Leftover food can be shared with neighbours, while discarded items can be reused for solar modules.
Now, a Californian startup isn’t just converting household waste into energy-rich gas, but car tyres, plastic, wood, glass and electronic equipment too.
Waste is inserted at the top of the gasifier while steam and purified oxygen are injected at the bottom, starting a multi-stage process which triggers chemical reactions and temperatures of 2,200℃.
As the waste descends, it is broken down into its foundational molecules. Producing synthetic gas.
Metals and inorganic compounds collect at the bottom in a molten state. These are removed and, after hardening, can be reused as construction materials.
Methane from landfills is suitable for making sunglasses.
