{"id":999,"date":"2025-06-08T18:23:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T18:23:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/?p=999"},"modified":"2025-07-09T17:07:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T17:07:38","slug":"urban-plastic-waste-to-fuel-conversion-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/concluded-projects\/urban-plastic-waste-to-fuel-conversion-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban Plastic Waste-to-Fuel Conversion Pilot – 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Date:<\/strong> February 2025
Location:<\/strong> Negombo City, Sri Lanka<\/p>\n

Overview<\/strong>
MPF’s Environmental Technology team has deployed a modular pyrolysis unit to convert post-consumer plastic into low-sulfur fuel oil. Coupled with community collection drives, this project demonstrates a circular-economy model in a mid-sized urban setting.<\/p>\n

The Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    Plastic pollution:<\/strong> Negombo generates over 8 tons of plastic waste daily, much of which ends up in waterways.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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    Energy demand:<\/strong> Small businesses and fisheries rely on expensive, polluting diesel.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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    Collection gaps:<\/strong> Informal collectors lack incentives and processing infrastructure.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Our Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n

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      Community Engagement & Collection<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t

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        Partnered with three youth associations to run door-to-door plastic pickup and sorting centers.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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        Modular Pyrolysis Deployment<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t

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          Installed a skid-mounted, 200 kg\/day pyrolysis reactor at a municipal scrap yard.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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          Quality Control & Blending<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t

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            Set up an on-site lab to test fuel properties; blend with diesel to meet engine standards.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Implementation Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n

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              Skid unit operational<\/strong> since April 2025, processing 1–2 tons\/week.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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              10 collection hubs<\/strong> established across the city, each managed by a local cooperative.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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              Real-time tracking<\/strong> of feedstock tonnage and output yield via a custom mobile app.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Progress to Date<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                1.5 tons<\/strong> of plastic processed into 1,200 L<\/strong> of pyrolysis oil.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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                Local tuk-tuk drivers report 5% cost savings<\/strong> when blending at a 10:1 ratio.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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                Youth cooperatives earned Rs. 50,000<\/strong> in collection stipends.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Expected Outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                  Process 8 tons\/week<\/strong> by Q4 2025.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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                  Reduce city landfill plastic volume by 30%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t

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                  Validate replicability for deployment in two additional municipalities.<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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                  “Turning my daily plastic haul into cash and cleaner fuel—it’s changed how we see waste.”
                  — Ms. Silva, Collection Hub Coordinator<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Date: February 2025Location: Negombo City, Sri Lanka Overview MPF’s Environmental Technology team has deployed a modular pyrolysis unit to convert post-consumer plastic into low-sulfur fuel oil. Coupled with community collection drives, this project demonstrates a circular-economy model in a mid-sized urban setting. The Challenge Plastic pollution: Negombo generates over 8 tons of plastic waste daily, much of which ends up in waterways. Energy demand: Small businesses and fisheries rely on expensive, polluting diesel. Collection gaps: Informal collectors lack incentives and processing infrastructure. Our Approach Community Engagement & Collection Partnered with three youth associations to run door-to-door plastic pickup and sorting centers. Modular Pyrolysis Deployment Installed a skid-mounted, 200 kg\/day pyrolysis reactor at a municipal scrap yard. Quality Control & Blending Set up an on-site lab to test fuel properties; blend with diesel to meet engine standards. Implementation Highlights Skid unit operational since April 2025, processing 1–2 tons\/week. 10 collection hubs established across the city, each managed by a local cooperative. Real-time tracking of feedstock tonnage and output yield via a custom mobile app. Progress to Date 1.5 tons of plastic processed into 1,200 L of pyrolysis oil. Local tuk-tuk drivers report 5% cost savings when blending at a 10:1 ratio. Youth cooperatives earned Rs. 50,000 in collection stipends. Expected Outcomes Process 8 tons\/week by Q4 2025. Reduce city landfill plastic volume by 30%. Validate replicability for deployment in two additional municipalities. “Turning my daily plastic haul into cash and cleaner fuel—it’s changed how we see waste.” — Ms. Silva, Collection Hub Coordinator<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-concluded-projects","tag-24"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=999"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1447,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999\/revisions\/1447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitesp.com\/millionpathsfoundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}