(733d) Process Development for Efficient Utilization of Waste Plastic to Liquid Product for Rural Development In Nigeria: Gasification Option

Waste production is a very important problem in all countries especially in developed countries and Nigeria is no exception. Waste plastics create a very serious environmental challenge because of their huge quantities and their disposal problems, due to their non-biodegradable attributes (or the biodegradation process is very slow). Plastic waste poses a serious environmental problem that is not addressed by recourse to landfill. Open dumping has been the predominant solid waste disposal option in Nigeria. Their destruction by incineration poses serious air pollution problems due to the release of airborne particles and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Only a limited amount of plastics can be recycled, while most plastics could be used, for example in energy production. The management of plastic waste using gasification in fluidized bed technology is a technically feasible option. Apart from eliminating the waste, a chemical recycling is produced during this process, obtaining a gas (syngas) which can be used in different applications such as ethanol through bacteria conversion of the syngas intermediate. Ethanol can be further converted to ethanol gel fuel to substitute the use of paraffin and traditional firewood in rural communities. This is doubly environmentally friendly since it will reduce the volume of plastic waste being disposed of in landfill whilst producing green fuel without generating green house gases. This application could give some prospect of self-reliant energy supplies at local levels, with potential economic, ecological, social, and security benefits; thereby improving the socio-economic and political wellbeing of the rural people.