Advanced recycling is very often seen as the solution to the plastic waste problem. But to take full advantage of its possibilities as a complimentary technology to mechanical recycling, it must be implemented strategically.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance) has commissioned a study conducted by Eunomia Research & Consulting to look more thoroughly into the subject of advanced recycling or pyrolysis.
The report “Feedstock Quality Guidelines for Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste” lays out nine requirements for feedstock that would be suitable for pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the process of breaking down plastic waste at high temperatures without oxygen to produce pyrolysis oil, which can be used in the production of new plastics as a replacement for fossil feedstocks. The process can target hard-to-recycle flexible polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). This complements mechanical recycling processes which focus on rigid plastics.
