Waste

Waste (agricultural, medical, water, municipal) has for the most part been significantly under utilized.  Contrary to what its name implies, most materials found in “waste” can be processed into valuable products.  GIVE is working with technologies that enable such transformations including, paper, metal, plastic, and glass can be recycled.  Plastics and paper, as well as solid hazardous waste, can serve as fuel for electricity generation using gasification (traditional and plasma) paired with syngas engines or combustion in high-pressure boilers paired with steam turbines.  Organic residues can additionally be used to produce renewable electricity through anaerobic digestion paired with biogas engines.  Further, thermochemical routes can be used to process materials with high carbon content.  GIVE has evaluated technologies for utilizing these materials including catalytic depolymerization for production of diesel, catalytic synthesis of hydrocarbons from syngas, and pyrolysis followed by refining.