Relay Catalysis Enabling the Value‐Added Upgrading of Plastic Wastes

Abstract Harnessing modern catalytic concepts to address the pressing challenge of plastic waste management has attracted significant interest from the scientific community in recent years. Notably, relay catalysis has emerged as a promising strategy, demonstrating substantial benefits in converting waste plastics into high‐value products. This approach emphasizes the synergistic use of multiple catalysts under mild conditions to achieve high yields while overcoming challenges such as harsh reaction conditions and complex product distributions. Unlike traditional methods that rely solely on simple processes, like alcoholysis, hydrolysis, hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, or high‐temperature pyrolysis, relay catalysis introduces new synthetic possibilities through the orchestrated action of diverse and specialized catalysts, unlocking unprecedented potential for adjusting or even creating new reaction pathways that conventional strategies cannot achieve. This review highlights recent advances in relay strategies for the value‐added conversion of plastics, particularly polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate, while deriving mechanistic insights from these reactions to promote economic circularity. Additionally, we discuss existing challenges and propose a path forward for optimizing catalyst and process design, which is crucial for developing chemical upcycling technologies that contribute to a circular plastic economy.