Production of Fuel from Plastic Waste: A Feasible Business

Abstract

This paper aims to conduct a feasibility study of producing fuel from plastic waste. It is a suggested approach to deal with the huge production of synthetic plastic around the world, so as to avoid its accumulation in landfills and the depletion of resources. Several types of research have addressed the conversion of plastic waste into energy, and in this study the authors focused on using pyrolysis to convert plastic to liquid oil. Accordingly, the volume of the waste was reduced significantly, and the produced liquid oil had a high calorific value in comparison to fossil fuel. The authors managed to develop a profitable business model for a facility producing fuel from plastic waste in Egypt. This project could be a very lucrative business opportunity for investors or venture capitalists interested in investing in green economy. A Business Model Canvas was used as a tool to identify how the different components of the business relate to each other.

A systematic review on plastic waste conversion for a circular economy: recent trends and emerging technologies

“…Recycling plastic garbage is thought to save about 3.5 billion oil barrels worldwide or around $176 billion in energy costs. 4 Despite the investigation of a number of recycling systems, their widespread poor advantages, high prices, and secondary emissions limit their practical applicability. To avoid its spread into the natural environment, it is essential to find affordable, environmentally responsible, and effective methods for turning plastic waste into goods with value-added products.…”

A New Look at the Chemical Recycling of Polypropylene: Thermal Oxidative Destruction in Aqueous Oxygen-Enriched Medium

“…There are three main strategies for the disposal and recycling of plastic [8,9]: mechanical recycling [10], chemical recycling [11] and the use of plastic waste as fuel [12]. Mechanical recycling implies either direct reuse of uncontaminated discarded plastic into a new product without loss of properties, or crushing and melting of plastic waste into granules (with some loss of molecular weight) [13].…”

Preparation of sodium silicate/red mud-based ZSM-5 with glucose as a second template for catalytic cracking of waste plastics into useful chemicals

“…About 50% of plastics are intended to be used only once and are known as single-use plastics (SUPs). 1 Due to the non-biodegradability, most SUP waste such as packaging bags and water bottles are disposed of in landfills 2 or incinerated. 3 However, landfilling occupies a lot of land and space, while burning waste releases many pollutants that affect people living near these incinerators.…”