Advancing circular economy: Characterising pyrolysis oils

Innovative recycling solutions are essential for effectively addressing plastic waste challenges and enhancing the quality of pyrolysis oil for sustainable ethylene production, Deepak Sharma tells OGN

IN an era where sustainability is at the forefront of global discourse, addressing plastic waste has become crucial for the health of our planet.

Plastics provide benefits to nearly every aspect of life, but the resulting high demand has led to increased production, generating a significant amount of plastic waste.

As the global economy and population expand, plastics demand is expected to grow from 350 million tonnes in 2020 to 950 million tonnes in 2050.

With only approximately 10-12 per cent of that plastic being recycled, millions of tonnes of plastic are incinerated, disposed of in landfills or end up collecting in oceans and other waterways leading far-reaching consequences.

Plastic waste has become an alarming global problem, with its impact on the environment and human health steadily increasing.

Banning single-use plastics might not eliminate plastic waste challenges completely, but strengthening waste management practices can return plastic waste to a circular economy.

“As public opinion has moved toward a greater emphasis on sustainability concerns, the response to plastics has turned towards increasing the level of circularity,” Deepak Sharma, Senior Marketing Manager, Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, tells OGN energy magazine

ACHIEVING CIRCULARITY

Mechanical recycling traditionally involves grinding, melting, extruding, and cutting plastics into pellets without altering their chemical structure. This method primarily works with three grades of plastic: PET, HDPE, and polypropylene.

However, repeated recycling degrades the polymer quality, and sorting incompatible plastics is labour-intensive.

To broaden the range of recyclable materials, chemical recycling, which alters the chemical structure of plastics, is being explored as a promising alternative.