Researchers have developed another way to deal with plastic waste, and the one-step process turns it into fuel.
The low-energy method involves low temperatures and produces gasoline, chemical raw materials, and hydrochloric acid.
The study was published in Science in August. It involved scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Columbia University, the Technical University of Munich, and East China Normal University.
“The approach, which the team describes as requiring less energy, less equipment, and fewer steps than conventional plastic-to-fuel pathways, is designed to be scalable for industrial use,” Interesting Engineering reported.
The most promising aspect of the research may be the 95-99% efficiency rates. The scientists used light isoalkanes to upcycle polyvinyl chloride — which makes up about 10% of plastic waste, per IE — at 86 and 176 degrees Fahrenheit. PVC is used to make pipes, packaging, medical devices, clothing, and more, but it takes a lot of energy to be recycled.
This breakthrough avoids high-temperature dechlorination, which has been necessary to avoid the release of toxic compounds when PVC is broken down for reuse. The researchers also combined PVC with other plastic that makes up about 50% of plastic waste, and they said the process could be reproduced outside the lab without having to use clean products, IE pointed out.
The production of hydrochloric acid without high-temperature, energy-intensive procedures is a bonus because it can be used across industries.
Potential applications are myriad, including water treatment, metal processing, and food production.
“The researchers position their method as a pathway to turn problematic streams into useful products,” IE stated, noting the work could “support circular-economy goals within existing industrial ecosystems.”
It is vital to find ways to deal with the extreme amounts of plastic companies are producing and people are disposing of. Every year, humans trash enough plastic to bury Central Park in New York City in a pile as tall as the Empire State Building, according to research at the U.K.’s University of Leeds cited by the Associated Press.
Until major governments stop sidestepping a global plastics treaty and methods such as the one detailed above become commonplace, the burden to make change will fall on individuals. You can use less plastic by supporting eco-friendly brands, ditching single-use bottles and bags, and bringing your own to-go containers to restaurants, easy everyday efforts that will also save you money.
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