PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic is a ubiquitous material globally, creating good opportunities for upcycling due to its abundant material supply. Indeed, plastic waste is a huge problem, with PET plastic water bottles being a major culprit. In the U.S., plastic bottled water sales have grown from a mere 2.8 billion. PET bottles are essentially made of chemically linked long polymer molecules. “One of the first few crucial steps in turning PET bottles into. The team obtained PEs from PET bottles by taking advantage of the susceptibility of PET's ester linkages for chemical solvolysis and the structural rigidity of the terephthalate aromatic components. They also found that the. “This promising performance paves the way for a future powered by more sustainable energy,” said Fam. But how feasible is it for PET.