Could waste plastic be used to create energy?

Plastic waste is a major problem across the globe, which is why many countries have introduced a variety of schemes to reduce its use. Whilst reducing the amount of plastic we use is a reasonable task, there are also several ways plastic waste could potentially be used to generate energy.

What are plastics made from?

Most plastics are made from a variety of natural resources using a process called polymerisation or polycondensation. They contain mostly carbon but also hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, and nitrogen. Due to this, they are quite valuable waste materials.

What techniques exist for converting plastic waste to energy?

Plastics essentially come from the same origin as fossil fuels, so converting waste into energy makes sense.

There are currently several techniques/processes for doing this, with the main ones being gasification and two types of pyrolysis.

Gasification

Gasification involves using steam, oxygen, or air to heat the plastic. This process generates synthesis gas, or syngas, which can either be burned to generate electricity or used to produce petrol or diesel.

The process of gasification is quite complex, however, and requires significant investment in infrastructure and technologies.

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Pyrolysis

The other main method is pyrolysis. Traditionally, this process involves heating plastic waste in an oxygen-free environment. Doing this breaks down the molecular chains and transforms the plastic into liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, which can be used as fuels. This form of pyrolysis is conducted at temperatures between 450°C and 600°C.

Cold plasma pyrolysis

This is a fairly new technique that can potentially create hydrogen, methane, and other useful chemicals. The cold plasma, which is generated from two electrodes, can break down the chemical bonds of plastics.

The process can be tightly controlled, and the reaction times are much shorter than with traditional pyrolysis. This makes it both cheaper and more efficient.