Experts a seminar on ‘Plastic recycling and waste management’ highlighted the need for sensibly handling of plastic waste in the event of irreparable damage being caused by its indiscriminate dumping.
Speaking on the topic ‘Converting plastic waste into plastic oil’ at the seminar conducted by the Andhra Chamber of Commerce, Paterson Energy Pvt. Ltd. managing director Vidya Amarnath said that plastic which was once the greatest invention turned into a problem after capitalism.
“Plastic is not the problem, but its indiscriminate and mindless disposal by the people is a cause for concern. Uncollected plastic waste being dumped in the environment is increasing by the day and there is still no alternative to plastics used in industries for packaging products from foodgrains to cars,” she said.
Explaining the way of converting plastic into fuel at her industries, Ms. Vidya said that recycling plastic into reusable plastic would only delay the material’s period of degradation while retaining the very essence of plastic in it.
“At our startup, we have developed a process called ‘thermochemical depolymerisation (pyrolysis)’ through which we could get plastic back to its original form as a petroleum product. Plastic which is made through polymerisation from petroleum when heated between 350 to 600 centigrades temperature gives rise to vapour consisting hydrocarbons which, when condensed and cooled, becomes high-grade diesel variant fuel,” she said.
“This enables perfect circular economy in many industries and the process has zero affluent and zero-emission. The fuel generated could be used in factories with furnaces, boilers, kilns, generators and others to generate heat or electricity. Any kind of plastic waste generated at households or industries could be used to generate the fuel and one tonne of plastic waste could generate 40% to 50% fuel,” she said.
‘Plastic not a problem’
V. Kiran Kumar, director and head of Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (Centre for Skilling and Technical Support) Vijayawada, said that plastic was never a problem to the society.
“If plastic is disposed of properly there would be no problem with it. There is a need for society to do away with the habit of littering. India has the highest recycling capabilities in the world yet we have a lot of issues. Disposing of plastic properly would end 80% of the problems,” Mr. Kiran Kumar said.
Andhra Chamber of Commerce city unit chairman M. Rajaiah said that the seminar was organised to create awareness among the industrialists regarding plastic management.
