New gov’t-operated waste management facility plans to extract 600 kg of an oil substitute from every ton of discarded plastic, instead of it being buried in landfills.
By Dan Lavie
The Environmental Services Company Ltd., a government body established in 1990 to handle hazardous waste in Israel, will soon begin operating a unique facility designed to recycle plastic and turn it into fuel.
A new facility that will recycle plastic and turn it into fuel – Environmental Services Company Ltd.
According to the company’s assessments, the facility will be able to derive 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) of an oil-like substance from every ton of plastic waste they treat. This facility will be the first of its kind in the country.
Every day, Israelis dispose of some 1,500 metric tons of plastic waste. Most of it, 75.7%, is buried in landfills. Most of the plastic waste comes from homes (plastic bags, packaging, bottles, toys, furniture), agriculture (irrigation hoses, packaging, plastic sheeting) and industry. In addition, the Environmental Services Company receives about 3,000 metric tons of plastic waste from packaging per year.
The recycling process involves melting and depolymerizing the plastic until a fuel resembling oil is derived. The establishment of the facility has cost 10 million shekels ($2.7 million).
“This process restores the plastic, which is a type of polymer, to its raw state,” explained Environmental Services Company CEO Dr. Gilad Golub. “The end product is an oil substitute that can be refined and replace the need to purchase oil.”
According to Golub, “Waste is a resource that can be taken advantage of.”
View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=26403
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