A Ground-Breaking and Innovative Advanced
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A ground-breaking and innovative Advanced Recycling process for a plastic-neutral and sustainable future Our Vision Our global vision is to have 500,000 tonnes of annual recycling capacity in development by 2025 2 Over 350 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally every year1, & the planet is on course to see approximately 12 billion tonnes of plastic in landfills and the environment by 2050 2. Plastic is a useful, reliable material that has enabled huge advances in modern life, health and transport, but poor management, low perceived value and a lack of global infrastructure to support its recycling has led to environmental pollution through plastic leakage, landfill and incineration. With approximately just 9% of plastic produced to date having been recycled3, this valuable resource is being lost. Mura Technology hold the key to turning the tide on waste plastic. Mura’s proprietary technology, Cat-HTR™ Vitally, new materials made using (Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor) is an Cat-HTR™ recycling feedstock are advanced recycling process able to convert suitable for use in food-contact packaging end-of-life plastics back into the chemical material, a problem area for mechanical and oils from which they were made, recycling systems whose products do for use in the petrochemical industry in not meet European Food Standard the production of new plastic and other Agency requirements. Cat-HTR™ materials. This broadens the scope of also offers a beneficial technology to recyclable plastic materials, and helps to help increase the recycled content create a circular economy for plastic. of packaging and provide a recycling solution for plastic packaging materials. Cat-HTR™ uses supercritical water, heat and pressure via hydrothermal liquefaction Alongside diverting plastic away from to break long-chain hydrocarbons, polluting the environment, advanced donating hydrogen to produce shorter- recycling represents significant overall chain, stable hydrocarbon products. environmental benefit, including a reduction of CO2 emissions by 1.5 tonnes A key benefit of the Cat-HTR™ technology for every tonne of plastic waste processed is its ability to recycle multi-layer, flexible when compared to incineration (CE Delft). plastic materials such as films, pots, tubs and trays, considered unrecyclable through The technology demonstrates a traditional mechanical recycling, and are complementary solution to sit alongside instead sent to landfill or incineration, traditional mechanical recycling to create leading to environmental pollution. a circular economy and goes hand in hand with efforts to reduce single-use plastic and create a plastic-neutral society. 1 Plastics Europe 2018 - Plastics: The Facts 2 R. Geyer, J.R. Jambeck, K.L Law - Production, Use and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made. Science Advances Research Article. Asci. Adv. 2017; 3:e1700782 3 R. Geyer, J.R. Jambeck, K.L Law - Production, Use and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made. Science Advances Research Article. Asci. Adv. 2017; 3:e1700782 3 The Reality of Plastic Waste Plastic of Reality The Each year, approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the ocean2. Global plastic production is around 350 million tonnes per year3. If the economy continues at current growth, plastic production will double over the next 20 years to 600 million tonnes annually4. Plastic production consumes around 6% of global oil production, set to rise to 20% by 20505. By 2017, 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic had been produced since invention6. Globally, only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling7. The lost resource of plastic waste globally is estimated at over $80 billion annually8. 4 The Reality of Plastic Waste Plastic Value, not Plastic Waste The impact and burden of end-of-life plastic and its effect on human health, wildlife and the environment is ever prevalent in the news, and is now lodged in the conscience of society. With steps in plastic reduction small, and with over 350 million tonnes of plastic being produced annually across the globe1, a solution is urgently needed to tackle the rising volume of waste plastic that is currently disposed of via landfill and incineration, and that which leaks into the ocean and the environment. Each year, approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the ocean2. Global plastic production is around 350 million tonnes per year3. If the economy continues at current growth, plastic production will double over the next 20 years to 600 million tonnes annually4. 1 R. Geyer, J.R Jambeck, K.L Law. Production, Use and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made. Science Advances Research Plastic production consumes around 6% of global Article. Asci. Adv. 2017; 3:e1700782. 2017. oil production, set to rise to 20% by 20505. 2 Plastic Oceans UK 3 R. Geyer, J.R Jambeck, K.L Law. Production, Use and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made. Science Advances Research Article. Asci. Adv. 2017; 3:e1700782. 