Syngas from plastic waste

Plastic waste has become one of the most pressing environmental issues of modern times. Recycling is an operation suitable for less than a third of the total plastic waste production. Conventional methodologies for disposing of the nonrecyclable fraction including landfills and incinerators are generally regarded as inconvenient. The plastic waste contained in landfills may generate and disperse microplastics in the environment, waste-to-energy incineration plants lead to GHG and pollutants emissions while also wasting a considerable fraction of the initial energy content of the waste in unusable heat. Gasification of plastic waste is a possible solution to this problem: partially oxidizing the feedstock allows to dispose of it safely while also exploiting to the maximum extent its chemical potential by obtaining syngas. This chapter analyzes the issues related to plastic waste disposal, the thermal decomposition of plastic materials, and the potential for gasification processes based on such feedstock.