Versatile Chemical Recycling Strategies: Value‐Added Chemicals from Polyester and Polycarbonate Waste

ZnII‐complexes bearing half‐salan ligands were exploited in the mild and selective chemical upcycling of various commercial polyesters and polycarbonates. Remarkably, we report the first example of discrete metal‐mediated poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (BPA‐PC) methanolysis being appreciably active at room temperature. Indeed, Zn(2)2 and Zn(2)Et achieved complete BPA‐PC consumption within 12–18 mins in 2‐Me‐THF, noting high bisphenol A (BPA) yields (SBPA=85–91 %) within 2–4 h. Further kinetic analysis found such catalysts to possess kapp values of 0.28±0.040 and 0.47±0.049 min−1 respectively at 4 wt%, the highest reported to date. A completely circular upcycling approach to plastic waste was demonstrated through the production of several renewable poly(ester‐amide)s (PEAs), based on a terephthalamide monomer derived from bottle‐grade poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), which exhibited excellent thermal properties. Full circle: ZnII‐complexes bearing half‐salan ligands facilitate the mild and selective degradation of various commercial polyesters and polycarbonates into value‐added products (green solvents and chemical building blocks). We report the first example of discrete metal‐mediated poly(bisphenol A carbonate) methanolysis being appreciably active at room temperature, whilst the production of several renewable poly(ester‐amides)s demonstrates a completely circular PET waste upcycling approach.