Energy generation from plastic composites offers a viable solution to the dual challenges of plastic waste management and renewable energy production. This study explores the potential of plastic composites for energy generation through key waste-to-energy technologies, including incineration, pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic digestion.
Energy savings (+) and additional energy demand (–) of plastic products compared to alternative materials, split into contributions of the main ap-plication sectors and the life-cycle phases production, use and waste man-agement are presented in the Appendix, Figure 4.
Energy generation from plastic composites offers a viable solution to the dual challenges of plastic waste management and renewable energy production. This study explores the potential of plastic composites for energy generation through key waste-to-energy technologies, including incineration, pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic digestion.
The work of Karimpour-Fard et al. on energy recovery from aged waste and Hori et al. on the application of plastic waste in fuel cells and electrolysers further emphasize the importance of optimizing material structure and processing conditions to unlock the full potential of plastic waste as an energy resource.
Plastics often facilitate reduced material consumption. The use of plastics for thermal insulation, for food packaging or to pro-duce renewable energy results in extraordinary “use”-benefits. Polymers based on renewable resources are not per se better than conventional plastics based on fossil resources.
The review focuses on key technologies such as incineration with energy recovery, pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic digestion, all of which are considered viable methods for converting plastic waste into energy.
In developing countries, where plastics are ubiquitous due to their affordability and accessibility, the disposal of plastic waste has emerged as a critical environmental issue [3, 4]. Non-biodegradable plastics, when improperly discarded, contribute significantly to environmental pollution.
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