http://alttransport.com/2011/02/a-machine-that-converts-plastic-bags-into-fuel/
Hello America, Europe are we listening? I wonder if this can be scaled for mass production?
That's awesome. I've always wondered whether or not this was possible.
what's most impressive is that, judging by the stuff he's jamming in there, it's all types of plastic. That would make it cheaper and easier than other plastic recycling by a long way.
I've seen Mr. Ito on TV over here a few times. They don't seem to take him too seriously . They all look at his invention and say "amazing", but we haven't seen a big uptake of this technology at all. It will probably not start in Japan.
Obviously it takes a certain amount of energy to convert the plastic back maybe that costs more than the oil produced is worth? I can see why the oil companies would ignore this, but I can't understand why people in industrial countries are not pounding on this guy's door. Bill you would think Japan, which has to import every drop of oil, would be interested in this?
In a county near where I live they are about to build production scale trash to ethanol plant. It has never been done before on this kind of scale and nobody knows if it will work on this scale or not, so there is some opposition. But a way to seriously recycle plastic into oil would take recycling to a new level.
to be honest, at $10k for the machine and tiny amounts of electric to run, plus free materials, if what it produces can run a biodiesal car (veg fat model) I would imagine that groups of people would buy it and run community projects. It obviously depends on how long it takes to produce viable amounts and what the waste product is, but it's not an expensive option if it's efficient enough to produce decent amounts.
And in related news....
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/new-york-city-turns-to-sewers-for-energy-solutions/