Chemists at the University of Copenhagen have unveiled a breakthrough method to turn plastic waste into a powerful carbon capture material — tackling both plastic pollution and climate change at once.
The research focuses on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the world’s most widely used plastic, found in bottles, textiles, and packaging.
Once discarded, PET often ends up in landfills or oceans, breaking down into harmful microplastics. Now, researchers have developed a process that “upcycles” PET into a new material called BAETA, which can efficiently absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and industrial emissions.
Lead author Margarita Poderyte explained: “By turning waste into a raw material that can actively reduce greenhouse gases, we make an environmental issue part of the solution to the climate crisis.”
From Bottles to Carbon Capture
BAETA has a powdery structure that can be pelletized, featuring a chemically enhanced surface that binds CO2 effectively. Once saturated, the material can release concentrated CO2 through heating, enabling storage or reuse. The researchers expect the first applications to be at industrial facilities, where BAETA units could filter emissions directly from smokestacks.
Compared with existing capture technologies, the new method is gentler, operating at ambient temperatures and scalable for industrial production. BAETA is also durable, remaining effective from room temperature up to 150°C, making it suitable for high-heat exhaust systems.
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The research, published in Science Advances, highlights BAETA’s dual sustainability advantage: using otherwise unrecyclable PET while delivering efficient CO2 removal.
Poderyte and co-author Jiwoong Lee emphasize that large volumes of degraded ocean plastic could serve as a valuable feedstock, potentially creating new incentives to clean up marine pollution.
“The next big step is scaling up to produce the material in tonnes, Poderyte said. “We’re already working to attract investments and make our invention a financially sustainable business venture.”
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