pyrolysis
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Colorado Gov. Polis vetoes bill ending state incentives for certain recycling techniques
Governor Jared Polis vetoed a bill that would have stopped state incentives for pyrolysis and gasification recycling projects in Colorado.
In short:
- Governor Polis rejected a bill that aimed to cut state support for advanced recycling techniques like pyrolysis and gasification.
- Proponents of the bill argue these methods are environmentally harmful and serve as a distraction from reducing plastic use.
- The bill's supporters are disappointed, believing state funds should support projects that align with climate and environmental justice goals.
Key quote:
“We should not waste taxpayer dollars incentivizing plastics-to-fuel technology that increases pollution, doesn't recycle materials and isn't economical.”
— Suzanne Jones, executive director of Eco-Cycle
Why this matters:
Pyrolysis and gasification processes are controversial, as they consume significant energy and emit pollutants. Governor Polis' decision signals a cautious endorsement of innovative recycling technologies while acknowledging the complexities and challenges involved in their implementation.
Learn more about chemical recycling.
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Credit: John Walker ARPS/Flickr
A plant proposed in Youngstown, Ohio, would have turned tons of tires into synthetic gas. Local officials said not so fast
The mayor and city council have enacted a one-year moratorium after the EPA raised multiple environmental justice concerns, from toxic air to hazardous waste.
Youngstown City Council unanimously votes against an ‘untested and dangerous’ tire pyrolysis plant
The resolution signals potential trouble ahead for SOBE Thermal’s proposal to turn 88 tons a day of tires into gas and then steam, amid a global fight over “advanced recycling.”
Rolling car tires into the global circular economy
A billion tires enter landfills, are burned, or litter the landscape every year, and more will be dumped as auto use surges planetwide. Industry analysts and entrepreneurs are pressing for circular economy solutions.
| BigStock Photo ID: 474182609 |
| Copyright: Kriengsak-Stock |
Inside Indiana's “advanced” plastics recycling plant: dangerous vapors, oil spills and life-threatening fires
The Brightmark “plastics renewal” plant can’t get past the start-up phase, as former employees raise environmental, health and safety concerns.
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Photo by Nareeta Martin on Unsplash
EPA spurns Trump-era effort to drop clean-air protections for plastic waste recycling
Affirming long-standing incineration regulations, the Biden administration has withdrawn a plan to help ease the way for unchecked pyrolysis and gasification of plastic.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
As plastics keep piling up, can ‘advanced’ recycling cut the waste?
Proponents of a process called pyrolysis — including oil and gas companies — contend it will keep post-consumer plastics out of landfills and reduce pollution. But critics say that by converting waste to petroleum feedstock, it will only perpetuate a dependence on fossil fuels.
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