Plastogaz plastic waste transformation technology gets FIT boost

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15.09.2021
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EPFL spin-off Plastogaz has developed a process for the transformation of plastic waste into value-added products to be used for the production of energy or the generation of new raw plastic material. The FIT Tech Seed loan will be used to further develop the transformation process and to strengthen existing partnerships for the implementation of a pilot project.

Our society’s ubiquitous use of plastics leads to a large amount of waste that is landfilled or incinerated. More and more companies are therefore looking to reduce their environmental impact, and innovative recycling solutions are becoming increasingly common. Among them, the most promising solution is pyrolysis: a process of chemical decomposition of materials at high temperature that converts plastic waste into a form of oil that is then used as a raw material to manufacture new plastics. But these oils, made up of a mixture of liquids from plastics, are not subjected to a single product specification and their use is therefore extremely complex for refiners. However, to generate some very common plastics – olefins – pyrolysis oils require intensive and energy-intensive processing in a refinery.

Eager to close the loop of plastic recycling, Plastogaz has set out to develop a process that turns plastic waste into value-added products. This patented technology transforms waste into green naphtha, a liquid mixture used in the production of olefins – a plastic material that represents half of the polymer market. Plastogaz thereby achieves 90% regeneration of the original plastic components and reduces energy consumption by 40%. In addition to closing the recycling loop, Plastogaz’s original technology can also transform plastic waste into grid-compatible methane.

Founded in May 2020, Plastogaz is led by Felix Bobbink, CEO and Antoine van Muyden, CTO. The team has received support from InnoSuisse, Venture Kick and the Canton of Vaud, and won the IMD StartUpBusiness competition. In addition, Plastogaz received financial support from EPFL, Climate-KIC, the Gebert Rüf Foundation and Switzerland Innovation.

With the funds from the Tech Seed loan of CHF 100’000, the start-up will now accelerate the development of its conversion process and strengthen its partnerships in view of the realisation of a pilot project in order to gain the commitment of customers.

(Press release)

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