Groundbreaking research that grew out of a chemistry professor watching a fire burning in his fireplace one winter evening could one day make it economically viable to turn two common kinds of low value plastic waste into a high-value, useful product – soap.

The upcycling method is simple enough that it could be a good start for addressing the global challenge of plastic pollution, says Virginia Tech chemistry professor Guoliang “Greg” Liu. He and his team have produced soap using the method, their latest discovery in working to expand the frontiers of plastic recycling.

This breakthrough came from realizing the striking similarities between the chemical structure of polyethylene, and a fatty acid which is used as a chemical precursor to soap. Liu had long felt it should be possible to convert polyethylene into fatty acids—and with a few additional steps– produce soap.