Canadian company JBI is setting the recycling industry on fire with its new Plastic2Oil plants that promise to convert non-recyclable plastics into fuel.
The first plant recently began operation in Niagara Falls, New York, and can process 22 tons of plastics per day. The plastic is broken down into its individual hydrocarbon gases which are collected and stored. These gases are then separated into gasoline, diesel, methane, propane and more. Some of the gases are sold and others are used to power the facility.
Not only is the process eco-friendly, it’s also incredibly efficient. An 800kg load of plastics can be processed in an hour and almost 90 per cent of the plastic’s hydrocarbon content is converted into fuel. The remaining waste, about 2 per cent of the original input, can be landfilled or burned for heat.
JBI is looking to add more plants in the US and is open to running them as joint ventures with other waste management companies. The more the merrier I say as nothing is more unsightly than a dump filled with 50-year plastic. [Gizmag]