Can chemical recycling of waste polyolefins become a viable feedstock for long-chain fatty alcohols?

Can chemical recycling of waste polyolefins become a viable feedstock for long-chain fatty alcohols?
A newer route proposes converting waste polyethylene pyrolysis oil into long-chain primary alcohols via hydroboration and oxidation, following anti-Markovnikov selectivity to favor primary over secondary alcohols. The fit is notable: PE cracking yields carbon chains typically in the C10-C20 range, which aligns with the C11-C14 and C15-C22 segments that lead global fatty alcohol demand. With European pyrolysis capacity scaling toward hundreds of kilotons, this could offer producers a non-agricultural feedstock and shorten the recycling loop. The challenge is that most addition reactions default to secondary alcohols, so selectivity control is the technical hurdle. Commercial viability remains unproven at scale.