Advanced Gasification and Plastic Traceability among the Top 8 Innovations and Trends in Plastic Recycling in 2022

Advanced gasification

Unlike pyrolysis, gasification is a thermal process that involves treating waste plastic in conditions of oxygen depletion. Additionally, this technology supports mixed waste streams. The syngas generated from plastic gasification is used as a raw material for power generation, chemical manufacturing, and hydrogen production. Furthermore, gasification plants for electricity generation require less water and pollution control equipment than traditional coal-fired power plants. Startups in plastic recycling utilize advancements in reactor systems to increase process yields and reduce operational costs. This ensures better market penetration for the technology and diverts more plastic from landfills and incinerators.

Resynergi builds modular gasification system

Resynergi is a US-based, scale-up company developing modular gasification systems. The company collaborates with the University of Minnesota, applying its microwave technology to Resynergi's gasification system. The system has a small footprint and utilizes modular design for easy on-site deployment and expansion. This system enables plastic recyclers and solid waste management facilities to avoid significant capital expenditures and substitute finished oils.

Clean energy enterprises creates gasification chamber

Clean Energy Enterprises is a US-based startup dedicated to developing solutions for waste-to-energy. The startup, in collaboration with Ways2H, a joint venture of Blue Energy Co., Ltd, Japan, provides gasification chambers for decentralized waste management. Its self-sustaining thermochemical conversion system disintegrates organic waste and plastic into hydrogen gas. The solution then collects hydrogen gas, ultimately serving as a power source for mobile applications. Additionally, the chamber self-balances naturally to prevent overheating and improve throughput of the recycling facility.

Plastic traceability

Approximately 91% of plastic products are lost due to a lack of visibility of their lifecycle. To tackle this problem, startups have developed solutions for plastic traceability that enable recyclers to track their processes. Additionally, solutions that allow for direct plastic collection from consumers, such as plastic recycling machines in malls, are becoming increasingly popular. Startups utilize blockchain-based reward systems to incentivize the discovery of client-driven waste plastic, resulting in more recycling opportunities. Moreover, plastic recycling facilities partner with reverse logistics services to improve waste discovery and achieve a sustained material flow. Together, these solutions enable plastic recyclers to convert once-waste plastics into high-value products. Furthermore, bridging this recycling gap significantly reduces the demand for virgin materials, reducing resource consumption.

Recyclux simplifies tracking of ocean plastic

Recycllux is a Belgian startup dedicated to tracking ocean plastic. The startup combines earth observation data with machine learning to identify locations of ocean plastic waste. Additionally, it utilizes blockchain to incentivize collectors and encourage recycling. This enables authorities and plastic recycling facilities to trace ocean plastic, providing additional revenue streams to collection and recycling partners.

Circulor facilitates traceability in recycling process

UK-based startup Circulor has developed a recycling process traceability kit. It utilizes blockchain to track raw materials and the flow of materials in the production and recycling supply chains. It improves visibility of individual projects and facilitates the processing of end-of-life products. Consequently, blockchain-based process data enables recyclers to ensure material quality and divert more plastic from landfills and incinerators.