March 17, 2014 – I didn’t know that plastic could be melted
and returned to its petroleum state, but it appears that it can. Plants already exist in England for
that very purpose. After spending
years in a business incubation facility in Akron, Ohio, one such plant is now
ready to go online in Ohio next month.
Certainly from the standpoint of putting plastic refuse
someplace other than landfill, this sounds like a good idea. It seems unlikely we will run out of
plastic anytime soon. It’s the
diesel fuel that literally comes out at the other end that worries me. While diesel produces no carbon dioxide
pollution, particulate matter is another problem entirely. Because diesel particles are extremely
fine, they can penetrate deeply into the lungs. The rough surfaces of the particles cause them to catch, and
combine with, other toxic inhalants.
The primary health concerns which result from exposure to
these particles are heart and lung disease, including lung cancer. So while the conversion plant itself
produces little in the way of pollution, the end product is cause for
concern. Although diesel exhaust
is far cleaner today than it was prior to the year 2000, the dilemma of
particle pollution still remains to be solved. (Diesel fuel is widely used around the globe.)
The foregoing notwithstanding, Vadxx Energy will begin
accepting 60 tons of plastic a day next month. The end product, 300 barrels of petrochemical liquid, will
wind up as diesel fuel and lubricants.
Akron has kept faith with Vadxx for eight years, choosing to help the
newly created business during its test phase when Cleveland sent the erstwhile
job creator packing.
The Akron Global Business Accelerator, housed in a former
B.F. Goodrich tire factory in downtown Akron, gave Vadxx its beginning. The pilot plant, which also serves as a
demonstration facility intended to attract investors, is located in a
city-owned industrial building, close by the Business Accelerator.
Of particular interest is the fact that a second plastic
conversion company is also near the startup phase, also in Akron. RES Polyflow’s demonstration facility
is located in North Perry, outside Cleveland. Its first public demonstration was given there,
successfully, last summer, and the company is now speaking with potential customers.
How should these developments be assessed? While the practical use of plastic
trash is welcome, its conversion to diesel fuel is a mixed blessing. Let’s hope that the successful
eradication of previous noxious pollutants contained in diesel exhaust are the
precursor to at last eliminating the particles that are known to cause health
havoc.
With thanks to the Akron Beacon Journal and Wikipedia.
With thanks to the Akron Beacon Journal and Wikipedia.
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