Guoliang “Greg” Liu of the Department of Chemistry has discovered a new method of recycling plastics — from milk cartons, food containers, and plastic bags — into soap. The method: Heat the long carbon chains in the plastics then quickly cool them.
These tiny particles are creating big challenges worldwide and are at the core of emerging fields of study for researchers, including many at Virginia Tech.
With industry partner, Charlottesville-based NatureORAL Co., and collaborators at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry, Abby Whittington and her team have received $75,000 in seed money from the Virginia Commonwealth Commercialization Fund to begin a project that could reduce the growing problem of medical waste worldwide.