Econic process turns carbon dioxide into green plastic

Econic Technologies has developed catalysts that allow carbon dioxide to be used to produce polyols
Econic Technologies has developed catalysts that allow carbon dioxide to be used to produce polyols

Scientists have spent decades trying to turn waste carbon dioxide into a raw material that could be used to produce plastics and now a British company has announced a breakthrough.

Converting the greenhouse gas into one of the building blocks for polyurethane could herald a new age for plastics used in a wide range of products including running shoes, car seats, mattresses and building insulation.

Econic Technologies has developed catalysts that allow CO2 to be used to produce polyols, which are one of the building blocks of polyurethane.

Not only is CO2 cheaper than the oil-based raw materials used in production methods, its use also reduces dangerous emissions. Although it is produced in vast quantities by industrial processes, it is highly unreactive, which