Editing Poly(methyl methacrylate) (section)

=== Recycling ===
Plexiglass can be broken down with [[pyrolysis]] at a temperature of at least {{Convert|400|C}}. The recovered monomers then are purified, but the costs and complexity have prevented this from becoming the norm.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Coxworth |first=Ben |date=2025-03-03 |title=Simple technique may allow for almost complete recycling of Plexiglass |url=https://newatlas.com/materials/simple-technique-complete-recycling-plexiglass/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=New Atlas |language=en-US}}</ref>

Another approach binds monomers to the ends of long polymer chains. Those monomers detach when heated, triggering the chain to disassemble, with monomer yields of up to 90%, although the presence of dyes reduce this number. However, polymers produced by this technology require special machinery and lack thermal stability.<ref name=":0" />

A third approach adds a chlorinated dichlorobenzene solvent to crushed Plexiglass. The mixture is heated to a modest {{Convert|90-150|C}} and exposed to [[ultraviolet light]]. The light splits a chlorine radical from the solvent, which breaks the polymer into monomers, which are purified via distillation, yielding virgin-grade stock. Even in the presence of additives, yields are 94 to 98%.<ref name=":0" />