2017. By 2017, 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic had 4 McKinsey & Company, taken from The New Plastics Economy: Catalysing Action. 6 been produced since invention . January 2017. Ellen McArthur Foundation. 5 Ellen McArthur Foundation. The New Plastics Economy: Catalysing Action. January 2017. 6 R. Geyer, J.R Jambeck, K.L Law. Globally, only 14% of plastic packaging Production, Use and Fate of All Plastics is collected for recycling7. Ever Made. Science Advances Research Article. Asci. Adv. 2017; 3:e1700782. 2017. 7 Ellen McArthur Foundation. The New Plastics Economy: Catalysing Action. January 2017. The lost resource of plastic waste globally is 8 Ellen McArthur Foundation. The New 8 Plastics Economy: Catalysing Action. estimated at over $80 billion annually . January 2017. 5 #plasticneutral Striving for a Plastic Neutral Society The effects of plastic pollution are global; from microplastics in the food chain to incineration emissions and landfill leakage into the ocean; the lack of effective recycling solutions creates a circular problem. Mura strive for a #plasticneutral approach, which comes from developing a circular plastics economy. By moving away from the traditional linear model of create-consume-dispose to one of create-consume-recycle, we are able to: #plasticneutral • Capture and convert plastics destined for incineration, landfill or the environment, saving emissions and pollution • Extract the value from waste plastic, that would have otherwise been lost – creating value, not waste • Reduce the requirement for fossil resource in the production of plastic, by instead using recycled virgin-equivalent feedstock to create new materials • Allow plastic to remain a part of our everyday lives, by ensuring a strong recycling model post-use, and encouraging plastic value recognition The Cat-HTR™ technology doesn’t have a limit on the number of times plastic can be re-used – it offers infinite product recycling. By achieving a circular economy, we become #plasticneutral. 6 A Circular Economy The Cat-HTR™ technology as part of a circular economy for plastic. 5 4 OTHER CATHTR™ HEAT MATERIAL STREAMS 6 3 DEPRESSURISE MIX WITH STEAM ED REC C YC A Circular Economy AN LI V CAT-H NG D TH TR™ A WI REC AL YCL NU IN 7 A G 2 PRODUCT M MELT & SEPARATION PRESSURISATION 8 1 PRODUCT PLASTIC CLEAN STORAGE & SHRED DESIGN & USE PRODUCTION G TIN OS MP CO RENEWABLY 1 OR AD AND/ SOURCED VIRGIN ENERGY RECOVERY2 FEEDSTOCK LEAKAGE RE-USE 1 Anaerobic digestion. 2 The role of, and boundary conditions for, energy recovery in the New Plastics Economy needs to be further investigated. 7 Technology Advantages of Cat-HTR™ Cat-HTR™ can process The process is scalable due End products will be all plastic types to improved heat transfer REACH1 registered Higher yields than other Controllable reaction Does not generate conversion technologies and process flexibility toxic by-products 8 Technology Extracting Value from Waste Plastic Cat-HTR™ uses supercritical water, heat and pressure to convert waste plastics into valuable chemicals and oils by breaking down the long-chain hydrocarbons and donating hydrogen to produce shorter-chain, stable hydrocarbon products for sale into the petrochemical industry for use in the production of new plastic and other materials. This offers a recycling solution offering a recycling solution for all plastic types and in turn helps to create a circular economy. The use of supercritical water provides: • An organic solvent • A source of hydrogen to complete the broken chemical chains • A means of rapid heating, avoiding excessive temperatures that would lead to excessive cracking • A scalable process Following conversion, four commercial products are produced by flash distillation, each with established and growing markets: The Cat-HTR™ process is efficient, with 1 Naphtha up to 85% of the mass of plastic (daf) converted to hydrocarbon product. 2 Distillate Gas Oil Additionally, Cat-HTR™ can process 3 Heavy Gas Oil mixed, contaminated plastics (such as from food and paper), without need 4 Heavy Wax Residue for segregation, including multi-layer flexible plastics. Target feedstock is post- All products are being currently being consumer, end of life plastics including registered under REACH1 to allow export PP, LDPE, HDPE, PP, PET and PS. into the EU. 9 1. Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Process Unlocking the value in waste plastic – regenerating and recycling for a circular plastics economy 10 Process A Scalable, Stable and Innovative Advanced Recycling Process To begin, waste plastic is shredded and Not only does Cat-HTR™ provide an unwanted contaminants such as glass, answer to help eliminate the world’s metals, grit and stones are removed. plastic disposal problem with a The shredded plastic is then heated and advanced recycling solution, the output compressed, combined with supercritical products will be REACH1 registered, water and further heated. while independent Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) indicates a 1.5 tonne CO2 emission The product then enters the Cat-HTR™, reduction for every tonne of plastic where the supercritical water acts as waste processed when compared ‘molecular scissors’ to break down the to incineration (CE Delft).