Beatrice Luzi, Marco Carnevale Miino, Elena Cristina Rada, Rosa Zullo, Vincenzo Torretta, Silvia Galafassi
in dewatering water. Micro-PET was detected in filter wash water, supporting the feasibility of the proposed recovery concept; however, its absence in dewatering water suggests that applicability may depend on the composition of the incoming wastewater and on process-specific factors. The optimized separation protocol showed robust and reproducible performance, enabling micro-PET enrichment from complex wastewater- and sludge-derived matrices despite high biomass loads and biofilm-coated particles. Overall, the results suggest that integrating microplastic mitigation with selective polymer recovery could represent a first step towards more resource-oriented wastewater management.