Meet the Speakers: An expert look at plastics-to-fuel evolution

In anticipation of Plastics Recycling 2018 next month in Nashville, Tenn., we’re profiling a few of the speakers who will take the stage to discuss the latest trends, ideas and issues in plastics recovery.

This week we feature Priyanka Bakaya, the founder and CEO of plastics-to-fuel enterprise Renewlogy. Bakaya will speak as part of a session highlighting the pyrolysis field and its important role in opening doors to wider breakthroughs in the chemical recycling of some types of plastics.

What do you plan to cover in your presentation?
Our presentation is aimed to serve as an update on the current developments of plastic-to-fuel systems globally. As the technology has been proven out, the industry continues to make commercial strides, and the purpose of this presentation is to highlight this progress and the opportunities ahead.

What are some of the biggest current or upcoming opportunities for the plastics-to-fuel sector?
In light of the latest Chinese ban on plastics, there is an even bigger need for domestic avenues for low-value plastics such as Nos. 3-7 plastics. There is also a growing awareness of marine plastic pollution, which is another interesting application of plastic to fuel.

Where is plastics-to-fuel at in terms of its development as an industry?
There are many examples in the industry showing technical success currently. Now it’s a matter of demonstrating this as a mainstream and not just niche technology.

What makes you most excited to be a part of the plastics recycling industry right now?
This is a challenging time for the plastic recycling industry, and with challenges come many opportunities. The way we see plastics will fundamentally change in our generation, and I believe with technology developments such as ours, we will finally see plastic recovery rates surpass 10 percent for the first time.

Bakaya will present during “Closing In on Circularity for Harder-to-Recover Plastics,” a session organized by the American Chemistry Council. It will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Plastics Recycling 2018 is set for Feb. 19-21 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit plasticsrecycling.com for the latest on the conference schedule and session descriptions.