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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

How to recycle unrecyclable paper cups

Chemistry can transform disposable cups into industrially useful structures called cellulose nanocrystals.
Metallic rubbish bin full of disposable coffee cups. Illustration of the concept of litter produced by paper cups.

Most paper cups are not recycled, but a new technique could turn them into biodegradable packaging films. Credit: Getty

Nearly 50 billion disposable paper cups are thrown away each year in the United States alone. Most of these cups are not recyclable or not recycled. They typically end up in landfill or are burnt, producing environmentally damaging solid waste and greenhouse-gas emissions.

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Nature 623, 890 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03562-w

References

  1. Basak, M., Gandy, E., Lucia, L. A. & Pal. L. Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 4, 101689 (2023).

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