Indian company reverse-engineers plastic to produce fuel

In India, Rudra Environmental Solutions perfected Thermo Catalytic Depolymerization (TCD), a technique that converts plastic waste into fuel by reversing the plastic production process.

Their technology features a heated sealed reactor that can disintegrate all kinds of plastic waste, including bottles, bags, packaging, cable covers and old tires. Besides fuel, the process also produces a synthetic gas used as an energy source to keep the reactor running – making it self-sufficient. 

Each tonne of plastic produces between 600 to 650 litres of fuel that Rudra Environmental Solutions sells to locals at a lower price than conventional fuel or diesel. So far, the company has collected more than 250 metric tons of waste plastic from about 15,000 households, hotels and businesses around Pune.

Why does it matter? India, like many countries, pledged to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022. However, we still need to find solutions to reuse the massive amount of plastic that already exists. According to India’s Central Pollution Control Board, more than 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste end up directly in landfills or rivers every year or pollute the air when burned in open fields.

Rudra Environmental Solutions’ innovative approach removes existing plastic without generating pollution while creating local jobs and providing rural communities with cheaper fuel.