SWANA Energy Recovery Options Report Free to Members

SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation analyzes recovery options for non-recycled plastics

Silver Spring, MD – The Solid Waste Association of North America’s (SWANA) Applied Research Foundation (ARF) is pleased to announce the report, Energy Recovery Options for Non-Recycled Plastic Discards, is now available to SWANA members for free.

As more attention focuses on the proliferation of single-use plastics and discarded plastics in oceans and waterways, solid waste managers are under increasing pressure to implement solutions that not only properly manage these discards, but also recover their energy value during the process.

ARF conducted important research on energy recovery options for non-marketable plastic recyclables, as well as plastics that are not typically targeted for recycling. The  report reviews three system options that are available to solid waste managers for the recovery of energy from non-recycled waste plastics, including Plastics-to-Fuels (PTF) Systems, Non-Waste Fuel (NWF) Systems, and Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Systems.

“We appreciate the support and involvement of our Waste Conversion and Energy Recovery Group subscribers who submitted and voted for this important research topic and provided funding support for the research effort,” said Jeremy O’Brien, SWANA’s Director of Applied Research.

SWANA expects this report will serve as a useful reference for solid waste managers in the United States and Canada interested in pursuing energy recovery options for the non-marketable plastic discards in their communities.

The full report, Energy Recovery Options for Non-Recycled Plastic Discards is available to SWANA members free of charge here.

To learn more about the report and to download the executive summary, click here.

To learn more about SWANA and SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation, visit https://swana.org/resources/research.