Innovative grinding-based process offers a low-energy pathway to depolymerise polyester waste into reusable chemical building blocks
Researchers and industry innovators are exploring ball mill grinding technology as a promising approach for sustainable polyester recycling, enabling the breakdown of polyester waste into valuable chemical components while reducing energy consumption compared with conventional recycling methods.
The emerging process uses mechanical energy generated through ball milling to activate polyester materials and improve depolymerisation efficiency. By increasing contact between polymer particles and recycling agents, the technology can help convert difficult-to-recycle polyester waste into reusable raw materials for new products.
Polyester, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is widely used in packaging, textiles and consumer products. However, recycling polyester from mixed waste streams and textile applications remains challenging due to additives, dyes and complex material structures. Advanced chemical recycling methods are being developed to overcome these limitations and recover high-value monomers.
Ball mill-based depolymerisation offers potential advantages by enabling recycling under milder processing conditions compared with traditional high-temperature chemical recycling techniques. Studies have demonstrated that mechanochemical approaches can recover reusable monomers from PET waste, including plastic bottles and polyester textiles, supporting closed-loop recycling pathways.
The technology aligns with growing demand for circular solutions in the plastics, coatings and textile industries. Recovered polyester building blocks can potentially be reused to manufacture new polymers, helping reduce dependence on fossil-based raw materials and supporting resource efficiency.
For coatings and materials industries, sustainable polyester recycling could provide new opportunities to incorporate recycled feedstocks into products while maintaining performance requirements. As companies continue investing in circular chemistry, mechanical activation technologies such as ball milling are gaining attention as potential tools for next-generation recycling systems.
The development of low-energy polyester depolymerisation technologies represents an important step towards improving plastic waste management and building more sustainable material supply chains.