Spanish researchers recycle plastic waste with olive pomace in co-pyrolysis process

In Spain, the combined thermal degradation of olive pomace and plastic waste by pyrolysis increases the effectiveness of the process and generates new value-added products, such as biofuels, according to a study by the University of Córdoba.

Through recovery processes new lives can be given to single-use plastics, an industry that generates tons of non-degradable waste. By including these plastics in the co-pyrolysis process it is possible to not only to reduce their environmental impact, but also exploit their energy. In addition, useful bioproducts can be obtained through the thermal transformation of olive pomace, the main byproduct left after the production of olive oil.

This philosophy is part of the latest work of the BIOSAHE group at the University of Córdoba, in collaboration with the Italian University of La Tuscia, in which they have carried out a kinetic and thermodynamic study of different compositions of plastic materials with olive pomace, verifying the effectiveness of this combination.

By combining these materials in the co-pyrolysis process, researchers can not only reduce their environmental impact, but also take advantage of their energy. In this way, providing a joint solution to olive pomaceand thermoplastic waste in a 50% mixture has proved to be a much more efficient solution than pyrolysis separately for each, as less energy is needed and fewer polluting gases result from the process.

In addition, this joint treatment could yield products such as bio-oils, biochar (charcoal that improves the properties of soil) and gases that can be used as biofuels, thus both contributing to the production of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions too.