Advanced Recycling

Advanced plastic recycling or advanced chemical recycling are techniques used to convert post-consumer plastics into raw materials which can be used to make new plastics.  Advanced recycling is a broad term encompassing several technologies including pyrolysis, gasification, depolymerization and solvolysis.  Unlike mechanical recycling (e.g., where plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or high density polyethylene (HDPE) are mechanically converted into everything from fibers to park benches), advanced recycling alters the chemical make-up of the plastic so that it can be used in new chemicals or fuels.  

Pyrolysis is a technique using heat (from the Greek word "pyro") to deconstruct or separate (from the Greek work "lysis") organic material, such as plastics, in the absence of oxygen.  Advanced plastic recycling turns waste plastic into something that looks similar to gasoline or heating oil, which can be further processed by the petrochemical industry into virgin plastic building blocks (primarily ethylene and propylene) or blended into fuels. 

Advanced chemical recycling by pyrolysis has many advantages, specifically reducing the amount of plastics going to landfills or other environmental locations.  However, there are some downsides including the high energy costs.  Not all plastics are suitable for mechanical recycling, which is why advanced chemical recycling provides an alternative to disposal for many of those plastics.