Advances in chemistry continue to bring new materials into the realm of recyclability, and new work from a team at the University of Michigan has taken aim at one of the most problematic to reuse. The scientists have developed a method of converting waste PVC (polyvinyl chloride) into usable products, opening up some interesting new possibilities when it comes to this traditionally unrecyclable material. PVC sits in the top handful of plastics in terms of production and volume, and is put to use in everything from piping and flooring, to shower curtains and clothes. Its recycling rate in the US, however, sits at zero, with efforts to recycle the material hindered by its toxic contents.