Recycling packaging materials: Chemist wants to use plastics sustainably

Robert Geitner wants to make simple polymer compounds more stable and sustainable. Simple plastics made from polyolefins such as films or carrier bags have become an integral part of our everyday lives, but are rarely recycled. Junior Professor Robert Geitner wants to give these food packaging materials a new lease of life. At his Physical Chemistry/Catalysis Group, he is researching new potential applications for the materials. His vision is to turn thin plastic films into Kevlar vests. Whether it's cling film, carrier bags or milk cartons - as much as packaging like this makes our everyday lives easier, it also harms our environment. Polyolefin-based materials, which include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), are currently hardly ever recycled.