You understand that pyrolysis works anywhere, right? Pyrolysis is the process of heating material, such as plastic, at high temperatures without oxygen. The lack of oxygen allows it to decompose without burning. It really does produce an oil. The problem is that it's not profitable. A number of companies have tried and investors equate the term 'oil' with value but so far nobody has been able to convert any feedstock to anything of higher value through pyrolysis. It's not whether pyrolysis "works", even the skeptics will agree that it does. It's whether it makes something more valuable.

Diverting from landfills and saving that cost would imply JBI can get the plastic they need for free. They can't. Not even the pure LDPE agricultural 'waste' from Madison County will work as Mr. Bordynuik waved that away. We could discuss how solid waste or mixed plastics are cheaper and how that would make a low-value oil...but JBI is only allowed to use HDPE, LDPE and PP...for which they will need to pay market prices. JBI pays for plastic...and needs to mix it with oil which they also need to pay for...and none of the cost/results of the process is disclosed to the shareholders who own the company and whose very investment depends on knowing that information.

I still have ties to the farming community where I grew up and the agricultural plastic they use is clear LDPE (not even dyes to worry about). In that area recyclers do pick it up. They don't pay the farmers anything but they take it for free. If recyclers can use it where JBI's process can't, where does that leave JBI?? Madison County essentially subsidized JBI by collecting the plastic for JBI...and JBI still can't use it.