Colossal amounts of plastic wastes are dumped into the oceans (about 12 million tons/year) and it is expected to grow exponentially if nothing is done to prevent this. The impact of plastics in the oceans has been estimated to an annual loss of up to $2500 billion in the value of benefits derived from marine ecosystem services or 3.3% of the world GDP.
Until a true circular economy is put in place for all plastic objects we consume, it is therefore vital to develop and deploy solutions for the most polluted areas, i.e. in low income countries where no plastic waste management systems are in place. Pyrolysis technologies provide a solution for this by producing derived fuels that can be sold and/or transformed into electricity and heat. The course will explore the various commercial and near-commercial pyrolysis technologies available today, with their advantages and drawback, and potential for market penetration.