From trash to energy source: company turns plastic into biofuel

India has recently become the most populous country in the world. Earlier this year, a report found that the country generates around 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste.

Of this amount, only 30% is recycled and the rest goes to landfills, is burned in the open air or ends up in the ocean.

It is no wonder that there is an island of plastic in the Pacific Ocean covering an area of ​​1.6 million square kilometers.

Unfortunately, the scenario regarding plastic waste is degrading, as this material is highly complex.

Even though everything is called plastic, there are different types of chemical compositions that make up the plastics that circulate around the world. This makes the process of segregation and recycling difficult.

In this sense, more common plastics such as PET and PVC are easier to recycle. Meanwhile, others such as LLDPE and HIPS are more difficult.

Plastics are being used as an energy source

In light of this, a recycling company called Eco Green Recycling, located in Mathura, came up with an innovative idea. From these hard-to-recycle plastics, the company is producing biofuel.

According to Apoorv Chaturvedi, founder of the recycler:

“Plastics like PET and PVC can be recycled into things like fiber; their chemical composition makes them unsuitable for biofuel purposes.”

At this point, you may be wondering how LLDPE and HIPS plastics are transformed into energy. Want to know more about this subject? Keep reading because below we will tell you how this transformation of plastic into biofuel happens.

How does plastic become biofuel?

To transform plastics into energy sources, such as biofuel, a process called pyrolysis is necessary.

This process is responsible for breaking down molecules using thermal degradation in the absence of oxygen to produce liquid oil.

“Plastics like LLDPE and HIPS are mixed with some chemicals so that they react with gases for this process.

This is then burned at a high temperature, and the emission from the process in the form of vapor is then condensed to form biofuels.

Methane gas, which is also a byproduct of this, is further used in the flaring process in our factory.”says Chaturvedi.

Biofuel generated through pyrolysis can replace kerosene and diesel. In the industrial environment, this biofuel is generally used in incinerators.

However, it can also be used in vehicles. What makes using this fuel unfeasible is the price, which can reach up to R$50 per liter.