Mexican Startup Converts Plastic Waste Into Fuel

A startup in Mexico is working to tackle a Gulf Coast city’s plastic waste problem by converting it into gasoline, diesel, and other fuels, Alba Alemán and Félix Márquez reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Petgas has developed a machine in the port city of Boca del Río that uses pyrolysis, a thermodynamic process that heats plastic in the absence of oxygen, breaking it down to produce gasoline, diesel, kerosene, paraffin, and coke. I Photo: Petgas

With less than 10% of the world’s plastic being recycled, Petgas aims to turn discarded plastic into a valuable resource instead of waste.

The company has developed a machine in the port city of Boca del Río that uses pyrolysis, a thermodynamic process that heats plastic in the absence of oxygen, breaking it down to produce gasoline, diesel, kerosene, paraffin, and coke.

Carlos Parraguirre Díaz, chief technology officer at Petgas, said the machine can process 1.5 tons of plastic per week and produce 356 gallons (1,350 liters) of fuel.

The process requires propane to initiate heating, but once pyrolysis begins, the gas it produces sustains the operation, according to the company. While burning the fuel does emit carbon dioxide, the company claims its net impact is lower than that of conventional fuels because it has a lower sulfur content.

Parraguirre Díaz emphasized the project’s significance, stating, “We can transform plastic into a product that is useful and highly valuable in the global economy.”