Energetic valorization

Plastics are combustible. Waste made up of plastic parts may be used by certain industries seeking inexpensive combustibles. 

Cement factories burned such waste, but plastics are rivaled in this application by other waste such as animal meal (which is better subsidized and has constant 

Various boilers can use plastic waste as fuel. However, the requirements on the regularity of the particle size and on the calorific value limit their applications. 

In blast furnaces, a proportion of coal can be replaced in its role by plastic waste as a reducing agent. In this application, it is desirable that the percentage of PVC is low. In this case as well, the release of toxic substances can be feared, but perhaps no more than in usual operation  

Plastic waste and especially garbage are generally incinerated within dedicated facilities (waste incineration plants). These installations include a furnace inside which the incineration occurs and a boiler which helps in the production of steam. This steam allows us to rotate an alternator, thereby producing electricity. The steam is then, eventually, used to heat nearby buildings. The performance of the facility rarely exceeds 25% when we only recover electricity, and 60% when the steam is recovered for heating. These yields must be apphed to the chemical energy of the burned material. In the case of plastics, this share is only a third of the energy stored within objects. The overall yield of the valorization of plastics is therefore around 20%. 

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Figure 2.3. Evolution of how much ofplastic packaging waste was placed on the market, how much material was recycled and haw much was energetically valorized between 1997 and 2004...

The example of Sydom of Jura (in 2003, but the numbers have changed httle since) shows that plastic waste accounted for 11% of garbage waste. Twenty percent is recycled by physical processes and 60% is incinerated. The rest went to landfills. In 2010, 18% of waste was recycled and 40% energetically valorized in France. 

This concerns the plastics themselves and the objects containing plastic. Plastic materials must satisfy environmental concerns the distribution of non-biodegradable plastic bags has been reduced since January 2010. Vehicles contain more and more plastic materials. The rate of reuse or energetic valorization concerning used vehicles is expected to reach 95% in 2015. 

The biofuels also raise concerns with respect to a possible shortage of agricultural resources needed for food. In return, it could be said that the biofuels aim to valorize primarily nonfood raw materials and nonused land resources. In addition, the biofuels should be considered as only a component, an important one, of the diversity of renewable energetic resources. 

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