefin based,\u201d Northwestern University chemist and study co-author Yosi Kratish said in a statement<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plastics are typically broken down using catalysts<\/a>\u2013compounds capable of exploiting weak chemical bonds to kickstart decomposition in the materials that otherwise take hundreds or thousands of years to deteriorate.\u00a0<\/p>\n