>> The plastics industry claims that ‘chemical recycling’ or ‘advanced recycling’ technologies, which use heat or solvents to convert waste plastic into chemical feedstocks that can potentially be further processed into new plastics, are a green alternative to mechanical recycling.

>> But according to a new report, five out of eight U.S. facilities assessed use chemical processes to produce combustible fuel, not new plastics. In addition, facilities are disposing of large amounts of hazardous waste which in some cases includes benzene — a known carcinogen — lead, cadmium and chromium.

>> Critics say the chemical recycling industry’s multi-step incineration processes are polluting and generating greenhouse gases without alleviating virgin plastic demand. Environmental permits for six U.S. facilities allow release of hazardous air pollutants that can cause cancer or birth defects.

>> A new UN framework to fight global plastic pollution could offer nations flexibility over how they meet recycling targets, potentially allowing the industry to lobby for policy incentives and regulatory exemptions for plastic-to-fuel techniques — policies that may threaten the environment and public health, say experts.

https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/chemical-recycling-green-plastics-solution-makes-more-pollution-report/

This German report needs to be examined and understood in West Virginia!

https://plastic-pollution-crisis-and-fossil-fuel-industry.dw.com/

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2019, /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) researchers have created a new technology called VolCat, a catalytic chemical process that can turn PET, a type of plastic commonly used in food packaging and polyester clothing, into a renewable resource.

The cost-effective and sustainable innovation is capable of breathing new life into old plastic. This technology is part of IBM’s annual “5 in 5″ predictions detailing five innovations that will help change our lives in the next five years.

Currently, more than 272 million metric tons of plastic is produced each year around the globe, with one-quarter of that made up of PET.

VolCat aims to use a precise combination of chemicals, heat and pressure to reduce this amount of plastic, and ultimately the amount of waste, produced. This could completely transform the way we discard and manufacture plastic in the next five years.

To learn more about this new technology and IBM’s full list of 5 in 5 predictions, visit the IBM Research blog and tune into a live presentation from the IBM Think conference on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 10 a.m. PT.

IBM Media Relations Contact:
Jeannie Entin
IBM Research Communications
JEntin@us.ibm.com

https://www.ecoprog.com/fileadmin/user_upload/extract_Trend_Study_Chemical_Recycling_ecoprog.pdf