Ontario company looking to bring new recycling technology to North America
BBL Energy ‘s Brett Lawson says the machinery shown above, known in the plant as “The Retort,” is responsible for processing shredded waste plastics, tires and used oils.Supplied
The environmental impact of plastic waste is becoming better known around the world. Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic are produced around the globe each year — with only about 10 per cent being recycled. A growing dependence on single-use containers, bottled water, and straws is leading to more plastics clogging our oceans and waterway, and presenting a serious threat to marine life.
An Ontario-based company is looking to reduce the environmental footprint of plastics and waste tire and oil with a new kind of recycling technology. Brett Lawson, of BBL Energy Inc., is working to establish the first recycling facility in Canada that takes waste plastic and used tires and converts them into light diesel oil and natural gas. He and his brother, Brad Lawson, are currently looking at sites in the eastern part of the province.
“A portion of plastics and tires are recycled but most are either put into landfill or incinerated. Our process can convert these ‘end of life’ materials that are not currently being recycled into a reusable energy source,” Lawson says, noting their equipment can recycle everything from plastic food containers to plastic bags, straws, plastic hospital waste, industrial drums etc., all of which can be processed in one machine at the same time.
Lawson’s family had already built a number of businesses in Canada and the U.S. before moving into the recycling sector. His father, Grant, was the founder of Trillium Healthcare Products, a company that contract manufactured bar soap and pharmaceutical products for multinational companies in North America. Lawson and his brother are also entrepreneurs and headed up a skin care business called Revolutionary Brands.
A few years back, the family was contacted by a friend in England who told them about a new kind of recycling process being developed by a Dublin-based company called Polyfuel Group. It uses a process called pyrolysis to break down plastic waste and tires into fuel oil, natural gas and carbon char. The company’s founder, Edward Mooney, had been researching this process for nearly 20 years.
“In simple terms, we heat the waste in an oxygen-free environment using hot air generated from non-condensable gases,” Mooney explains in an email sent from his office in Ireland. “We turn the solid waste into a liquid and then into a gas. The gasses are then quenched and condensed into a liquid fuel.”
Pyrolysis-based recycling has been the subject of a number of scientific studies and academic research papers in recent years. As the need to clean up plastic waste becomes more urgent, there’s been a more concerted effort to develop new recycling solutions. While not widely on the public radar, pyrolysis has become a bit of a buzzword in waste management circles. A number of engineers and inventors, from Ireland to India and the U.S., are working to develop pyrolysis recycling equipment. An increasing number of patents are pending as businesses work to take this innovative technology mainstream.
The Polyfuel Group is one of the first companies to get off the ground and commercialize the technology. The first machine, outside of India and Africa where there are 30 machines in operation, is currently being installed in Wales. Lawson explains that these recycling machines are processing 18 tons of waste plastic per day, yielding an estimated 14,000 to 18,000 litres of light diesel in a single 24-hour period. The amount of light diesel oil and natural gas is dependent upon the type of plastic being processed and also the number of contaminants in the plastic. They are also recycling used tires and oil and believe there is an opportunity for the machines use in the oil sands.
“When we reviewed the information on the technology we realized it was a great opportunity not only to partner with the European company, but also to bring the machines to North America,” Lawson says.
While he has confidence in this proven technology, Lawson acknowledges getting others to understand this next-generation recycling method is a challenge, however the company is making good progress. BBL Energy Inc. has recently announced a new contract that will see the company process more than 6,000 tons of waste tires annually in Canada, he added.
Lawson is working to raise awareness and is encouraging Canadian businesses to consider how pyrolysis recycling can benefit them. He believes any private waste handlers, municipalities or companies that handle dirty plastic, old tires and used oil can and would benefit from using their product.
