Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) actively drive advanced research in Plastic Waste Management across multiple academic departments, including Chemical, Civil, Materials Engineering, and Environmental Sciences.

 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) actively drive advanced research in Plastic Waste Management across multiple academic departments, including Chemical, Civil, Materials Engineering, and Environmental Sciences.

The comprehensive list below details MTech and PhD research topics, student projects, and core thematic areas explored across major IIT branches:

1. Advanced Chemical Recycling & Valorization

Focuses on breaking down polymers into high-value monomers, liquid fuels, or raw chemicals.

Selective Depolymerization of PET in Mixed Plastic Waste: Developed at IIT Bhilai, this project utilizes magnetically recoverable nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) catalysts to chemically recycle Polyethylene Terephthalate into its monomeric building block, BHET, under mild conditions. [1]
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Mixed Polymeric Waste: Focuses on optimizing reaction conditions, temperature profiles, and catalyst selection to extract high-calorific liquid hydrocarbon fuels from municipal single-use plastics. [1]
Thermomechanical Upcycling of Thermoplastics: Active research at IIT Bombay (Department of Chemical Engineering) aiming to introduce unique additives during mechanical recycling to eliminate structural and functional degradation. [1]
Plasma Pyrolysis and Gasification Systems: Engineering high-temperature reactors to safely convert non-recyclable, high-volume plastics into clean syngas and char while mitigating air emissions. [1]

2. Microplastics & Environmental Risk Assessment

Focuses on tracking, modeling, and mitigating the invisible threats of degraded micro- and nanoplastics.

Occurrence, Risk Assessment, and Mitigation of Microplastics: Led by researchers at the IIT Delhi Center for Rural Development and Technology (CRDT), this theme tracks microplastic concentrations across municipal sludge and agricultural environmental matrices. [1]
Modelling Microplastic Movement Through Soil Matrix: A dedicated project sponsored by THDC India at the IIT System examining how microscopic plastic debris migrates downward to threaten groundwater reservoirs. [1]
Microplastic Debris From Mechanical Wear: A fundamental study at IIT Bombay calculating how packaging materials and automotive tires generate secondary micro- and nanoplastics through environmental friction. [1]

3. Civil Engineering & Green Construction Infrastructure

Focuses on utilizing bulk plastic waste to create long-lasting, sustainable materials for infrastructure.

Life Cycle and Performance Assessment of Waste Plastic Roads: Run by the IIT Madras Department of Civil Engineering to analyze the heavy vehicle wear and environmental lifespan of bitumen modified with shredded plastics. [1]
Recycled Plastic Aggregates in Concrete: Economic, environmental, and substance flow analysis (using tools like STAN) to substitute natural gravel with Polyethylene (PE) and PET aggregates without sacrificing core mechanical strength. [1]
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Lightweight Concrete: Evaluation of M20-grade structural concrete infused with up to 20% recycled polystyrene beads to reduce landfill dependence. [1]

4. Sustainable Materials & Bioplastics

Focuses on moving entirely away from petroleum-derived materials.

Green Chemistry Synthesis of Bio-plastics: Cross-disciplinary work highlighted through the IIT Research Networks targeting the synthesis of fully biodegradable resins using bio-waste and plant-based residues.
Polymer Blends and Nano-composites: Advanced material characterization at IIT Madras combining municipal plastic waste streams with reinforcing nano-fillers to manufacture high-performance industrial components. [1, 2]

5. Policy, Decision Frameworks & Circular Economy

Focuses on logistics, systemic modeling, and management strategies.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for City Disposal: An expert panel study conducted by IIT Delhi ranking methods like pyrolysis, landfills, and combined recycling against strict environmental and economic indicators.
Legacy Plastic Waste Resource Recovery: A focus area expanded by faculty at IIT Jammu tackling "urban mining" and extracting valuable polymers out of decades-old municipal dumping grounds.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Waste Management: Active curriculum and research streams at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad using GIS tracking to trace plastic recycling supply chains from source to consumer