Upstream challenges in the scaling of plastics chemical recycling

Recent advances in chemical recycling have moved innovative pathways from laboratory research toward commercial deployment. However, upstream challenges, including feedstock collection, preprocessing, contaminant removal, and solids handling, remain underappreciated despite major impacts on cost, reliability, and scalability. In this review, we highlight key upstream challenges in feedstock acquisition, quality, and transport that may limit the growth of chemical recycling technologies. Using flexible film packaging, textiles, and electronic waste as case studies, we show how feedstock-specific logistics and pretreatment requirements influence process operability. We also highlight key considerations for heterogeneous solids processing. We argue that achieving cost competitiveness with virgin production will require innovations beyond deconstruction chemistry, including modular process architectures, distributed preprocessing strategies, and reactor systems designed to accommodate variable and contaminated solid feedstocks.