Creating a circular economy through plastics recycling
Nov 10, 2023
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Adela Putinelu, Head of Policy and Sustainability at Plastic Energy, discusses creating a circular economy through plastics recycling. They dive into the technology used to turn end-of-life plastic into feedstock for new plastic products, the demand for 100% recycled plastics, and the role of recycling in the energy transition.
Plastic Energy's thermal anaerobic conversion process can transform end-of-life plastics into synthetic oil, which serves as a feedstock for the production of new plastics, offering a pathway to a circular plastics economy.
Investment in recycling infrastructure, supportive regulations, efficient collection systems, and better design for recycling are crucial for increasing the recycling rate and facilitating the growth of chemical recycling, promoting a more sustainable plastics industry.
Deep dives
The Importance of COP 28 in Addressing Climate Change
COP 28, this year's conference on climate change, aims to discuss plans for achieving the key targets set in the Paris Agreement. The urgency to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels has been emphasized by the first global stocktake of climate action. The conference in Dubai will be a platform for evaluating pledges, facilitating discussions and debates, and analyzing agreements related to climate and energy. The energy gang, as an accredited media organization, will provide updates on the conference's key developments, including interviews with leaders and experts on climate and energy.
Addressing the Plastic Waste Crisis
The escalating plastic waste crisis calls for effective recycling solutions. Plastic energy offers a pathway to a circular plastics economy through a process called thermal anaerobic conversion. This process converts end-of-life plastics into synthetic oil, which replaces fossil oils in the production of new plastics. By using chemical recycling and integrating circular feedstocks, plastic energy aims to tackle the environmental issues resulting from the demand for low-cost single-use plastics. Adela Putenelu, Head of Policy and Sustainability at plastic energy, emphasizes the need for investment in recycling infrastructure and incentives to transition away from cheap virgin plastics.
Challenges and Potential of Chemical Recycling
Plastic energy utilizes a thermal anaerobic conversion process to transform plastics into synthetic oil, which is used as a feedstock for new plastics. The technology focuses on mixed polyolefins, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and offers a complementary solution to mechanical recycling. The quality of the feedstock plays a crucial role in determining the yield of the process. To increase the recycling rate, efficient collection systems, supportive regulations, and better design for recycling are needed. Collaboration between actors in the supply chain and investments in recycling infrastructure are essential to facilitate the growth of chemical recycling and transition toward a more sustainable plastics industry.
Recycling plastic into feedstock is a crucial piece of the energy transition puzzle. We use a lot of plastic – 380 million tons of it is produced every year. Reducing the amount of fossil fuels used in its production, and minimizing waste going into landfill is crucial as we accelerate towards net zero.
Plastic Energy is a plastic producer who are leading this charge. In this week’s Interchange: Recharged, we sit down with Adela Putinelu, Head of Policy and Sustainability at Plastic Energy.
They talk about the technology used to turn end-of-life plastic into feedstock for the production of new plastic products.
How can we create a circular economy with recycling? What part will it play in the energy transition, and where is the demand for 100% recycled plastics?
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