Industrial Plastic Waste Conversion into Added Value Products in View to Mitigate Plastic Pollution: A Review

Since century now, human health and environment are threatened by plastic wastes. Plastics are among the worldwide used products, but constitute a big pollution problem due to the long degradation period of its wastes. The pollution prevention strategy can be resumed into 4Rs which are: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The life cycle stages of plastic propose in the disposal step three ways: incineration, landfills and recycling; among which the last (recycling; 9%) represents the environmentally friendly option. Landfilling representing the highest proportion (79%) of plastic disposal, causing land pollution, followed by incineration (12%) which contribute to atmospheric pollution, and together landfills and incineration constitute a threat to ecosystems and to the human health. Originating mainly from fossil energy sources, plastics can be reverted back to fossil derivatives depending on their chemical composition, and preparation. Pyrolysis is one of the most common method for plastic conversion; but aside, there is also chemolysis, gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction and more, which can also use for converting plastic wastes. In this review, different products obtained through plastic conversion have been discussed along with the processes and parameters involved