| According to the report from the Ministry of | | | | to start in the course of the year 2007, once |
| environment, Mauritius produces some 120 tons | | | | the EIA obtained. |
| of plastic wastes daily amounting to a total | | | | |
| of 43,800 tons of waste every year of which | | | | Beginnings |
| only 4%, representing some 164 tons, are | | | | |
| recycled. In 2006, the population's | | | | The concepts of plastic conversion into |
| consumption of non-biodegradable plastic | | | | hydrocarbons was elaborated by Professor Alka |
| products amounted to some 70 million | | | | Zadgaonkar of the Raisoni College of |
| Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles, 7 | | | | Engineering, Nagpur in Indian, in the year |
| million PVC bottles, and 113 million plastic | | | | 1995. While giving a lecture on Applied |
| bags. | | | | Chemistry, she came up with the idea of |
| | | | turning plastic back into hydrocarbons. She |
| Now just imagine a process able to clear our | | | | worked with a team on the formula and in |
| environment of plastic wastes, creating jobs | | | | 2004; they succeeded in turning 300mg of |
| in waste management and collection and at the | | | | plastic into hydrocarbon liquids. |
| same time bringing useful resources such as | | | | |
| petrol and gas, which can be beneficial to | | | | Unique Waste Plastic Management & Research |
| our economy. The Liquid Hydrocarbons pilot | | | | Co. Pvt. Ltd of India later launched a pilot |
| project proposed by the Green Hydrocarbons | | | | project where some 5,000 tons of plastic |
| (Mtius) Ltd has the ambitious desire of | | | | wastes were converted everyday. The process |
| turning our plastic wastes into hydrocarbon | | | | was later extended to treat 25,000 tons daily |
| petrol. | | | | in 2006 and the objective of the project is |
| | | | to treat some 450,000 tons. She asked for |
| The environment friendly project, realized | | | | analysis by Indian Oil and made a number of |
| with the collaboration of the initiators of | | | | recommendations for the use of the final |
| the project in India, Unique Waste Plastic | | | | products. |
| Management & Research CO. Pvt. Ltd., will | | | | |
| enable Mauritius to get rid of its plastic | | | | After about one year of operation, the |
| wastes while at the same time providing | | | | project was realized with the help of loans. |
| resources such as petrol. The initiator of | | | | Representatives of the State Bank of India |
| the project will bring all the technology and | | | | acknowledged that the project is already |
| equipment necessary for the setting of the | | | | running on profit, thus proving the |
| pilot plant while the government, in | | | | efficiency of the method. The world produces |
| collaboration with Green Hydrocarbons Ltd., | | | | no less than 60% more plastic wastes than it |
| will provide the necessary location and | | | | did some ten years back with a production of |
| licenses. | | | | 100 million tons every year. India produces |
| | | | 10,000 tons of plastic wastes everyday which |
| The ratio of the conversion of the plastic | | | | 40% are recycled. |
| waste into petrol is one kilogram of plastic | | | | |
| into the volume of 1000 cc of petrol. The | | | | This project has enabled India to better |
| pilot project will hence be converting some | | | | manage the country's plastic wastes while at |
| 2.5 tons of plastic wastes daily into some | | | | the same time creating jobs. Actually India |
| 25,000 liters of petrol and other | | | | sells its hydrocarbon at 40% to 50% less than |
| by-products. This project is a green | | | | normal diesel. The technology is presently |
| alternative to the palliative solutions that | | | | being exported to other regions such as |
| have been found so far to deal with plastic | | | | Rajasthan and even to America; for instance, |
| wastes. Land filling, incineration, | | | | some hospitals are being operated using their |
| recycling, gasification and blast furnace | | | | own wastes. |
| have shown their limits in the treatment of | | | | |
| plastic wastes. | | | | The investments for the pilot project in |
| | | | Mauritius are estimated to around 100 to 300 |
| Recycling is unfortunately not a practical | | | | millions Rupees. Land filling, incineration |
| solution in that the cost of collection is | | | | and recycling 4% are presently being used but |
| quite high; there is a limited market for it, | | | | they do not resolve the problem of |
| with an absence of marketing. Moreover, | | | | environmental damage caused by plastic. The |
| plastic can only be recycled three to four | | | | Waste to Compost project, will however give a |
| times, after that it loses its strength and | | | | new dimension to the processing of plastic in |
| can't be recycled. The project realized with | | | | that hydrocarbon and the other by-products |
| the collaboration of Indian partners is due | | | | used as compost. |