Recycling Made Easier with Degradable Polymer Adhesive for Plastic Bottles

Labels may now be removed from plastic with ease thanks to a new adhesive that dissolves in alkaline solutions.

According to a recent study, a new kind of glue that can be easily removed from plastic bottles and packaging before being disposed of might result in recycled plastic that is of higher quality. The harmful residue that is frequently left behind by the adhesives used to attach labels to plastic bottles and packaging restricts the amount of plastic that can be recycled and used again.

A novel polymer glue developed by a research team from the University of Reading's Department of Chemistry degrades in the presence of basic or alkaline solutions. As a result, labels may be readily removed during the recycling process while remaining securely attached to bottles during regular usage.

The work, which was published last month in the journal Macromolecules, details how scientists created polyurethane with sulfonyl ethyl urethane units, which function as a chemical switch in response to specific chemicals. In experiments, this switch was activated by treating the polymer adhesive with basic or alkaline solutions, which caused it to lose up to 65% of its sticking ability on various surfaces.

This innovation, which was supported by Domino Printing Sciences PLC and the University of Reading, has the potential to revolutionize waste management in a variety of sectors. Reducing the quantity of garbage that ends up in landfills might greatly increase the quality of recovered materials by making it simpler to separate distinct components during recycling.