Integration of Incineration and Pyrolysis Technologies for Sustainable Plastic Waste Management: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
plastic waste pyrolysis, MSW incineration, flue gas-assisted pyrolysis (FGAP), CO2 atmosphere, steam atmosphere, waste-to-energy, circular economyAbstract
The increasing global plastic waste crisis and the need to improve the sustainability of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration have spurred great interest in hybrid thermochemical processing strategies. In this context, this review critically examines the integration of MSW incineration with plastic waste pyrolysis. In particular, it focuses on the use of incinerator flue gas as a reactive atmosphere and heat carrier for pyrolysis. The flue gas contains CO2, steam (H2O), nitrogen (N2), and trace acid gases. A systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar following the PRISMA guidelines resulted in 60 peer-reviewed studies (2005–2025). The review combines results on the effect of CO2, and steam on pyrolytic product distribution for HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, PET, and mixed plastics, reactor design, environmental aspects (dioxin/furan formation, HCl handling), and techno-economic performance. A CO2 atmosphere promotes dry reforming reactions, shifting the product distribution to lighter hydrocarbons, while steam promotes hydrocarbon volatilisation and suppresses char formation via steam–hydrocarbon interactions (steam reforming and water–gas shift reactions), thereby increasing the oil yield at 480–520 °C. Combined flue-gas-atmosphere pyrolysis (FGAP) improves the yield of polyolefin oil by 5–15 wt% compared with conventional N2 pyrolysis, based on the range reported across multiple independent experimental studies reviewed. The greatest potential for integration is seen in the rotary kiln and fluidised bed reactor configurations. Main research gaps are long pilot operation, development of HCl-tolerant catalysts, and life-cycle assessment based on operational data. This review is limited to peer-reviewed English-language articles and synthetic or real flue gas pyrolysis studies, excluding biomass-only and pure gasification studies. Future perspectives include AI-based predictive control, digital twin modelling, coupling of carbon capture and utilisation, and deployment of circular economy.
Abstrak: Meningkatnya krisis limbah plastik global dan kebutuhan untuk meningkatkan keberlanjutan pembakaran limbah padat perkotaan (MSW) telah memicu minat besar pada strategi pemrosesan termokimia hibrida. Dalam konteks ini, tinjauan ini secara kritis mengkaji integrasi pembakaran MSW dengan pirolisis limbah plastik. Secara khusus, tinjauan ini berfokus pada penggunaan gas buang insinerator sebagai atmosfer reaktif dan pembawa panas untuk pirolisis. Gas buang mengandung CO2, uap air (H2O), nitrogen (N2), dan gas asam dalam jumlah kecil. Pencarian sistematis di Scopus, Web of Science, dan Google Scholar mengikuti pedoman PRISMA menghasilkan 60 studi yang ditinjau sejawat (2005–2025). Tinjauan ini menggabungkan hasil tentang pengaruh CO2 dan uap air terhadap distribusi produk pirolitik untuk HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, PET, dan plastik campuran, desain reaktor, aspek lingkungan (pembentukan dioksin/furan, penanganan HCl), dan kinerja tekno-ekonomi. Atmosfer CO2 mendorong reaksi reformasi kering yang menggeser distribusi produk ke hidrokarbon yang lebih ringan, sementara uap mendorong penguapan hidrokarbon dan menekan pembentukan arang melalui interaksi uap-hidrokarbon (reaksi reformasi uap dan water-gas shift), sehingga meningkatkan hasil minyak pada suhu 480–520 °C. Pirolisis gabungan gas buang-atmosfer (FGAP) meningkatkan hasil minyak poliolefin sebesar 5–15 wt% dibandingkan dengan pirolisis N2 konvensional, berdasarkan kisaran yang dilaporkan di berbagai studi eksperimental independen yang ditinjau. Potensi terbesar untuk integrasi terlihat pada konfigurasi tungku putar dan reaktor unggun terfluidisasi. Kesenjangan penelitian utama adalah operasi skala pilot jangka panjang, pengembangan katalis yang tahan HCl, dan penilaian siklus hidup berdasarkan data operasional. Tinjauan ini terbatas pada artikel berbahasa Inggris yang ditinjau oleh rekan sejawat dan studi pirolisis gas buang sintetis atau nyata, tidak termasuk studi biomassa saja dan gasifikasi murni. Prospek masa depan mencakup kontrol prediktif berbasis AI, pemodelan kembaran digital (digital twin), penggabungan penangkapan dan pemanfaatan karbon, serta penerapan ekonomi sirkular.
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