As the reliance of the plastic industry has increased, a corresponding increase in plastic waste has led to vast ecological damages. However, an effective method to remove this waste from the environment is to ensure that the waste is prevented from entering the environment. This presented research aims to synthesize glycerol-derived green solvents to dissolve chemically resilient plastic waste such as PVC, PP, PE, and PET. Through this dissolution, additives can be extracted, permitting the remaining base components of the plastics to be used in chemical recycling. In close collaboration with computational researchers and the utilization of Hansen Solubility Parameters, synthesis methods can be developed to form new solvents based on their predicted RED values. The process to produce these solvents is based upon the ability of a glycerol-structure to be tailored to form new solvents. As such, glycerol, epichlorohydrin, and glycidyl ethers are all effective bases for functional groups to be bonded to allow for numerous combinations that will possibly prove effective as plastic solvents. In developing effective plastic solvents, the possibility of removing and repurposing these resilient plastics would revolutionize the world’s capacity for plastic chemical recycling.
