Co-processing of plastic waste in a cement kiln: a better option

Abstract

This paper deals with the techniques to use plastic waste for co-processing in cement kiln for energy recovery. Plastics, a versatile material and friend to the common man, have now become one of the most serious environmental issues when it is discarded into the environment. The focus of this study is on eco-friendly disposal of plastic waste. Plastic is user-friendly, but because of its incomplete lifecycle, it has become a global issue. It is commonly disposed of by land filling or incinerating the waste, which adds to the pollution load at later stages. The authors' focus is on innovative techniques to use waste plastics in different proportions for the co-processing in cement kiln in order to highlight the energy recovery of the entire plant. It is a good solution to the waste disposal problems that arise due to plastic waste as well as municipal solid waste. The use of plastic waste as an alternative fuel for cement plants is suggested in this paper. The authors also promote this approach and suggest encouraging its calorific value utilization in the cement manufacturing plant. A systematic approach has been presented in this work to mitigate the energy consumption in the cement industries as well as environmental hazards due to plastic and municipal solid waste.

Keywords: Cement kiln; Co-processing; Municipal solid waste; Plastic waste; Recycling; Reuse.