The document discusses UNEP's 3-year project to convert waste plastics into fuel in order to address the growing problem of plastic waste. The project aims to build local capacity to identify appropriate waste plastic conversion technologies, assess feasibility, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Three cities - Nakhon Ratchasima, Phitsanulok, and Cebu Municipality - participated in pilot projects to convert waste plastics into pellets, liquid fuel, and solid fuel respectively. The project also produced guidelines on plastic waste assessment and identified appropriate conversion technologies.

1. 1
UNEP-DTIE-IETC
“Converting Waste Plastics into Fuel”
Ainhoa Carpintero Rogero
Associate Programme Officer, IETC

2. 2
Waste Plastics
 The world’s annual production of plastic materials
has been steadily increasing at a rate of nearly 5%
over the past 20 years due to economic growth and
the change of consumption and production patterns.
265 million tons produced in 2010
 More resources used - more plastic waste generated
 Waste plastics becoming major stream in solid waste
 In developing countries waste plastics posing
problems to the environment and human health due
to the lack of environmentally sound disposal
practices
 These practices ignore the fact that waste
plastics can represent a great potential for
resource conservation as this waste can be
converted into a valuable resource

3. Converting Waste Plastics into a
Resource
UNEP started a 3-year project on converting waste plastics
to fuel to:
 Strength local capacity in data collection and analysis
to develop baseline scenarios for cities/countries
 Build local capacity for identification of appropriate
technologies.
 Assess their feasibility with regards to local socio-
economic and environmental characteristics
 Assess their potential for resource conservation and
GHG reduction
The Government of Japan, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs is financially supporting the project.

4. Converting Waste Plastics into a
Resource
 Phase I – Scoping Phase – Selection of cities
 Phase II – Technology Assessment Phase
 Phase III – Implementation phase
Supporting publications:
 Guidelines for Assessment (quantification and
characterization) of waste plastics in industrial/municipal
waste streams
 Compendium of Technologies on Converting Waste Plastics
into Fuel

5. 5
Results
 Nakhon Ratchasima has purchased and is operating a
technology for the pelletisation of mixed plastics from
Geor-Ding Machinery Co. Ltd. The technology will pelletise
one tone of mixed plastics per hour. The fuel product is
under quality control by a cement company in the
surroundings.
 Phitsanulok, in partnership with Muang Sa-Ard Co. Ltd,
have constructed a waste plastic to liquid fuel facility to be
fed with the plastics from recent inputs at the MBT facility.
The plant produces 2000l per day and it is being mixed with
diesel and used as fuel for trucks.

6. Results
 Cebu Municipality will convert waste plastics along with
coconut and mango peels into solid fuel in the form of
Refuse Plastic Fuel (RPF). The supplier is Suki Tradings, a
local supplier who will adapt his technology to the needs of
the project. One ton per day will be produced during the
piloting period.
Next Steps
Up-scale of the pilot plant if the products probe to met the
quality standards of identified users.

7. 7
Japanese Companies
 Tsukuba Workshop in partnership with the National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and
Technology (AIST).
 Creative Co. Ltd. showed interest in investigating
further the opportunities in Cebu as they see
potential for their establishment.
 Creative Co. Ltd. submitted a proposal to METI and
NEDO last year to undertake a preliminary study in
Cebu.

8. 8
International Environmental
Technology Centre
Osaka
2-110 Ryokuchi Koen,
Tsurumi-ku,
Osaka 538-0036, Japan
Tel : +81 (0) 6 6915 4581
Fax : +81 (0) 6 6915 0304
E-mail : unep.tie@unep.org
Web: http://www.unep.or.jp
Thank You…