Chemical recycling is considered a promising approach for converting plastic waste back into valuable monomers – but existing processes often require catalysts, high temperatures or excessive use of nucleophiles. The decisive advantage: the process takes place under mild conditions and is suitable for both single-type and mixed waste. This opens up new potential for the industrial implementation of chemical recycling processes – especially for waste that is difficult to process using conventional mechanical or thermal methods. The strategy presented provides a practical basis for recovering monomers from plastic waste, thereby promoting circular economy and resource conservation. It could help to significantly reduce the environmental impact of plastics in the long term.