Mexican startup Petgas is turning plastic waste into fuel

• Petgas, a Mexican startup, is working to reduce plastic pollution by converting this waste into fuel.
• The company can process 1.5 tons of plastic weekly, producing 365 gallons of fuel, which is currently donated to local fire departments and food delivery services.
• Petgas ultimately aims to contribute to a circular economy by turning ocean plastic into a valuable resource instead of waste.

The Gulf of Mexico has one of the highest concentrations of plastic pollution in the world, a problem that one Mexican startup, Petgas, is working to address. Based in Boca del Río, Mexico, the company is converting plastic waste into fuel.

How much fuel can Petgas produce from plastic?

Petgas has developed technology capable of transforming 1.5 tons of plastic, approximately the weight of an average hippopotamus, into 365 gallons of fuel each week. This output is enough to power a car for around 9,125 miles. That is equivalent to crossing the United States at its farthest points three times.

How does converting plastic to fuel work?

The company uses a process called pyrolysis, in which propane heats plastic in an oxygen-free environment, triggering a chemical reaction that produces gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other fuels. While burning these fuels generates carbon dioxide emissions, the company states their reduced sulfur content results in 50% fewer greenhouse gases being released compared to traditional fuels.

To source plastic for the process, Petgas organizes collection drives to remove waste from nearby beaches and encourages community members to drop off plastic waste at designated collection points.

What happens next?

Currently, all fuel produced by the company is donated to the local fire department and food delivery services. However, Petgas envisions its methods one day contributing to a circular economy, where rather than discarding plastic waste into the world’s oceans, it is instead repurposed as a valuable energy resource.

“The future is being able to really take production to a scale that has impact,” Carlos Parraguirre Díaz, chief technology officer at Petgas, said.