A friendly management of waste/contaminated polymeric materials from differentiated waste collection through microwave pyrolysis

Waste/contaminated polymeric materials are present in a solid municipal waste, and in larger amount in a differentiated waste collection. These polymers can’t be easily disposed through mechanical processes. They still contain a large variety of compounds having different chemical and physical properties, thus they can’t be blended together. The conversion of these waste materials into a gas, a liquid and a solid, through a microwave assisted pyrolysis has been reviewed. The solid may be employed as filler to obtain composites or a solid fuel while the liquid is, usually, the more interesting product, as it may be a source of chemicals or liquid fuel. A study about upgrading of this liquid to a gasoline for automotive engine is also reported. The gas may be used as liquefied petroleum gas or converted into energy. Following a pyrolyis process, a complete recycle of waste polymeric materials may be realized. All the products may be reused, some items as the source of monomers for new polymerizations, as raw materials for new synthesis, or to produce energy: thus realizing the last step of a circular economy.