Trash into Treasure: Value-Added composites from waste plastic packaging and carbon nanotubes

Kit O'Rourke; Christopher Griffin; Keith Doyle; Muhammad Waqas; Paula Douglas; Bronagh Millar; Dipa Ray

doi:10.1016/j.mtsust.2025.101231

Trash into Treasure: Value-Added composites from waste plastic packaging and carbon nanotubes

Kit O'Rourke
, Christopher Griffin
, Keith Doyle
, Muhammad Waqas
, Paula Douglas
, Bronagh Millar
, Dipa Ray^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

AMIC

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This work explores the use of low-value packaging film-based waste mixed plastics (wMP) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) to produce value-added composites. The performance of the composites is assessed through mechanical testing, UV ageing, and electrical conductivity measurement. Reinforcing wMP with 5 wt% CNT increased the tensile strength and tensile modulus by 46 % and 23 %, respectively. There were similar increases in flexural modulus (53 %), compressive strength (131 %), and compressive modulus (89 %) compared to unreinforced wMP. UV ageing for 500 h had no measurable effect on unreinforced wMP but decreased the flexural modulus of wMP/5 wt% CNT by 23 %. An average electrical conductivity of 1.65 × 10⁻² S/m was measured for wMP/CNT, with unreinforced wMP showing no measurable electrical conductivity, as expected. This research provides valuable scientific insights into the application of mixed waste plastics in composites, aiding the creation of a more circular economy for plastic waste and leading to second-generation products with a wide range of potential applications.

Original language	English
Article number	101231
Number of pages	10
Journal	Materials Today Sustainability
Volume	32
Early online date	17 Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtsust.2025.101231
Publication status	Published - 01 Dec 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

Electrical conductivity
Mechanical testing
Mixed plastic packaging waste
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes
Recycled plastics
UV ageing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
General Materials Science

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Trash into Treasure: Value-Added composites from waste plastic packaging and carbon nanotubes
Copyright 2025 the authors. This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited.
Final published version, 8.05 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Trash into Treasure: Value-Added composites from waste plastic packaging and carbon nanotubes",

abstract = "This work explores the use of low-value packaging film-based waste mixed plastics (wMP) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) to produce value-added composites. The performance of the composites is assessed through mechanical testing, UV ageing, and electrical conductivity measurement. Reinforcing wMP with 5 wt\% CNT increased the tensile strength and tensile modulus by 46 \% and 23 \%, respectively. There were similar increases in flexural modulus (53 \%), compressive strength (131 \%), and compressive modulus (89 \%) compared to unreinforced wMP. UV ageing for 500 h had no measurable effect on unreinforced wMP but decreased the flexural modulus of wMP/5 wt\% CNT by 23 \%. An average electrical conductivity of 1.65 × 10−2 S/m was measured for wMP/CNT, with unreinforced wMP showing no measurable electrical conductivity, as expected. This research provides valuable scientific insights into the application of mixed waste plastics in composites, aiding the creation of a more circular economy for plastic waste and leading to second-generation products with a wide range of potential applications.",

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AU - Griffin, Christopher

AU - Doyle, Keith

AU - Waqas, Muhammad

AU - Douglas, Paula

AU - Millar, Bronagh

AU - Ray, Dipa

PY - 2025/12/1

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N2 - This work explores the use of low-value packaging film-based waste mixed plastics (wMP) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) to produce value-added composites. The performance of the composites is assessed through mechanical testing, UV ageing, and electrical conductivity measurement. Reinforcing wMP with 5 wt% CNT increased the tensile strength and tensile modulus by 46 % and 23 %, respectively. There were similar increases in flexural modulus (53 %), compressive strength (131 %), and compressive modulus (89 %) compared to unreinforced wMP. UV ageing for 500 h had no measurable effect on unreinforced wMP but decreased the flexural modulus of wMP/5 wt% CNT by 23 %. An average electrical conductivity of 1.65 × 10−2 S/m was measured for wMP/CNT, with unreinforced wMP showing no measurable electrical conductivity, as expected. This research provides valuable scientific insights into the application of mixed waste plastics in composites, aiding the creation of a more circular economy for plastic waste and leading to second-generation products with a wide range of potential applications.

AB - This work explores the use of low-value packaging film-based waste mixed plastics (wMP) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) to produce value-added composites. The performance of the composites is assessed through mechanical testing, UV ageing, and electrical conductivity measurement. Reinforcing wMP with 5 wt% CNT increased the tensile strength and tensile modulus by 46 % and 23 %, respectively. There were similar increases in flexural modulus (53 %), compressive strength (131 %), and compressive modulus (89 %) compared to unreinforced wMP. UV ageing for 500 h had no measurable effect on unreinforced wMP but decreased the flexural modulus of wMP/5 wt% CNT by 23 %. An average electrical conductivity of 1.65 × 10−2 S/m was measured for wMP/CNT, with unreinforced wMP showing no measurable electrical conductivity, as expected. This research provides valuable scientific insights into the application of mixed waste plastics in composites, aiding the creation of a more circular economy for plastic waste and leading to second-generation products with a wide range of potential applications.

KW - Electrical conductivity

KW - Mechanical testing

KW - Mixed plastic packaging waste

KW - Multi-walled carbon nanotubes

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KW - UV ageing

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JF - Materials Today Sustainability

M1 - 101231

ER -

Trash into Treasure: Value-Added composites from waste plastic packaging and carbon nanotubes

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Cite this