Chloe Zhang
The process of sending plastic to Renewlogy, an advanced recycling company, involves utilising specialised orange garbage bags to collect hard-to-recycle plastics. This initiative was first implemented in Boise, Idaho, where residents were encouraged to place items like yogurt containers and plastic waste into these distinctive bags. The bags were then transported over 300 miles to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Renewlogy's facility employed a unique technology to convert the plastic into diesel fuel. However, the collaboration between Boise and Renewlogy encountered challenges, leading to a temporary cessation of waste delivery to the company in 2019. Despite these setbacks, Renewlogy has received support from entities like the Arizona Innovation Challenge, and it plans to establish another recycling facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Year Started | 2018 |
| Plastic Types Accepted | Hard-to-recycle plastic waste |
| Plastic Items Accepted | Yogurt containers, cereal-box liners, plastic bags, takeout containers |
| Plastic Transformation | Transformed into diesel fuel |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic waste sent to Renewlogy by Boise
In 2018, Boise, Idaho introduced a new recycling program, Hefty EnergyBag, backed by Dow Inc. The program was designed to recycle hard-to-recycle plastic waste, such as yogurt containers, cereal box liners, and other plastic waste, into low-polluting fuel. Residents were provided with special orange garbage bags to collect their plastic waste, which was then transported over 300 miles to Salt Lake City, Utah.
The program was a collaboration between Dow and U.S. packaging firm Reynolds Consumer Products Inc., the maker of the orange garbage sacks. Boise's recycling program was well-received, with about 97% of city residents utilizing recycling carts and the city recycling 17,500 tons of commercial and residential waste in 2018.
However, issues arose when it was discovered that the plastic waste from Boise was highly contaminated with other garbage. Renewlogy, the company in Salt Lake City tasked with recycling the plastic waste, claimed that the contamination levels were ten times higher than they were prepared for. As a result, they were unable to recycle the plastic waste as intended.
Due to these challenges, Boise's plastic waste is now being sent to a Utah cement plant, where it is burned for fuel. The city of Boise has faced criticism for its handling of the situation, with some residents feeling misled about the environmental impact of the program.
Despite these setbacks, Boise's efforts to address plastic waste reflect a broader issue with the plastic recycling industry, which is often opaque and faces significant challenges in effectively recycling plastic waste.
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Renewlogy's Salt Lake City operation
The Salt Lake City operation has faced some criticism, with Boise's Materials Management Program Manager, Peter McCullough, stating that Renewlogy's equipment could not process certain types of plastic films as promised. As a result, some of the plastic waste from Boise is being diverted to a cement plant northeast of Salt Lake City for fuel. However, Renewlogy has defended its position, stating that it operates a testing facility to develop new plastic recycling technologies and shares the premises with other companies working on pyrolysis of wood and other waste.
Despite the challenges, Renewlogy's Salt Lake City operation remains an attractive option for recyclers who are seeking alternatives to landfilling their plastics. The company's long-term goal is to have its systems implemented at recycling facilities across the country, reducing the need for shipping plastic waste to Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City's contracts require recycling vendors to accept and recycle plastics No. 1 through No. 7, which has led to the city of Boise, Idaho, contracting with Renewlogy after banning plastics No. 3 through No. 7 in its recycling program.
Overall, Renewlogy's Salt Lake City operation is a crucial part of the company's efforts to provide a solution to the plastic waste problem. By collecting hard-to-recycle plastics and working on developing new recycling technologies, Renewlogy aims to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste and promote a more sustainable future.
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Renewlogy's plans to launch a Phoenix facility
Renewlogy is a company that has developed a processing system in partnership with the waste management company Sustane, based in Nova Scotia. In addition to this, they also have a facility in Salt Lake City and are campaigning against marine plastic debris in India.
In 2017, Renewlogy was awarded a grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority through the Arizona Innovation Challenge program. The grant was used to develop a Phoenix plastics-to-fuel facility, with a planned launch in the same year. The facility, named Renew Phoenix, was selected to be part of the Resource Innovation and Solutions Network (RISN), a group of public and private stakeholders. The operation has a planned processing capacity of 6 million pounds per year and will focus on keeping hard-to-recycle plastics out of landfills.
