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