Garbage and energy - two gigantic challenges

Every year, more than 6 millions of tons of waste go into the sea - about three quarters of it is plastic. This equates to more than one truckload of plastic waste per minute.

According to current projections, more than 100 millions of tons of plastic waste circulate in the largest of the world's five waste streams.

Add to this the countless landfills worldwide - the largest of which is as big as 700 football fields. Since plastic waste does not rot, meaningful plastic recycling is more than overdue.

At the same time, global energy demand is rising rapidly. From 1990 to 2008, per capita consumption increased by 10%, while the world population grew nearly 30%.

According to current estimates, 2035's energy needs will increase by an additional 30% - equivalent to an additional demand of more than 4 billion tons of oil per year.

The biofabrik White Refinery solves both problems.

This is where WASTX technology from Biofabrik White Refinery comes into play, as large quantities of crude oil are also used to produce plastics.

These are bound in later plastic waste in solid, unusable form. WASTX technology dissolves the chemical compounds and returns them to their liquid form.

In one kilo of plastic, up to 10 kilowatt hours of energy are contained - almost as much as in diesel and enough to charge a smartphone for up to three years every day.

The integrated generator converts the product oil directly into electricity when needed. As for example in our pilot project on the French Antilles:

The strategically positioned WASTX plants dispose of the local plastic waste and provide clean, stable energy for the archipelago.