Resource Resurgence from COVID-19 Waste via Pyrolysis: a Circular Economy Approach

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Waste Management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in plastic waste, including medical supplies and packaging.
• Current disposal methods like incineration are not resource-efficient for managing infectious COVID-waste.
• Effective waste management strategies are crucial to mitigate environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a resource resurgence framework for managing COVID-waste using pyrolysis.
• To highlight pyrolysis as a sustainable and resource-efficient alternative to incineration.
• To demonstrate the potential of pyrolysis in generating revenue and supporting a circular economy post-pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on the application of pyrolysis for polymer waste treatment.
• Analysis of pyrolysis's versatility in handling both single and mixed polymer waste streams.
• Development of a framework for operationalizing pyrolysis plants for COVID-waste management.

Main Results:

• Pyrolysis is a versatile thermochemical technology capable of efficiently processing diverse COVID-waste streams.
• The process yields valuable fuel and material products from plastic waste.
• The proposed framework outlines operational strategies and revenue generation potential for pyrolysis plants.

Conclusions:

• Pyrolysis presents a sustainable and economically viable solution for managing COVID-waste.
• Adoption of pyrolysis can contribute to resource recovery and the transition towards a circular economy.
• The framework provides a roadmap for effective COVID-waste management and resource resurgence.