The Hefty ReNew Program is an example of an existing recycling service that Renewlogy's Phoenix facility can complement. The program collects hard-to-recycle plastics, such as plastic forks, candy wrappers, and foam to-go boxes, through curbside or drop-off programs. The plastics are collected in Hefty® ReNew® Orange Bags, which are then sorted by local recycling facilities and sent to a facility for processing into new items.
The Phoenix facility will process mixed plastics, helping to reduce plastic waste and give it a renewed purpose. This aligns with the Hefty ReNew Program's goal of ensuring that hard-to-recycle plastics are repurposed into new materials and products, such as building materials, plastic lumber, and alternatives to coal in cement manufacturing.
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Renewlogy's technology to recycle plastic
Renewlogy is an "advanced recycling" company that uses heat or chemicals to recycle hard-to-recycle plastics, such as plastic bags or takeout containers, into new products. The company was founded by MIT alumna Priyanka Bakaya and Benjamin Coates, the company's CTO. Renewlogy's technology first shreds the plastic waste, then puts it through a chemical reformer, where a catalyst degrades the long carbon chains. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of these chains are converted into hydrocarbon gas, which is recycled to heat the system. Five percent turns into char, and the remaining 75 percent is converted into high-value fuels like diesel. This process is known as pyrolysis and is an approach that has been used by other advanced recycling startups.
One of Renewlogy's key innovations is using a continuous system, which saves energy by eliminating the need to reheat the system to the high temperatures required for conversion. This technology has been licensed to waste management companies in the US and internationally. For example, a waste management company in Nova Scotia, Canada, uses Renewlogy's technology to process about 10 tons of plastic a day, which represents 5 percent of the total amount of solid waste collected.
Renewlogy is also building a facility in Phoenix, Arizona, that will focus on processing specific types of plastics that are less easily recycled. In addition, the company is working with grassroots efforts to collect and process plastic that is not normally recycled, as part of the Hefty Energy Bag Program. This program allows residents in certain cities to put plastics numbered 4 through 6 into their regular recycling bins using special orange bags.
While advanced recycling is still in its infancy and has faced some setbacks, Renewlogy's technology offers a potential solution to the world's mounting plastic waste problem by converting plastic waste into high-value fuels and new plastics.
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Plastic waste piling up at Renewlogy
In early 2018, the city of Boise, Idaho, contracted with Renewlogy to recycle plastics No. 3 through No. 7, which were banned from the city's recycling program. Residents were instructed to separate these plastics into special orange garbage bags, which were then transported over 300 miles to Renewlogy's facility in Salt Lake City.
However, Renewlogy encountered issues with the contamination of Boise's waste with other garbage at levels higher than expected. The company claimed that the contamination was much higher than what they were told to anticipate, while Boise officials stated they were unaware of any assurances made regarding specific contamination levels. This contamination may have contributed to the piling up of plastic waste at the Renewlogy facility.
The process used by Renewlogy, known as pyrolysis, involves heating plastic in an oxygen-free environment to break it down into vapors, which are then cooled to create different types of fuel. This technology was touted as a breakthrough, offering a greener alternative to burying plastic waste in landfills. However, an assessment of the environmental impact of pyrolysis in Boise found that it fared worse than traditional methods in terms of global warming potential when considering the entire process, from manufacturing the bags to recycling.
Despite the challenges, Renewlogy continued to promote its technology and planned to launch another plastic recycling facility in Phoenix, Arizona. The company's long-term goal is to have its systems implemented at recycling facilities across the country to reduce the need for shipping waste to Salt Lake City.
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Frequently asked questions
The Hefty ReNew Program is a service that collects hard-to-recycle plastics that are often rejected by local recycling programs. The program works alongside your local recycling program and does not replace it.
First, collect your hard-to-recycle plastics in a Hefty ReNew Orange Bag. Only include items that are listed as accepted on the bag and on the accepted items page. Once the bag is full, tie it tightly and place it in your curbside bin or an approved drop-off location.
The Hefty ReNew Program accepts many everyday, hard-to-recycle plastic items such as plastic forks, candy wrappers, pet food bags, and foam to-go boxes. All items must be empty, clean, dry, and loose inside the bag.
The orange bags are sorted by local recycling facilities and sent to a facility for processing into new items. The collected plastics can be turned into new products like building materials and plastic lumber, or used instead of coal in cement manufacturing.
