As a result, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, while 79% goes to landfills and 12% is burned, releasing carbon dioxide. “Plastic waste is accumulating at alarming rates, and clean hydrogen is essential for decarbonizing energy. The researchers adapted that method for plastic waste and used it in laboratory tests on PET, PE, and PP. It generated considerably more hydrogen from PET while running at temperatures 300-400 degrees Celsius below those required for traditional steam gasification. Earlier low-temperature methods for producing hydrogen from plastic waste have faced major restrictions.