New Solar-Powered Technology Can Transform Plastic Waste into Sustainable Fuels and Cosmetics

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January 18, 2023

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by Rebecca Ann Hughes (EuroNews.green) Scientists have developed a way of transforming plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels using solar power.

The system, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, could address plastic pollution and become a “game-changer” in the development of a circular economy.

A pioneering system for addressing plastic waste
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a system that can convert waste into chemical products using renewable energy.

The technology can transform two streams of waste – greenhouse gases and plastic – into two sustainable fuels – syngas and glycolic acid – at the same time.

This is the first time the process has been achieved using a solar-powered reactor.

Approximately 300 million tonnes of plastic waste – an amount equivalent to the weight of the human population – are produced every year, according to the UN Environment Programme.

However, only 9 per cent is recycled, leaving the rest to accumulate in landfills or pollute our oceans with microplastics.

Chemical recycling, where plastic is converted into fuels, requires extremely high temperatures. The high cost and inefficiency of this process act as disincentives, but this new solar powered system could change that.

How can plastic be transformed into a sustainable product?
The reactor converts carbon dioxide (CO2) and plastics into a variety of products that can then be used in a range of industries.

For example, CO2 is transformed into syngas, a major component of sustainable liquid fuels, while plastic bottles are turned into glycolic acid – widely used in the cosmetics industry.

The system can be set to convert waste into different products by altering the type of catalyst used in the reactor.

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Other similar solar-powered systems are being developed but, to date, they have not recycled plastic waste and reduced greenhouse gases in a single process. READ MORE

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