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Current plastics pollution threats due to COVID-19 and its possible mitigation techniques: a waste-to-energy conversion via Pyrolysis
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Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic generated massive amounts of plastic medical waste — including masks and gloves — and found that pyrolysis (heating plastic without oxygen) can convert this waste into usable oil, reducing plastic pollution. This waste-to-energy approach offers a practical path for managing the surge of single-use medical plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills or the environment as microplastics.
It can be concluded that the medical plastics can be recycled into oil due to their thermoplastics nature having high oil content and the waste to energy conversion can potentially reduce the volume of PPE plastic wastes.
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This review examines the surge in plastic waste generation during the COVID-19 pandemic driven by increased use of gloves, masks, protective clothing, and test kits, and evaluates current treatment methods including incineration, landfilling, pyrolysis, and gasification. The authors recommend scaling up pyrolysis and gasification as cleaner alternatives and promote regulation, CO2 scrubbing, and expanded use of biodegradable plastics to address the amplified plastic waste challenge.
Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis
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Researchers analyzed the elemental composition and pyrolysis behavior of COVID-19 protective face masks, finding that pyrolysis at 400-900 degrees Celsius could effectively recover energy from pandemic-related plastic waste that overwhelmed conventional waste management systems.
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This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic worsened plastic waste management by generating unprecedented medical waste, while assessing substitutional technologies such as pyrolysis and construction material conversion that can transform plastic waste into value-added products within a circular economy framework.
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This review examines pyrolysis as a method for converting plastic waste into usable oil, arguing it offers a viable route to manage the growing volume of plastic that reaches landfills and oceans. With only 15% of annual plastic production currently recycled, the paper positions pyrolysis as an important complement to conventional recycling.
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This review analyzes the process of converting plastic waste into usable oil through pyrolysis, a thermal breakdown process conducted without oxygen. Researchers found that plastic waste has energy content comparable to conventional fuel oil, making pyrolysis an attractive waste-management and energy-recovery option. The study discusses the technical design considerations and suggests that scaling up this technology could contribute to both reducing plastic pollution and supporting the energy transition.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.