Integrated Conversion of Polyesters, CO 2 , and Glycerol via Ethylene Oxide‐Mediated Tandem Process

in an ionic liquid, followed by transesterification with glycerol to produce glycerol carbonate and ethylene glycol. The in situ-generated ethylene glycol participates in PET glycolysis to yield BHET catalyzed by zinc acetate. Kinetic studies, isotope labelling, and theoretical calculations reveal that ethylene oxide serves two functions: (i) swelling the PET matrix to enhance mass transfer and (ii) providing ethylene glycol. The synchronized kinetics of cycloaddition, transesterification, and glycolysis enable ethylene oxide to play both roles effectively, significantly accelerating PET depolymerization at mild temperatures.