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The Energy Forum | Center for Energy Studies | Podcast

Advanced Recycling: Potential, Controversy, and the Future of Plastics (Part 1)

August 5, 2025 | Rachel A. Meidl
Plastics on conveyor belt for recycling

Table of Contents

Author(s)

Rachel A. Meidl

Fellow in Energy and Sustainability | CES Deputy Director

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Tags

PlasticsAdvanced recyclingPlastic wasteThe Energy Forum

About the Episode

Despite decades of effort, only about 9% of plastic waste is successfully recycled. The vast majority ends up in landfills or incinerators. In Part 1 of this two-part episode of “The Energy Forum,” Rachel Meidl is joined by Marco Castaldi, professor of chemical engineering at the City College of New York, to unpack the complex world of advanced recycling, also known as chemical or molecular recycling.

They discuss what advanced recycling actually is, how it differs from traditional mechanical recycling, and why it’s become such a hot topic globally, plus:

  • Can advanced recycling reduce dependence on fossil-derived plastics?
  • Will it complement or compete with current systems?
  • What policies and investments are still missing?

This conversation was recorded on July 7, 2025. 

Subscribe and listen to “The Energy Forum” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

About ‘The Energy Forum’

Hosted by experts at the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies, “The Energy Forum” podcast brings together policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to explore key topics in energy and sustainability.

 

 

This material may be quoted or reproduced without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given to the author and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The views expressed herein are those of the individual author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

© 2025 Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
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