Chemists turned plastic waste into tiny bars of soap

A new technique could one day help turn plastic waste into valuable raw materials

Pieces of soap made from plastic waste are displayed against a blue background. The soap has the color and reflectiveness of beeswax and is cut in various shapes, including a star, a moon and playing card suits.

Researchers developed a process to turn plastic waste into surfactants, the key ingredients in dozens of products, including soap.

Zhen Xu

The time may be coming to wash our hands of plastic trash.