At present, the global treatment methods for waste plastics include landfill, incineration, regeneration granulation and pyrolysis.
Landfilling is a traditional method widely used to dispose of waste plastic waste. This simple and direct physical treatment method has relatively large hidden dangers and harms, which increases the pressure on the use of land resources. The refractory plastics seriously hinder the penetration of groundwater, and the additives in the plastics cause secondary pollution of the land.
Incineration is also a widely used method of plastic waste disposal. Plastics are produced from petroleum and natural gas, mainly hydrocarbons. Incineration of plastics produces toxic and harmful gases. If the incinerator is not efficient, these exhaust gases will enter the environment.
Recycling granulation is a method of physically recycling plastic waste. Most recyclable plastics are mechanically broken down into pellets and remanufactured into new plastic products such as packaging, seating or clothing.
Pyrolysis of waste plastics. This chemical decomposition method refers to the process of utilizing the thermal instability of organic matter in solid waste and placing it in a pyrolysis reactor for thermal decomposition. This technology can convert waste plastics into high value-added energy products such as fuel oil, natural gas, and solid fuels.