Plastic waste to hydrogen fuel: Cutting-edge catalytic technologies for sustainable energy transition

The global energy landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the pressing need to fight climate change, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy security. The rapid growth in global plastic production has led to severe environmental issues, especially concerning plastic waste disposal. While renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower are known for their sustainability and low environmental footprint, plastic waste-to-hydrogen technologies provide an alternative method for energy recovery by converting plastic waste into hydrogen fuel using a variety of thermocatalytic processes, including pyrolysis, gasification, microwave and steam reforming. Numerous pathways for converting waste plastics into sustainable hydrogen fuel have been identified. A detailed analysis has been carried out concerning thermochemical conversion techniques, pointing out the crucial role that catalysts may play in improving hydrogen yield and process efficiency. Our research promotes a circular economy and enhances optimization through AI and machine learning, facilitating the global transition to renewable energy and thereby aligning with sustainable development goal (SDG-7).