Upcycling of polymeric waste is an emerging strategy for the production of value-added products. In contrast to recycling, this approach not only aims at the reduction of polymer waste accumulation in the environment with alternative fate with respect to landfills or incineration, but it also holds the promise of the valorisation of waste materials as feedstock resources for fine chemicals or high value functional nanomaterials. Accordingly, we aim at obtaining novel products using abundant and accessible polymeric-waste precursors under environmentally friendly conditions to provide alternative production routes towards a sustainable society based on circular materials.

• Luminescent carbon dots obtained from polymeric waste

• Thermal, structural and degradation properties of an aromatic–aliphatic polyester built through ring-opening polymerisation