Optimizing plastics recycling networks

Aviso, Kathleen B.; Baquillas, Jonna C.; Chiu, Anthony S.F.; Jiang, Peng; Fan, Yee Van; Varbanov, Petar Sabev; Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír; Tan, Raymond R.

doi:10.1016/j.clet.2023.100632

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The type of feedstock considered in this study is mixed plastic waste consisting of the most used polyolefins (i.e., HDPE, LDPE, and PP) and PS due to their low oxygen content (<3%), which makes it well-suited to thermochemical processing yielding simple hydrocarbons. Additionally, their high calorific value (>40 MJ/kg) makes them suitable for use as fuel in incinerator systems with energy recovery . PET and PVC are eliminated from this case primarily due to the relatively low volatile content of PET, resulting in a typical liquid oil yield or oil that is rich in oxygenated fragments .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, their high calorific value (>40 MJ/kg) makes them suitable for use as fuel in incinerator systems with energy recovery. 42 PET and PVC are eliminated from this case primarily due to the relatively low volatile content of PET, resulting in a typical liquid oil yield or oil that is rich in oxygenated fragments. 43 However, recent studies have shown promise in utilizing labels from PET water bottles as a catalyst for the chemical recycling of the bottles themselves, offering a sustainable approach to PET recycling.…”

Section: Degree Of Circularity Calculations and Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toward Building Circularity in Sustainable Plastic Waste Conversion

Majzoub,

Al-Rawashdeh,

Al-Mohannadi

2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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The escalating levels of plastic waste have created an urgent need for sustainable recycling methods aligned with the circular economy (CE) goals. Leveraging process systems engineering (PSE) models, which facilitate sustainability-driven problem-solving, this work proposes a comprehensive mathematical framework optimizing diverse recycling technologiespyrolysis, gasification, mechanical recycling, and incinerationbalancing economic feasibility and CE contributions. Recognizing the versatility of chemical recycling derivatives, this model explores their applications in methanol and ammonia synthesis, hydrogen production, and more, emphasizing plastic waste’s potential to yield energy and valuable products through open- and closed-loop pathways. A novel CE metric was introduced to assess recycling pathways across critical indicators. An illustrative case study of 20 scenarios highlights pyrolysis refinery technology as promising sustainable fuel and olefin production, tripling profitability, and improving circularity by over 25%. Combining methanol synthesis and pyrolysis refinery maximizes circularity to 44% enhancement. The flexible weight allocation for the individual circularity metrics during optimization highlights the emphasis on tailored solutions aligned with system-specific needs. Comparative analyses between plastic waste and conventional feedstocks unveil a cost-effective landscape that is dependent on the product. Capacity-level sensitivity analysis consistently demonstrates the superior performance of optimal solutions compared with the base case regarding circularity and profitability.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Degree Of Circularity Calculations and Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%