Could carbon capture be the solution to boost recycling rates?

Energy recovery is the go-to solution for the kind of waste that cannot be recycled with current methods. Conventional recycling is absolutely necessary, but it could be complemented by turning waste incineration into a source of high-quality raw materials for plastics and other materials. This is what we at Fortum are doing in our Carbon2X pilot. We capture the carbon from the carbon dioxide emissions produced in the incineration and turn it into valuable raw material.

Unlike conventionally recycled plastic, the plastic made from the captured carbon is of such a high quality that it can be used in food packaging or children’s toys. Think of the possibilities – we could replace huge amounts of oil in global plastic production simply by tapping into a resource that is currently wasted. It may be hard to think of carbon as a valuable resource since we’ve all learned to think of it as the main culprit in global warming. In the atmosphere, it is indeed a problem, but when captured, it turns into a solution.

Once used, this material can be recycled conventionally or incinerated again, depending on the type of product it has been turned into. In either case, the carbon stays in circulation instead of dispersing into the atmosphere. Harmful emissions are avoided and at the same time, we are closing the loop on carbon.

Leading the way towards a new form of recycling

The technologies used for carbon capture are not new, but they have not been applied to waste incineration before. This makes our work pioneering, and I must say, very exciting as well. We aim to have our first industrial-scale pilot facility up and running around 2027 or 2028. Fortum is committed to being carbon-neutral in its European operations by 2030, and this is the goal in our horizon too.

There are still some challenges we must solve along the way. Some of the technology is well tested, but there are not many large-scale references. We are at the forefront developing the technologies for converting carbon into plastics.

The EU also needs to step up to create a legal framework for CCU product manufacturing in this context. Currently, clear EU-level rules for recognising this process as a form of recycling are missing. Furthermore, carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) is not recognised as permanent carbon binding, which means that companies engaged in this business would have to pay for emission allowances – even if the carbon stays in a closed loop as the products are recycled or incinerated again.

The third challenge has to do with hydrogen, which is needed in large quantities in the process, and the production of which requires a lot of electricity. The price of electricity therefore affects the price of the end products. But I am confident that there are many industrial manufacturers who see the value of using captured carbon as a raw material for their offering. These are the kind of forward-looking companies we want to partner with.

What we’re doing in the Carbon2X project is by no means simple and requires substantial investments to scale up. But I believe that we have a real chance to change the entire waste incineration sector and turn it into a profitable, sustainable, recognised form of recycling. There are around 500 waste incineration plants in Europe, all holding this potential to be more than they are today. All it takes is someone to show that it can be done; when others see that this is possible, they will follow suit.