Loganya Supramaniam0000-0001-5118-8144Sze Mun Lam0000-0002-1177-5894Jin Chung SinPooya LahijaniAbdul Rahman Mohamed2025-10-272025-10-272025-0710.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.06.010https://dspace-cris.utar.edu.my/handle/123456789/11585Addressing the mounting problem of plastic waste accumulation requires exploration of novel technologies. Photoreforming (PR) is an innovative technique where water splitting and solid waste oxidation occurs concurrently, reducing the dependency on fossil fuels while addressing plastic wastes increment. This review highlights novel photocatalysts and their modifications designed to enhance PR efficiency. Among these, a CdS/ MoS2 binary structure stands out, achieving an impressive hydrogen (H2) yield of up to 379,500 mu mol g-1 h-1. More importantly, a concise cost analysis reveals that PR could possibly produce H2 at a cost of about USD 5.5-6/ kg H2 which is considerably competitive with the conventional methods. This paper also underlines PR as a potential pathway to overcome both environmental and energy challenges with up to 50 % of plastic conversion during the process. Future perspectives focusing on process scalability holds the key for translating lab-scaled research into industrial applications, paving way for sustainable H2 production.enPhotoreformingPlastic wasteCost analysisGreen hydrogenProcess scalabilityBIOHYDROGEN PRODUCTIONCRUDE GLYCEROLFERMENTATIONPHOTOCATALYSISWASTEENERGYPERFORMANCESSTRATEGIESWATERACIDtext::review