NEW SOLAR-POWERED TECHNOLOGY

CAN TRANSFORM PLASTIC WASTE INTO SUSTAINABLE FUELS AND COSMETICS

Scientists have developed a way of transforming plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels using solar power.

The system, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, could address plastic pollution and become a “gamechanger” in the development of a circular economy.

A pioneering system for addressing plastic waste

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a system that can convert waste into chemical products using renewable energy.

The technology can transform two streams of waste - greenhouse gases and plastic - into two sustainable fuels - syngas and glycolic acid - at the same time. This is the first time the process has been achieved using a solar-powered reactor. Approximately 300 million tonnes of plastic waste - an amount equivalent to the weight of the human population - are produced every year, according to the UN Environment Programme.

However, only 9 per cent is recycled, leaving the rest to accumulate in landfills or pollute our oceans with microplastics.

How can plastic be transformed into a sustainable product?

The reactor converts carbon dioxide (CO2) and plastics into a variety of products that can then be used in a range of industries.

For example, CO2 is transformed into syngas, a major component of sustainable liquid fuels, while plastic bottles are turned into glycolic acid - widely used in the cosmetics industry.

The system can be set to convert waste into different products by altering the type of catalyst used in the reactor.