A brand new factory is being build in the port of Amsterdam that will be able to manufacture fuel for cargo ships using non-recyclable plastic. This is completely revolutionary!
Since June of this year, a new factory has been built in order to begin the process of this innovative new method of waste reduction. The Dutch company Bin2Barrel are the first company to do this commercially and the factory will start its operations by the end of this year. All thanks to a government grant and a collaboration with the Port of Amsterdam – everyone has got on board. If the factory is successful, it will be the first of 4 other factories that will be built there.
Less waste disposal
Recycling plastic is all well and good, as it heavily reduces waste. However, what about the plastic that cannot be salvaged from the litter grave? That’s something that Bin2Barrel wants to change and so by using non-recyclable plastic and transforming it into fuel, then it’s helping to prevent plastic ending up in the landfill or burnt.
Due to this first factory in Amsterdam, annually, 35,000 metric tons of non-recyclable plastic will become 30 million litres of clean fuel. This will prevent the emission of 57,000 metric tons of CO₂ every single year. Another great thing is that this process of making fuel requires a lot of energy, however, with this form of manufacture it skips out most of the process, so you are actually preserving energy throughout the whole process and not just the end product.
Like any new project, it’s not without it’s criticisms. Of course the focus should really be on solar and wind power, which is renewable. Also attempting to move completely away from fossil fuels altogether should be the main goal. However, this new project should help us move towards a new circular economy and help to reduce pollution.
