Addressing critical environmental challenges, researchers are pioneering technologies for sustainable recycling and resource recovery. Teams at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Peking University have developed an advanced solid-state NMR-guided orthogonal chemical transformation strategy for selective decomposition and valorization of mixed real-life plastics into valuable chemicals, published in Nature. Independently, Flinders University scientists introduced an environmentally friendly gold extraction method from electronic waste using green reagents and sulfur-enriched polymers, reducing toxic byproducts in mineral and e-waste processing. Such innovations represent significant strides toward circular bioeconomies and resource conservation.