{"id":11463,"date":"2026-06-15T10:12:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nantek.es\/?p=11463"},"modified":"2026-06-15T10:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:23:08","slug":"from-plastic-to-biofuel-what-chemical-recycling-is-and-how-it-differs-from-mechanical-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nantek.es\/en\/from-plastic-to-biofuel-what-chemical-recycling-is-and-how-it-differs-from-mechanical-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"From plastic to biofuel: what chemical recycling is and how it differs from mechanical recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not all plastic can be turned back into plastic. When waste is dirty, mixed or degraded, conventional recycling falls short. This is where chemical recycling<\/strong> comes in, able to transform those rejects into biofuels and raw materials. Let’s look at what it is and how it differs from mechanical recycling.<\/p>\n

What is mechanical recycling<\/h2>\n

Mechanical recycling is the most widespread method: plastic is collected, sorted, washed, shredded and turned into pellets to make new products. It is efficient and low in energy use, but it has clear limits. It requires relatively clean, homogeneous waste, and the material quality degrades with each cycle.<\/p>\n

That is why a significant share of plastic \u2014films, multilayer, mixed or contaminated waste\u2014 is not suitable for this route and ends up in landfill.<\/p>\n

What is chemical recycling<\/h2>\n

Chemical recycling breaks plastic down at the molecular level to recover its basic components. Instead of melting the material, it breaks the polymer chains and converts them into new raw materials or energy products.<\/p>\n

Pyrolysis<\/a> is one of its key technologies: through heat and the absence of oxygen, it transforms plastic rejects into pyrolysis oil, gas and char, products that can be used as fuel or as industrial feedstock.<\/p>\n

Main differences<\/h2>\n