Plastic: is it the New Black Gold?

According to the report from the Ministry oflimited market for it, with an absence of marketing.
environment, Mauritius produces some 120 tons ofMoreover, plastic can only be recycled three to four
plastic wastes daily amounting to a total of 43,800times, after that it loses its strength and can't be
tons of waste every year of which only 4%,recycled. The project realized with the collaboration
representing some 164 tons, are recycled. In 2006,of Indian partners is due to start in the course of the
the population's consumption of non-biodegradableyear 2007, once the EIA obtained.
plastic products amounted to some 70 millionBeginnings
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles, 7 millionThe concepts of plastic conversion into hydrocarbons
PVC bottles, and 113 million plastic bags.was elaborated by Professor Alka Zadgaonkar of the
Now just imagine a process able to clear ourRaisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur in Indian, in the
environment of plastic wastes, creating jobs in wasteyear 1995. While giving a lecture on Applied
management and collection and at the same timeChemistry, she came up with the idea of turning
bringing useful resources such as petrol and gas,plastic back into hydrocarbons. She worked with a
which can be beneficial to our economy. The Liquidteam on the formula and in 2004; they succeeded in
Hydrocarbons pilot project proposed by the Greenturning 300mg of plastic into hydrocarbon liquids.
Hydrocarbons (Mtius) Ltd has the ambitious desire ofUnique Waste Plastic Management & Research Co.
turning our plastic wastes into hydrocarbon petrol.Pvt. Ltd of India later launched a pilot project where
The environment friendly project, realized with thesome 5,000 tons of plastic wastes were converted
collaboration of the initiators of the project in India,everyday. The process was later extended to treat
Unique Waste Plastic Management & Research CO.25,000 tons daily in 2006 and the objective of the
Pvt. Ltd., will enable Mauritius to get rid of its plasticproject is to treat some 450,000 tons. She asked for
wastes while at the same time providing resourcesanalysis by Indian Oil and made a number of
such as petrol. The initiator of the project will bring allrecommendations for the use of the final products.
the technology and equipment necessary for theAfter about one year of operation, the project was
setting of the pilot plant while the government, inrealized with the help of loans. Representatives of
collaboration with Green Hydrocarbons Ltd., willthe State Bank of India acknowledged that the
provide the necessary location and licenses.project is already running on profit, thus proving the
The ratio of the conversion of the plastic waste intoefficiency of the method. The world produces no less
petrol is one kilogram of plastic into the volume ofthan 60% more plastic wastes than it did some ten
1000 cc of petrol. The pilot project will hence beyears back with a production of 100 million tons
converting some 2.5 tons of plastic wastes daily intoevery year. India produces 10,000 tons of plastic
some 25,000 liters of petrol and other by-products.wastes everyday which 40% are recycled.
This project is a green alternative to the palliativeThis project has enabled India to better manage the
solutions that have been found so far to deal withcountry's plastic wastes while at the same time
plastic wastes. Land filling, incineration, recycling,creating jobs. Actually India sells its hydrocarbon at
gasification and blast furnace have shown their limits40% to 50% less than normal diesel. The technology
in the treatment of plastic wastes.is presently being exported to other regions such as
Recycling is unfortunately not a practical solution inRajasthan and even to America; for instance, some
that the cost of collection is quite high; there is ahospitals are being operated using their own wastes.