Nonviable carbon neutrality with plastic waste-to-energy

Incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification during plastic waste treatment are inevitable to reduce the volume of landfilled plastic waste and recover energy; however, they cause severe carbon emissions. We show that the current practices of plastic waste-to-energy will significantly impact carbon neutrality. Various energy recovery systems, such as combined power cycles and fuel cells, were modeled to evaluate the power generated and CO2 emitted from treating the current and projected plastic waste by 2050. The CO2 emissions from plastic waste-to-energy systems are higher than those from current fossil fuel-based power systems per unit of power generated, even after considering the contribution of carbon capture and storage. Power generation using plastic waste will significantly increase by 2050, and therefore, we suggest technologies required for achieving carbon neutrality.

Automated summary

Incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification are necessary methods for reducing landfill volume and recovering energy from plastic waste, but they result in significant carbon emissions. By modeling various energy recovery systems, we find that current plastic waste-to-energy practices will greatly impact carbon neutrality. The CO2 emissions from plastic waste-to-energy systems, even with carbon capture and storage, are higher per unit of power generated compared to current fossil fuel-based power systems. Power generation from plastic waste will increase significantly by 2050, thus requiring technologies to achieve carbon neutrality.