<
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/30/climate/chemical-recycling-plastic-pollution-climate/>
"A squat, light-colored building in Tigard, Oregon, was supposed to be part of
a game-changing new solution for the global plastics industry.
Called Regenyx, this recycling facility took in polystyrene — a hard-to-recycle
plastic used for products like coffee cups, egg cartons and meat trays — and
melted it right down to its building blocks, ready to be made into new
products.
The process, which used a technology called chemical recycling, could be done
an infinite number of times, according to Agilyx, the company behind the
facility, saving waste polystyrene from landfill, incineration or around 500
years of clogging up streets, rivers or oceans.
Last month, however, after only five years of operating, Regenyx closed its
doors. The company framed the closure as a success, saying it had proved its
technology “is not only feasible, it is the future.”
But the plant never came close to its potential capacity of processing 3,650
tons of plastic waste a year, instead managing just 3,000 tons in total over
five years of operation.
Regenyx’s closure is just the latest sign of the deep struggles facing chemical
recycling, said Jennifer Congdon deputy director of the non-profit Beyond
Plastics.
The plastic industry is pitching this technology, also known as advanced
recycling, as a great new hope in the battle against the plastic pollution
crisis. But critics say it’s failing to meet the hype, plagued by missed
targets, plants closed or shelved and reports of fires and spills.
The claims are big, but the reality is very different, Congdon told
CNN.
“It’s a PR stunt. It’s an illusion,” she said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
