Key Largo, FL -The Consortium for Waste Circularity (wastecircularity.org) in conjunction with the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA – flexpack.org) and the Packaging Engineering program at the University of Florida (www.pkg.ufl.edu) is working with packaging industry stakeholders to arrange for Robust Gasification testing of their “difficult to recycle,” but functionally valuable packaging materials. Packaging industry stakeholders have been successfully running trials through the University of Florida for several months and the testing program is being expanded to all packaging industry stakeholders. To date, multi-layer materials, metallized films, barrier films containing PVDC, cross-linked photopolymer flexographic plates and more have been shown to be successfully converted to synthesis gas (“syngas”). The Consortium for Waste Circularity is promoting a transformative vision where mixed complex waste is converted to syngas, and then syngas is converted to “waste-derived” Eco-Methanol™. The Consortium sees Eco-Methanol as the key for the packaging industry for achieving true circularity for all of its carbon-based packaging waste. Since methanol is a primary feedstock chemical for subsequent manufacture of many products and plastics, Eco-Methanol represents an opportunity to boost recovery of waste as well as “recycled content” in products and packaging. The Consortium refers to this circular process as Regenerative Robust Gasification.

Trials consist of conversion mass balance. Samples are analyzed on receipt (proximate/ultimate analysis). Trial runs go to steady state. All outputs are measured and analyzed. Syngas quality and yield are reported. Any processing issues, if any, are reported. Data are useful for predicting performance on scale-up where feed is similar or blended with other materials that have also been evaluated in trials. Trials involve conversion of waste to syngas. Subsequent Syngas-to-Methanol and Methanol-to-Plastics have already been demonstrated commercially.

Industry stakeholders can arrange for testing of their difficult to recycle materials by contacting Professor Bruce Welt ([email protected]). Trials may consist of single or mixed solid materials or hazardous liquids. Each trial requires about 350-500# (“batch”). Cost per trial/batch is $15,000. Representatives of companies conducting trials are encouraged to attend their trials.