Plastic wastes for carbon-based materials: investigations on recent applications towards environmentally sustainable, carbon dioxide capture and green energy

Plastics have become integral to daily human life, yet the issue of plastic waste persists as a major environmental pollutant (Bassyouni et al., 2025; Kapoor et al., 2024). The quick rise in the global population has enhanced the production of plastic materials. As the demand for plastic-related products continues to increase, finding effective ways to recycle plastic waste remains a significant challenge for sustainable development (Singh & Walker, 2024). The poor biodegradability of plastic not only gives products a long lifespan but also leads to distribution of plastic waste in ecosystems. This accumulation results in ecological effects and microplastic (MP) pollution, posing significant environmental challenges (Ky et al., 2023b; Pandey et al., 2023; Van-Giang et al., 2024).

There is an immediate need to decrease plastic-containing waste in the environmental matrices. Various treatment methods, including landfill, chemical recycling, and energy recovery have been developed to reduce waste plastic items and protect the ecosystems (Ahsan et al., 2023; Zhao et al., 2020). Commonly, these materials have been disposed of through direct landfills and/or incineration, which can result in significant environmental pollution. Energy recovery methods, while used to generate electricity and heat, also face heavy criticism due to the substantial carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other harmful gas emissions they produce. From a technological perspective, plastic wastes serve as carbon-enriched sources, indicating them significant candidates for the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials (Kapoor et al., 2024; Zhuo & Levendis, 2014). Utilizing plastic waste for carbon-based materials/products eliminates the adverse influences of plastic residues on the ecological environment (da Silva et al., 2023). Transforming waste plastics into porous carbon-based materials has been remarked as a potential solution to solve this problem.

Plastic waste contains a high carbon content, making it valuable as a feedstock for producing carbon nanostructures (Kapoor et al., 2024). Ismail and Dincer (2023) have introduced a system, namely “waste-to-energy” that operates on renewable energy and supports multiple generations of power production centered on the pyrolysis of polyethylene (PE) plastic wastes. Numerous research studies have explored plastic degradation through thermal conversion processes, specifically focusing on hydrogen production (Chen et al., 2024; Lahafdoozian et al., 2024; Williams, 2021). In today’s world, effective plastic management is of critical importance (Saxena, 2025). Governments and scientists must collaborate to address plastic waste at both local and global scales (Fagnani et al., 2020). Efficient management of plastic-contained wastes can be achieved through thermochemical processes. These processes facilitate the degradation of plastic waste while efficiently converting it into valuable energy-yielding products (Dharmaraj et al., 2022; Saxena, 2025). The replacement method of transforming plastic wastes into value-added products, including carbon-based materials, fuels, and fine chemicals, has garnered significant consideration (Chen et al., 2022). Recycling has fewer environmental repercussions as it prolongs the lifespan of plastic materials. Consequently, recycling stands out as a leading management strategy for the plastic crisis. There is an immediate requirement to develop a new, cost-effective, and eco-friendly solution for recycling plastic waste into useful-added products. This perspective is particularly relevant amidst the ongoing United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global plastic pollution treaty negotiations, where the circularity of chemical recycling is a critical issue (Saxena, 2025).

Recently, a growing trend in research focused on synthesizing carbon materials from waste plastics (Dai et al., 2023; Saravanakumar et al., 2025; Shukla & Kamal, 2024). Blanchard and Mekonnen (2024) focus on chemical activation to synthesize high-surface-area activated carbon (AC) from various plastic sources, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PE, polypropylene (PP), and non-recyclable thermoset resins such as epoxy, phenolics. The AC products demonstrate significant potential, with SSA exceeding 2000 m² g^-1. Developing carbon materials from plastic waste offers a sustainable solution for managing plastic pollution by repurposing waste into valuable products. Converting plastics into carbon materials aligns with the principles of a circular economy, transforming waste into high-value resources (Bassyouni et al., 2025; Kumar et al., 2024). Most significantly, plastic waste-derived carbon materials (PWCMs) can offer substantial environmental and economic advantages by cutting relative costs and aiding in efficiently controlling pollution sources related to plastic waste (Chen et al., 2022; Ma et al., 2024). Further, the current increase of CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, given that CO₂ emissions play a significant role in driving climate change. As a practical solution, for instance, the porous carbons derived from waste PET bottles demonstrated not only a significantly high CO₂ capturing but also eliminated severe environmental issues, e.g., climate change (Soni et al., 2024; Yuan et al., 2020). The versatility and growing demand for carbon materials in cutting-edge technologies highlight their significance in advancing renewable energy and environmental solutions (Bharadwaaj et al., 2024; Che & Heynderickx, 2024). However, a comprehensive review of the synthesis and significant applications of PWCMs in the area of sustainable environmental, CO₂ capture, and green energy practices has yet to be examined. Despite challenges like energy-intensive processes and feedstock variability, the potential benefits to both the environment and materials science make this a logical and worthwhile pursuit (Hou et al., 2021; Kibria et al., 2023; Nguyen, 2024; Yao et al., 2022). This study offers a comprehensive understanding of utilizing plastic wastes for carbon-based materials, contributing to research on CO₂ capture, sustainable and green energy, and filling existing knowledge gaps in this field. This work aims to give a thorough summary of current advancements in the synthesis of PWCMs and their renewable applications. These materials can be repurposed for various renewable applications, including carbon resources and energy storage, and as supports in sustainable chemical processes. Utilizing PWCMs as renewable carbon sources contributes to a circular economy by reducing plastic waste while providing sustainable alternatives in industries and environmental remediation. Additionally, the review explores promising avenues for establishing a sustainable cycle of plastic waste management and green energy production.