The technology will be used commercially for the first time at a plant near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire later this year after a pair of “waste-energy” companies agreed to invest.
Breakthrough means less pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions
Domestic plastic waste for recycling. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
It is a problem bedevilling households across the UK: what can we do with the mountains of food-spattered plastic waste left in our bins?
Now a group of scientists say they have the answer – by using the detritus of domestic life to heat homes.
Researchers at the University of Chester have found a way to use dirty plastic waste to produce hydrogen, which can heat homes and fuel cars without producing greenhouse gas emissions. The process uses a glass kiln, heated to 1,000C, to instantly break down unrecyclable plastic to release a mix of gases including hydrogen.
The technology will be used commercially for the first time at a plant near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire later this year after a pair of “waste-energy” companies agreed to invest.
Peele Environmental, the owner…
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The Most Revolutionary Act 
Waste-to-energy plants already exist worldwide, and several countries, like Germany, are already importing other countries’ waste to run them. Are there significant advantages to this new technology? What kind of energy does the kiln require? Interesting concept, but I would be interested in the specifics.
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Katherine, I’m also concerned about the energy require to run a kiln like this. You assume there’s a net gain in energy, but the article doesn’t really say.
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