Advancing Plastic Waste Circularity Through Modular Portable Pyrolysis Systems

The lack of centralized waste management infrastructure in certain regions makes plastic waste an escalating environmental and economic problem. This research investigates how modular portable pyrolysis systems function as sustainable decentralized solutions. A standard shipping container houses a custom-designed pyrolysis unit which demonstrates flexibility and adaptability. The system contains a batch rotary kiln reactor with a processing capacity of 750 kg per batch which is fed with urban plastic waste, to produce pyrolytic oil, syngas and char. The produced pyrolytic oil exhibits an energy content comparable to that of conventional diesel fuel. Additionally, the integration of biomass briquettes and recycled pyrolytic gas can reduce to a big extent the external energy requirements, improving the system’s overall energy autonomy. Therefore, the system becomes economically reliable due to its low operational expenses and the short cycle of approximately 7-h operation. The unit’s mobility enables on-site treatment operations which reduces both transportation emissions and expenses. The analysis includes technical design elements together with performance metrics for different plastics. This conceptual study demonstrates the feasibility of containerized pyrolysis as a practical method to enhance plastic waste chemical recycling rates while presenting a scalable framework for industrial symbiosis and local waste-to-energy conversion.