“There is no reason for any plastic or tire to end up in landfills, oceans or to be incinerated. Our technology can convert these materials into usable resources, reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are required,” Lawson notes. “The business opportunities are basically limitless.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of BBL Energy Inc.
https://business.financialpost.com/sponsored/...th-america
BBL Energy ‘s Brett Lawson says the machinery shown above, known in the plant as “The Retort,” is responsible for processing shredded waste plastics, tires and used oils.Supplied
The environmental impact of plastic waste is becoming better known around the world. Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic are produced around the globe each year — with only about 10 per cent being recycled. A growing dependence on single-use containers, bottled water, and straws is leading to more plastics clogging our oceans and waterway, and presenting a serious threat to marine life.
An Ontario-based company is looking to reduce the environmental footprint of plastics and waste tire and oil with a new kind of recycling technology. Brett Lawson, of BBL Energy Inc., is working to establish the first recycling facility in Canada that takes waste plastic and used tires and converts them into light diesel oil and natural gas. He and his brother, Brad Lawson, are currently looking at sites in the eastern part of the province.
“A portion of plastics and tires are recycled but most are either put into landfill or incinerated. Our process can convert these ‘end of life’ materials that are not currently being recycled into a reusable energy source,” Lawson says, noting their equipment can recycle everything from plastic food containers to plastic bags, straws, plastic hospital waste, industrial drums etc., all of which can be processed in one machine at the same time.
Lawson’s family had already built a number of businesses in Canada and the U.S. before moving into the recycling sector. His father, Grant, was the founder of Trillium Healthcare Products, a company that contract manufactured bar soap and pharmaceutical products for multinational companies in North America. Lawson and his brother are also entrepreneurs and headed up a skin care business called Revolutionary Brands.
A few years back, the family was contacted by a friend in England who told them about a new kind of recycling process being developed by a Dublin-based company called Polyfuel Group. It uses a process called pyrolysis to break down plastic waste and tires into fuel oil, natural gas and carbon char. The company’s founder, Edward Mooney, had been researching this process for nearly 20 years.
“In simple terms, we heat the waste in an oxygen-free environment using hot air generated from non-condensable gases,” Mooney explains in an email sent from his office in Ireland. “We turn the solid waste into a liquid and then into a gas. The gasses are then quenched and condensed into a liquid fuel.”
Pyrolysis-based recycling has been the subject of a number of scientific studies and academic research papers in recent years. As the need to clean up plastic waste becomes more urgent, there’s been a more concerted effort to develop new recycling solutions. While not widely on the public radar, pyrolysis has become a bit of a buzzword in waste management circles. A number of engineers and inventors, from Ireland to India and the U.S., are working to develop pyrolysis recycling equipment. An increasing number of patents are pending as businesses work to take this innovative technology mainstream.
The Polyfuel Group is one of the first companies to get off the ground and commercialize the technology. The first machine, outside of India and Africa where there are 30 machines in operation, is currently being installed in Wales. Lawson explains that these recycling machines are processing 18 tons of waste plastic per day, yielding an estimated 14,000 to 18,000 litres of light diesel in a single 24-hour period. The amount of light diesel oil and natural gas is dependent upon the type of plastic being processed and also the number of contaminants in the plastic. They are also recycling used tires and oil and believe there is an opportunity for the machines use in the oil sands.
“When we reviewed the information on the technology we realized it was a great opportunity not only to partner with the European company, but also to bring the machines to North America,” Lawson says.
While he has confidence in this proven technology, Lawson acknowledges getting others to understand this next-generation recycling method is a challenge, however the company is making good progress. BBL Energy Inc. has recently announced a new contract that will see the company process more than 6,000 tons of waste tires annually in Canada, he added.
Lawson is working to raise awareness and is encouraging Canadian businesses to consider how pyrolysis recycling can benefit them. He believes any private waste handlers, municipalities or companies that handle dirty plastic, old tires and used oil can and would benefit from using their product.
“There is no reason for any plastic or tire to end up in landfills, oceans or to be incinerated. Our technology can convert these materials into usable resources, reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are required,” Lawson notes. “The business opportunities are basically limitless.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of BBL Energy Inc.
https://business.financialpost.com/sponsored/...th-america
