Breaking Traditional Limitations! University of Bath Develops More Eco-Friendly PMMA Chemical Recycling Route

Researchers at the University of Bath recently announced that they have successfully developed a chemical recycling technology for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). PMMA is one of the most widely used plastics globally, and traditional recycling methods have found it difficult to achieve efficient recycling.

The recycling process developed by this UK university team operates at a lower temperature than mechanical recycling and uses environmentally friendly solvents. The process causes no loss in material properties, meaning the plastic can be recycled multiple times with minimal environmental impact.

Global annual consumption reaches 3 million tons.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), commonly known as acrylic, is marketed under trade names such as organic glass (Perspex, Plexiglas), among others.

Approximately 3 million tons of the material are consumed globally each year, widely used in automotive parts, displays, and building materials, among other fields.

Dr. Jon Hsbpnd, a researcher and project leader at the Institute for Sustainable Development and Climate Change of the university, said: "Existing recycling technologies are energy-intensive and inefficient, and there is an urgent need for cleaner and more efficient recycling technologies. Plastic recycling often faces challenges in terms of high energy consumption and poor product quality, making it economically unfeasible. The research findings address these two major challenges."

The research result has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Mechanical recycling has obvious drawbacks.

Mechanical recycling causes issues such as discoloration and continuous degradation of material properties in acrylic. PMMA, renowned for its high transparency, can no longer be used in applications requiring a glass-like appearance—such as displays and lenses—after mechanical recycling.

Researchers explained that in recent years, the industry has focused on pyrolysis technology— heating materials to 400°C to recover monomer feedstocks that can be used to produce new, high-quality PMMA. However, this process is highly energy-intensive and easily contaminated by other plastics.

Ultraviolet photocatalytic degradation under anaerobic conditions

A team at the University of Bath has developed a new process that chemically degrades consumer-grade PMMA plastic into its original monomer feedstock using ultraviolet light under oxygen-free conditions.

The key is that this chemical reaction only requires 120–180℃, much lower than the temperature required for traditional pyrolysis recycling.

Researchers said this significantly reduced energy consumption, enhanced environmental benefits and commercialization scalability.

The new method achieves a plastic conversion rate of over 95% and a monomer yield exceeding 70%, and the purified monomers can be repolymerized to produce "brand-new" material.

Simon Frickley of the Institute for Sustainability and Climate Change remarked, "This technology enables the recovery of high-quality monomer from waste PMMA, providing a clear pathway toward a true circular economy for acrylic materials."

Possessing potential for industrial application

ETH Zurich also developed a PMMA recycling technology, using ultraviolet light to activate chlorinated solvents for depolymerization. Compared with this, the team's process is compatible with a wider range of environmentally friendly solvents, laying the foundation for developing a greener, simpler, and industrially viable recycling route.

Currently, this technology can process only a few grams of plastic waste per batch, and the team is continuing research to improve efficiency and scale up the process.