Several issues have been identified concerning the recycling of plastics during the analysis of the state of the art. Firstly, the presence of contaminants and the disassembly of complex structures appear as major issue and limit the development of mechanical recycling of plastics. On the other hand, tertiary recycling or chemical recycling is in its infancy and fundamental knowledge in this field is still needed to allow its spreading at different scales.

With a worldwide production of nearly 380 million tons per year, polymer materials play a central role in our modern society. They are used in the manufacture of innumerable daily-life products, or as more sophisticated compounds in medicine, diagnostics, and fine chemistry. However, economical and new societal constraints require a more rational design and alternative synthesis, formulation and processing methods for polymer manufacturing to meet the need for greater sustainability, more virtuous end-of-life management, while maintaining optimal performances in application.