The amount of investment capital flowing into the green energy and recycling sectors is growing by leaps and bounds globally. More and more sustainable energy companies are creating unique and effective ways to transform waste products, including Used Motor Oil (UMO), tires, and municipal solid waste (MSW), into clean and renewable byproducts such as steam, heat, electricity, diesel, steel, syngas, and even high-grade jet fuel. Revolutionary recycling technologies with zero-emissions hold great promise to rid the world of harmful environmental pollutants once and for all.
One particular effort area is worth highlighting. In the developed world, one tire per person is added to landfills annually, including about 10% of all new tires produced. These tires can be gathered and processed to create commodities such as oils (including marine diesel bunker grade oil), syngas, carbon, steel, and energy (heat, steam, electricity), through proven non-toxic and zero-waste processes. One interesting aspect of the business model is the presence of “tipping fees”, where processors are paid by the ton to take the tires, reducing the cost of raw feedstock to zero.