Recycled plastic could one day be used to power cars, according to new research. 

Scientists at the University of Swansea have found a way to turn plastic into hydrogen that could one day fuel cars.

Researchers told the BBC that using plastic for fuel – a process that involves adding a light absorbing material to it and exposing it to sunlight – could actually be cheaper than recycling it.

“There’s a lot of plastic used every year – billions of tonnes – and only a fraction of it is being recycled,” Dr Moritz Kuehnel said. “We are trying to find a use for what is not being recycled. 

In the UK alone, Brits drink through 13bn plastic bottles a year, but only 7.5bn are recycled – meaning much waste ends up littering the streets or in landfill.

“The process produces hydrogen gas. You can see bubbles coming off the surface. You can use it, for example, to fuel a hydrogen car,” he told the BBC.