UCLA and South Korean researchers extract hydrogen from plastic waste

Technology Jul 29, 2026

Researchers at UCLA and in South Korea have come up with a new process that transforms everyday plastic trash, like bottles and packaging, into clean hydrogen fuel.

Their method, called alkaline thermal treatment (ATT), skips the need to sort plastics and uses sodium hydroxide plus heat to extract hydrogen gas from common types like PE, PP, and PET.

Lab-scale ATT produces over 90% hydrogen

The ATT process produces hydrogen gas with over 90% purity and works at much lower temperatures than usual methods, saving energy in the process.

Even better, it locks away most carbon byproducts as solids instead of releasing them as carbon dioxide.

While it's only been tested in labs so far, the team hopes to scale up soon, meaning your old water bottle could help power the future.