• Waste Management Technologies

A single piece of plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose posing a threat to land and water. While it is not feasible to completely stop manufacturing plastic, repurposing plastic waste can be a solution. Yet, only a fraction of the plastic waste generated is recycled. For instance, India generates close to 5.6 million tonnes of plastic waste annually as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report. Only 20 percent of it gets recycled. However, Chennai-based Paterson Energy has come up with an innovative solution to the planet’s plastic woes.

The startup converts plastic waste into liquid fuel that is eco-friendly, cheaper and can be used to fuel generators, industrial boilers, and furnaces, among others. It has, since then, managed to convert a whopping 150 tonnes of plastic waste into energy-efficient fuel. The startup uses the thermochemical depolymerization process which is essentially decomposition or degradation of plastic materials at very high temperatures (up to 500 degrees Celsius) in the absence of oxygen. The technology is actually used for decomposing shredded tires. The couple modified it to use plastic waste.In simple terms, waste plastic is heated at very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen and is turned into vapor which is then cooled and condensed into Pyro oil (also known as crude) which is a safer alternative to petroleum,”.