The 'immortal' silicone in your spatula can finally be recycled — 99% of it, at the temperature of a warm oven

Silicone never really goes away: the spatulas, muffin pans and baby-bottle parts made from it resist heat, water and chemistry, so they end up burned or buried. Chemists at Technische Universität Berlin, led by Professor Martin Oestreich, have found a way to unmake it. Their catalytic process snips silicone's stubborn bonds at just 80°C (176°F) and recovered up to 99% of the material's original building block from everyday items within 24 hours — turning an 'immortal' waste problem into a reusable ingredient. The work is published in Nature.

SDG 12 · Responsible consumption and production — Mechanism: tech innovation