Between 1950 and 2015, humankind has produced an estimated 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. From an estimated 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste, only 10% was recycled, 14% burned, and 76% discarded to landfills, dumps, or into the environment. Our research focuses on upcycling traditional plastic waste to new materials, chemically depolymerizable plastics, and biodegradable polymers.