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Turning Plastic Waste into Fuel

Jeffrey Seay, Professor of Chemical Engineering at UK Paducah, has been collaborating with partners in numerous countries, including Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and India, to find new ways to convert harmful waste into fuel!

The Trash-to-Tank (3T) Processor is an open-source creation produced by Seay’s nonprofit organization, Engineers for Sustainable Energy Solutions (ESES). The mission of ESES is to provide an innovative sustainable and community-based solution for addressing the issue of mismanaged plastic waste around the world through its “trash-to-tank” technology.

“Plastic to fuel is, so far, the only technology that removes plastic from the ecosystem, and can lead to a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, on a life-cycle basis,” says Seay. “A problem faced by most ocean cleanup efforts is that once the plastic is brought ashore, it must still be dealt with.”

Carlie Laughlin

Carlie Laughlin is a Faculty Programs Coordinator with the Office of Sustainability. She is also a graduate student pursuing her degree in Applied Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

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