If you are concerned about the topic of plastic recycling, you will probably have heard of “chemical recycling”. Some say that chemical recycling is the cutting edge method and will revolutionize the way of plastic recycling

What is the chemical recycling?

Chemical recycling is to recycle the plastic by changing the molecular chain structure of waste plastic. It is the process of reproducing new plastic and other valuable chemical products through a series of chemical reaction, which truly realizes the recycling utilization from waste plastic to new plastic.

Chemical recycling mainly has two significant advantages: The first is high economic benefits. The output from chemical recycling has good quality and high added value. If the output can be used as the raw material to produce new plastic, the economic value will be higher. The second is high environmental benefits.  The chemical recycling process does not generate dioxins and other harmful gases, and the output can be used to produce new plastic. The output can be the alternative to petrochemical raw material, so that the carbon emission will be significantly reduced.

Waste plastic chemical recycling is an advanced technological method to solve the problem of waste plastics.

Plastic recycling is becoming the mainstream nowadays

At present, the waste plastic recycling rate is only 15% in the world, and in Europe it is 40%-50% which is the highest area in the world. This is also benefit from the EU policy on extended producer responsibility (EPR). Under this policy, the producer needs to bear part of the cost and responsibility of recycling. But even though, only less than 50% plastic package can be recycled in Europe.

In 2018, the European Commission issued < European strategy for plastics in a Circular Economy >, which proposed that all plastic package on the EU market should be reused or recycled before 2030. By 2030, more than half of all plastic waste on the EU market shall be recycled.

In recent years, many petrochemical and beverage industry enterprises have announced to develop the field of waste plastic chemical recycling, or to purchase the plastic products from chemical recycling. Internationally, the chemical recycling is booming development and  gradually becoming the mainstream.

Niutech: Waste plastic chemical recycling technology supplier

Niutech Environment Technology Corporation is the world leading and professional service provider of waste polymer resource utilization. It is the only company that has won the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the only IPO listed company in pyrolysis industry.

Niutech : Waste plastic pyrolysis plant in Denmark
Niutech : Waste plastic pyrolysis plant in Denmark

The “Industrial continuous waste plastic pyrolysis production line” which is independently researched and developed by Niutech has won the national science and technology progress award. It can process all kinds of waste plastics, such as PP/PE/PS, single or mixed plastics. By thoroughly decomposition, the polymer in waste plastic can be cracking into small molecular or monomers, producing pyrolysis oil. After refining, the pyrolysis oil can be used as the raw material for the production of new plastics. Under the premise of safety, environmental protection, continuous and stable operation, the chemical recycling of waste plastics can be realized.

The unique seal technology combined by “process +structure +design” and the patented anti-coking heat distribution technology of the pyrolysis production line have conquers many industry difficulties and realize long term stable operation without coking. The heat conduction area is adjustable, the materials are dispersed and heated evenly. The pyrolysis temperature is constant, and the heat conduction efficiency is high. The proprietary flue gas heat recovery technology can reduces energy consumption and flue gas emissions and this technology can also greatly save the operation cost. Indeed, the operation cost by Niutech pyrolysis technology is much lower than the operation cost of other suppliers’ technologies and equipment in the industry.

The study, published in Science of The Total Environment by researchers at The University of Manchester, found that waste plastic pyrolysis technology can reduce 50% carbon dioxide emissions (equivalent) comparing with energy recovery (incineration). Chemical recycled plastics can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.3 tons (equivalent) compared to raw materials. Using technological innovation to help the country achieve its goal of being carbon neutral by 2060.

As society becomes more aware of the problems caused by waste plastic. Humans need to find the proper way to recycle the waste plastic. The chemical recycling provides solution to these difficult-to-recycle materials. At the same time, chemical recycling can reduce the consumption of raw materials by replacing fossil fuels as raw materials for plastic production, and greatly promotes the circular economy.

No comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.